Making “Goth” Music and Disability Studies

Currently, as a musician, I am focusing on making my gothic music project "Frequency

Ghosts" a reality by recording a debut single and album. My choice of the genre can be

considered problematic as its lyrical content is deviant and shocking. In an age of

misinformation, I am worried that my music project will be unfairly judged due to my disability

status. Gothic music is an umbrella genre that emerged out of the post-punk movement of the

1970s which relies on dark lyrical themes and instrumental atmospheres that are occasionally

abrasive. The problem with the abrasive nature of the genre is that it can appear to have both

ableist and other content that may appear to be in overall poor taste. I have a personal goal of

making my project avoid these tropes with gothic music especially as a person with a disability.

As a person with a disability, I find the shocking nature of the gothic music genre to be

cathartic. This is how I want other people to view my music and separate the art from the artist

as my music does not reflect who I am as a person it is just a creative outlet. This is

acknowledging though that I do have some mental health needs that may influence my

songwriting to go into darker directions. These darker directions may use triggering imagery for

certain populations. While I try very hard to avoid using imagery that may be triggering for

people occasionally it is unavoidable especially due to the gothic music genre's reliance on

death as subject matter. I have been going through a difficult time in my life due to the recent

death of a pet and I find that I gravitate more towards dark music as a form of comfort versus

more optimistic music such as Depeche Mode’s song Black Celebration (1986). I feel if people

look at dark music this way it will be more acceptable and accessible.

By viewing gothic music and its subgenres as a form of comfort doing hard times, I have

used it as a form of health therapy to deal with my mental health. I view this as similar to how
people watch horror movies to relax except in my case it is “horror” music. I feel that by finding

a form of catharsis I can be better about my life. My disability influences my songwriting and I

feel that it could be applied in a disability studies-method to my preferred genre. Having a

disability is based on perspective and I feel that the same thing could be said gothic music.

"Goth" songwriting often comes from pessimism and feels that much of disability studies also

come from this ideal rather than an optimistic view as disability rights are a civil rights fight that

continues despite legislation. I don’t like being “typecast” as disabled or being a “goth”

musician, but these are parts of my identity.