Fresh off their biggest Australian headline tour, Eora/Sydney-based alt-rock shapeshifters RedHook unleash a towering collaboration today, Dr. Frankenstein, with UK rock juggernauts Holding Absence – produced by Stevie Knight (Stand Atlantic) and mixed by James Paul Wisner (Underoath, Paramore). It is the latest single off their forthcoming sophomore record Mutation – out Friday, November 22.
A soaring slice of heavy melodic rock/pop-punk laced with playful synth earworms, duelling vocals from RedHook’s Emmy Mack and Holding Absence frontman Lucas Woodland and an undeniably huge chorus, Dr. Frankenstein explores themes of accountability in relationship breakdowns, using a “Frankenstein’s monster” metaphor to examine a toxic love story in three distinct chapters and from two opposing perspectives.
Emmy elaborates: “‘Dr. Frankenstein’ tells the story of a fairytale romance that rapidly devolves into a nightmare as one partner displays increasingly more possessive and controlling behaviour. But the bridge then hits us with a plot twist by suggesting that this emotional abuse may have spawned from the other partner being dishonest and unfaithful, thus posing several questions for us to consider: who is the real monster in this situation? Does making mistakes and hurting each other (emotionally) make us monsters? Or does it make us human?
Ultimately, this song is about me owning my shit and taking accountability for my role in a past relationship that became toxic as all hell. During the breakup, I was guilty of privately indulging that kind of ‘victim’ mentality, but now that I’m a bit older and wiser, I feel like it’s important to take responsibility for the mistakes that I made too.”
