NEVA DEMURE
With Antidote, Neva Demure moves past the glossy, club-driven aesthetics of her previous work, opting instead for a raw, alternative rock-infused sound that reflects a new sense of self.
The album's collaborators—including Oran Ray and Beatrix Curran—bring depth and texture, but at its heart, Antidote is Demure’s most intimate work yet.
Shaped by her experiences in New York’s queer nightlife and Berlin’s uncompromising artistic landscape, the album oscillates between defiance and vulnerability. It’s a record that embraces change, but more than that, it embraces truth.
"Trauma Curl" signifies a departure from your previous style. Can you discuss the evolution behind this change?
I was ready to make something more honest and organic. I didn't feel I needed to hide behind maximalist electronic productions and autotuned vocals anymore. It's super fun and exciting to experiment with identity and the idealized self in music, but I’m not really doing that on “Trauma Curl” or the rest of Antidote.
I think there must have been a desire to share something more true to myself, because now that the album is completed I feel a release from a lot of the topics I was singing about. I feel I got to move on. I don't think it would have been possible for me to make this album if it wasn't for me getting to a place of confidence and self acceptance in my womanhood.
How did your background in New York's queer club scene influence the sonic transformation evident in "Antidote"?
After years of making dance music in NYC and Berlin I think I just got bored and wanted to play guitar and sing again. In terms of current influence, I guess DJs and party personalities in NYC are a lot more identity driven than in Berlin. I always felt DJ´s in NYC are more like pop stars, I guess that inspired me to be a rockstar here in Berlin. The track “Meow Meow” on Antidote is sort of my swan song to club music.
Now that I've accepted I don't want to make dance music anymore, for the first time in years I like dancing to techno again. I´m thankful for that, I can have a dance and then write my little acoustic songs and experience the full range of emotions.
The album offers a raw insight into your world. What challenges did you face in sharing such intimate aspects of your journey?
I think if I didn't have Mika recording with me I would have struggled a lot more. Having a confidant and supporter who pushes you to go past your comfort zone makes it a lot easier than if I was just recording everything by myself. At the end of the day, I wanted to make an album that shared some of my life experiences as a trans woman as well as the experiences of my friends.
The idea that some queer kid in the middle of nowhere could find my album and it could help them feel okay is what keeps me from getting too in my head about the vulnerability of the subject matter. If this album helps someone feel less alone (especially in the current political climate), then I'll happily be the trans martyr.
Collaborations play a role in "Antidote," with artists like Oran Ray and Beatrix Curran contributing. How did these partnerships influence the album's sound?
These collaborations are really the secret ingredient to the album. Oran is the most amazing drummer I have ever met and his playing is such a large part of the album. Beatrix I worked with while touring with Abyss X and we just really hit it off on a personal level. With Oran, a lot of the time I had exact drum beats and rhythms I would try to convey.
He always would put a spin onto it and then it would become a collaboration of creativity, which I think is always better. Beatrix´s playing was all improvisation, and then I cut up the parts I liked and ran them through different effects. Dmitra helped with Sweet Revenge and gave it the flavour I knew only she could. Mika´s mixing style is present throughout the album and is what offers so much of the warmth and timelessness that I love about it.
I´ve never had a project where so many people were involved. Most of what I've done in my adult life has been really insular and all done by myself from writing to mixing. Truth is I never want to do something just on my own again. It's like that Bjork quote, “Making music by yourself is like masterbating, making music with others is sex” or something like that. I thought about that a lot during this process.
Your unplugged performance at Pogo Bar showcased a different facet of your music. How did presenting acoustic versions affect your connection with the audience?
It was psychotic tbh… I'm really happy how it turned out and it was amazing to be able to have so many songs that can translate to an acoustic setting but it was definitely a challenge. The audience was just really adorable. I was on a tall stool with my guitar wearing a really short dress and the audience was all sitting down in front of me, there was just a spotlight on me and everything else was lit dark red.
it probably wasn't the best outfit decision but I didn't feel embarrassed. I think that sums up the connection I had with the audience. It just felt very heartfelt and vulnerable. I love Berlin crowds because they´re always up for anything, it's very different from Seattle and New York City in that way.
Relocating from Seattle to Berlin encompasses diverse cultural landscapes. How have these environments shaped your artistry?
I relocated from Seattle to NYC, spent 4 years in NYC, and then came to Berlin :)
In simplest terms, Seattle taught me to love music and all the music that came from there, NYC taught me how to be cunty and be a personality, and Berlin taught me to be true to myself because it will always be more interesting than trying to do what you think people would want you to do.
I carry all these cities in me, each changing my personality and how I relate to the world. NYC is my heart, because it's where I first discovered the woman I would become. If it wasn't for the amazing trans community and all the mother and sister figures I had met, I don´t know where I would be. I hold them in my heart forever.
What inspired you to merge electronic music with alternative rock elements reminiscent of the 1990s?
Just my musical influences I guess. I really didn't try to do a particular sound or a particular mood for Antidote. I just let it come out of me naturally, and then edited which songs to use based on the identity the album manifested itself as. I think the lyrics were more important to me than the genre in terms of deciding what songs worked.
I did however work really hard to try and make it cohesive, but luckily a lot of that was just chance which always feels a bit divine when it ends up like that. I´m just glad I was able to put these pieces together and still have it feel cohesive.
"Antidote" is set for release on April 11th, 2025. How are you preparing for its launch, and what can fans anticipate from your upcoming performances?
We have the release show on April 3rd at Lark with support from my best friends Soraya and Dmitra. My fav DJs, Arsen and Berenice are gonna be joining us as well. It's the drop of the vinyl as well as some limited run Neva Demure merch :) I´m playing an electric show with my band and it´s the first time we are doing this. It should all be very rock and roll. I expect intensity and I will probably cry during the acoustic moments because I'm very thankful and very proud.
We have another music video coming out in the months following the release and we will be ready to tour for the spring/summer season. I truly cannot wait!
Interview by DONALD GJOKA
Photography GIL CORUJEIRA
Art Direction ULIANA VELGOSH
Hair and Makeup BLOOM
Harlequin Dress and Opera gloves MADAMORPHO
Additional Garments provided by CATALOGUE & ERICA MARGIEL
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