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The project of
Ex Hex's Betsy Wright and
Speed Stick's
Laura King,
Bat Fangs breathes new life into the heavy, hooky sounds of '80s hard rock. On 2018's swaggering self-titled debut,
Bat Fangs' reimagining of hair metal and glam rock put women front and center, while 2021's Queen of My World added psychedelic dimensions to their huge riffs and huger choruses.
Bat Fangs began in 2016, when Wright was touring with
Ex Hex and
King was playing drums for
Superchunk's Matt McCaughan, whose solo project Non-Believers was opening for the band.
King and Wright became friends, and after
Ex Hex went on an extended break, they exchanged demos of songs and started to jam together in a practice place in Washington, D.C. After playing a couple of shows, they realized they had the makings of a full-length album. Heading to Kentucky to record the album with Mike Montgomery at Candyland Studio,
Bat Fangs released the lead single "Wolfbite" in 2016. The track was a perfect primer for a record brimming with bold arcs and huge riffs, a direction further supported by the single "Rock the Reaper." Their self-titled debut album was released by Don Giovanni in February 2018, and
Bat Fangs joined
Superchunk on a North American tour later that year in support of the record. After projects that included
Ex Hex's 2019 album
It's Real and
Speed Stick's 2021 release
Volume One, Wright and
King regrouped as
Bat Fangs for their second full-length, Queen of My World. Arriving in October 2021, the album added touches of psych rock to the bands' sound. ~ Heather Phares & Bekki Bemrose