Today, Marissa Nadler has released “Hatchet Man,” which is the second single and video from her new album, New Radiations, that will be out on August 15, through Sacred Bones. “Hatchet Man” is a cosmic murder ballad that paints a chilling scene, while Nadler sings: “The angel made him do it and he made me watch and he thought no one would notice her gone.”

The accompanying self-directed video for “Hatchet Man” was made using “cut-out shadow figures, everyday objects, liquid light show techniques and self-shot footage with much of it projected through the soft glow of an old overhead projector,” Nadler explains. “I wanted to create a surreal, crimson space for the song and its characters to live in, to tell the story without being too illustrative.”

While talking about her latest ditty, the artist says: “Hatchet Man’ is about a sinister character bringing a woman home and not for romance, but to murder her, while the narrator, his partner, is made to witness it unfold. Ultimately, the storyteller escapes, adrenaline flooding her veins. The sweet, lilting melody of the chorus offers a stark contrast to the verses, where much of the tale is told. I enjoy twisting narratives, subverting tropes, and playing with perspective in my songs. The rest of the details are all in the song.”

Photo Credit: Alexander Cabrera