Getting To Know: Caswell

In a time when women's rights are under attack and monumental decisions like the overturning of *Roe v. Wade* have shaken the world, few artists are channeling this seismic cultural shift into their music quite like Caswell. Their latest track, "Dorko Boda," is a bold response to these pressing issues. In this conversation, we dive deep into how current events influenced the songwriting process and what powerful message they hope to deliver through the music.

1. "Dorko Boda" draws a parallel between the historical witch trials and modern gender politics. What initially inspired you to explore this dark chapter of history, and how do you see these themes resonating in today's world?

I’m based in East-Anglia, an area of England with a really dark history within the witch trials. The more I read and learnt the more fascinated I became, and the more I realised how political the undercurrent of the issue was; what kind of women were targeted and why. I saw the witch hunts as a metaphor for how women are still demonised and dehumanised today if they go against the requirements of whatever media, religion, politic or culture they belong to. 

 2. The song’s creation began with a vocal synth that you described as sounding like “women underwater.” How did this sonic element shape the track's haunting atmosphere, and what emotions were you hoping to evoke through this sound?

During my research I came across a case of a Hungarian woman Dorko Boda who was killed during the ‘witch swimmings’ that took place. Women were thrown to the water to see if they were a witch, if they drowned they were innocent but if they floated the holy water had ‘rejected’ them and they were killed anyway. The woman-underwater-synth was my way of giving a voice to Dorko Boda those women who were unrightfully killed during these damning trials.  

 3. "Dorko Boda" touches on the recent rollback of women's rights, like the overturning of Roe v. Wade. How did these current events influence the songwriting process, and what message are you hoping to convey to listeners through this track?

The song was written in 2022 when this was unravelling in the US and I remember feeling a huge helplessness, fear and anger that this could be happening in one of the alleged most ‘progressive’ territories on earth, one that is culturally and politically so close to us here in the UK. I wanted to say something about it all, express my anger, participate in the outcry in the best way I knew how. There was a sense of urgency and dread for what it could look like for women of the future, but also a call for women to stand together.

  4. Your lyrics mention being "damned if we don't and damned if we do," highlighting the double standards women face. How do you approach writing about such complex and heavy topics while maintaining the balance between storytelling and activism in your music?

I actually really struggled with this. It’s quite a scary thing to do when you feel you could get it ‘wrong’, offend someone, be cancelled, look like you don’t know what you’re talking about etc. There was a bit of imposter syndrome around taking on this topic as it’s not something I usually tackle, but I cannot tell you how glad I am that I pushed through and made something that really moves me.

 5. You've said this song is "for women and girls everywhere in whatever way they might need it." How do you hope "Dorko Boda" will impact those who hear it, and how do you see it fitting into the narrative of your upcoming debut album?

One of my favourite parts of the song is the outro section; it’s layers of backing vocals chanting “you can’t take the voices of girls” over the swell of the instrumental. I hope anyone listening to this can imagine themselves shouting along in protest, knowing they are not alone and maybe even have a moment to feel powerful and feel community. My debut album will be titled Life|Death|Life which is a metaphor for the life cycles of the earth, moon and woman. Death is not the end, it is simply followed by Life.