Pigeon Spins Featuring an Interview with barDe

barDe - Dig Up Her Bones

It is a softer, more spectral take on the goth horror cult classic Dig Up Her Bones by the Misfits, and transforms raw punk energy into something ethereal and emotionally charged.

“For me, this delves into what keeps us digging through memory for what can’t be revived, the compulsion to reach for what’s gone and how that can drive us to madness. It explores how we move through grief, how obsession can become devotion, and ultimately forces us to face our own mortality.” - barDe

barDe (say it like bard-ee) is an Irish-American singer-songwriter based in Manchester, UK, crafting alt-pop and rock confessionals from the ashes of heartbreak. With breathy vocals hinting at her roots, poetic punchlines, and a tangle of vintage instruments lifted by 90s guitar and drum riffs, barDe merges soulful vulnerability with theatrical grit and holy satire. Her sound lands somewhere between a lullaby and a sermon - sweet on the surface, sharp underneath. Her debut project, The Pretty Red Flag Revival, is a concept album and emotional exorcism all in one: part gospel, part ghost story, part feminist fire. From candy apple kisses to heartbreak crime scenes, barDe turns emotional chaos into melody, stitching soft vocals to savage truths.

Interview with barDe

(º)> What drew you to cover the Misfits’ “Dig Up Her Bones” in such a spectral, ethereal way?

I wanted to bring a deeply introspective aspect out of it and connect with others who understand the journey of grief/loss

(º)> How did you translate the raw punk energy of the original into something emotionally charged and haunting?

Literally put myself through emotional exhumation across 6 weeks, exploring the themes

(º)> You mentioned digging through memory and obsession—how does this theme shape your music and lyrics?

For my own songwriting, I’m very obsessed with words anyway, so once an idea captures me, I’m on that train. I used to be a sleep therapist, so I understand how to layer detail into my work through lucid dreaming and going to sleep with an unfinished lyric…it’s always gifted to me in the morning.

(º)> How do grief and mortality influence the mood and tone of your cover?

I worked with my producer to set the tone, leaning into an ethereal but rock feel. And I channeled my experience of losing both my parents through dementia whilst recording it. The visual aesthetic leans into its goth horror roots

(º)> What role does theatricality play in your alt-pop and rock confessionals?

I think it’s important to be authentic but draw a viewer/listener into a world. Theatre and aesthetics enhance this.

(º)> How do you blend vintage instruments with '90s riffs to create your signature sound?

My producer @Chris_pepper87 is a multi-instrumentalist and has a veritable museum of vintage instruments in his studio. No matter if we’re leaning into a high-energy Altpop song or a balla,d there’s always something unusual that complements the track.

(º)> Can you describe the balance between vulnerability and sharpness in your vocal style?

I have a breathy soft singing voice, which lends vulnerability to my songs, but I have a very sharp pen. There is a lot of parody in my lyricism.

(º)> How does your debut project, The Pretty Red Flag Revival, inform or connect to this cover?

The concepts in the album take one through the range of emotions experienced through heartbreak - a bit like the grief cycle …denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. These are, of course, not a linear experience. This cover, although not on the album, explores obsession and grief on another level.

(º)> In what ways does your music explore feminist themes alongside personal storytelling?

Let’s just say, for one of the songs on the album, I gathered research from over 100 women to inform the lyrics. That’s out on February 13th, 2026, and is an anti-romantic anthem.

(º)> How do you approach transforming emotional chaos into melody in your songwriting?

I usually write lyrics first, and they often will come either from a poem I adapt or in a deep felt moment, then I just talk them in my head over and over until they turn into a song.

(•)> That's all, Folks! Check out barDe on the Pigeon Spins Playlist