These Killing Times

Transparent Blue Smoke vinyl. Emma Ruth Rundle's These Killing Times is electrifying, emotional and charged with anti-patriarchal feminist rage. The sixth studio album from the multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and multi-disciplinary artist is a reactive anthology, bristling, full of life and full of resistance; it asks us questions of our intentions and of the roles we play in the communities we exist within, and how we choose to counter the chokehold of capitalism. Sleepless nights, moments of horror, and times of anguish could be overlaid atop a timeline of recent socio-political events to map the creation of These Killing Times; the rising power of Christian nationalism, the grotesque circus of political discourse, and related ontological discomfort. But there is also love - as a balm and a tonic, a means of escape. A desire for companionship and connection whilst being confronted by the most violent parts of humanity remains an unresolved tension.Written as she watched from afar the devastating effects of yet another climate disaster unfold in early 2025, Emma reflected on the roots of the systemic issues that filter directly into so many catastrophic global events, and made a conscious choice to reach towards making a hopeful record. Where outside forces tempted her to turn inwards, towards isolation and hopelessness, she instead reached outwards to create a record that acknowledges pain, but offers both community and resilience in response.