You can say that Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling has a thing for British cult classic TV show The Prisoner. After all, they’re named for its 13th episode. Their debut release last year, The New Number 2 (referencing one of the show’s characters) featured tracks such as “Episode 1: Arrival” and Episode 2: Dance of the Dead” (actual episodes). Their new EP, Questions are a Burden to Others (taken from a sign in the first episode, the rest of it being “answers a prison for oneself”) continues on this curious theme.


The first track of Questions Are A Burden to Others is an homage to their namesake, and immediately gets down to the business of what instantly knocked me out about the dynamic duo of Sophia Cacciola and Michael J. Epstein when I first saw them at Church of Boston. There’s Sophia’s commanding and hypnotic vocals and relentless hammering on the drums; for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out how she could maintain such intensity doing both in a live setting.. but she does. Her other half, Michael J. Epstein, shares vocals, most notably on the sinister “Episode 8 – The General”, while he matches her ferocity with nimble bass lines.

“If you want me, come and get me / If you need me, come and find me
Come and try me, if you want me / If you want me, if you want me
If you want me, come and get me / If you want me, do you want me?
WHY WHY WHY”
– The General

In the flesh, I find their music to be remarkably freeing and cathartic. There’s something about the crazy cacophony created by these two people, ways in which the melodies and lyrics repeat, how everything builds and recedes and builds again, that I find ridiculously trance-inducing.

“I intend to set and be set free / so don’t hold your raw dreams up to me / come inside I’ll come to your side if it makes you weak / I will do as I need to do to make you see.”
– Free For All

Surpringly, much of their live intensity comes through on this recording, which is really quite something. Definitely check them out.

Upcoming Show: Thursday, June 23rd at Church of Boston with Doomstar!, White Fence, and The Strange Boys.

Upcoming Video: They’ve been hard at work on a wildly ambitious shot-for-shot remake of The Prisoner music video, which will be unveiled on Thursday. For now, see behind the scenes video and screen captures.

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