Salem (American band)

History

While John Holland was living in Chicago, he met Jack Donoghue. Salem officially formed in 2006 after he simultaneously struck up a friendship with Donoghue and his friend since his time in school, Heather Marlatt, ended up moving in with him. The trio began working on music in Holland's home studio. The band's first two releases are the EP's Yes I Smoke Crack and Water, both released in 2008.

Salem released the debut studio album, King Night, in 2010. It was included on the year-end lists by AllMusic, DIY, NME, The Quietus, and Stereogum. The band's infamous March 18, 2010, performance at South by Southwest at the Fader Fort received widespread negative reviews from music critics and saw the band booed off the stage. In 2020, Steven Hyden wrote for Uproxx that it was "one of the worst and least competent musical performances by a supposedly professional act to happen in the early 21st century."

Salem had been inactive since 2012, with no new releases since their 2011 EP I'm Still in the Night. In 2016, a new Salem album was announced by photographer Wolfgang Tillmans, who confirmed the news on his Instagram account. In that year, Salem officially returned with a remix of Tillmans' song "Make It Up as You Go Along", which was included on his Device Control EP. However, the band was not fully revived until May 2020 where Salem premiered a new mixtape titled Stay Down, which was presented on NTS Radio. This reboot of the band happened without member Heather Marlatt, who gave a negative public comment about the situation stating she was kicked out.

Salem released their first single in nearly a decade "Starfall" on September 18, 2020, via Mad Decent's Decent Distribution. The music video follows the band's trip with veteran storm trackers through Tulsa, Oklahoma and Dallas as well as through Texas during tornado season. It was directed by Donoghue and Holland along Tommy Malekoff. In a press release, it was stated that the song was "a signal of additional work to come". On October 16, a new single called "Red River" was unveiled alongside the pre-order availability of the new album. Their second album, Fires in Heaven, was released on October 30, 2020, ten years after their debut.

On November 10, 2022, Salem performed a surprise DJ set for the opening party of clothing brand Supreme's flagship store in Chicago, Illinois, marking the band's first performance in over 10 years. On July 28, 2023, Salem performed their first solo live set in 12 years. The show took place at El Dorado Bumper Cars in Coney Island, New York City, tickets for which sold out within minutes after going live online.

On June 7, 2025, Salem performed at the Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona, Spain.

Style and influences

According to Heather Phares of AllMusic, Salem's sound blends ethereal electronica and slow Southern hip hop rhythms, and is noted for pioneering the music subgenre known as witch house.

Band members

;Current

• Jack Donoghue - drum machine, rapping vocals, occasional guitar (2006–present)
• John Holland - keyboards, guitar, vocals (2006–present) ;Former
• Heather Marlatt - vocals, keyboards (2006–2020)

Discography

Studio albums

• King Night (2010)
• Fires in Heaven (2020)

EPs

• Yes I Smoke Crack (2008)
• Water (2008)
• I'm Still in the Night (2011)

DJ mix releases

• XXJFG (2009)
• We Make It Good (2009)
• Raver Stay Wif Me (2010)
• I Buried My Heart Inna Wounded Knee (2010)
• Sleep Now My One Little Eye (2010)
• 5Min2Live: Gurn Baby Gurn (2010)
• Bow Down (2011)
• On Again / Off Again (2011)
• Mother Always (2011)
• Stay Down (2020)

Singles

• "OhK" (2009)
• "Babydaddy" / "S.A.W." (2009) (split with Tanlines)
• "Frost" / "Legend" (2009)
• "Asia" (2010)
• "Starfall" (2020)
• "Red River" (2020)
• Shlohmo - "Chore Boy" (feat. SALEM) (2025) (feature)

Remixes

• Gucci Mane – "Bird Flu (Salem Remix)" (2009)
• Gucci Mane – "Round One (Salem Remix)" (2009)
• Playboy Tre – "Sideways (Salem Drag Chop Remix) from ATL RMX (2009)
• Gucci Mane – "My Shadow (Salem Remix)" (2010)
• Health – "In Violet (Salem RMX)" from Health::Disco2 (2010)
• HIM – "In the Arms of Rain (Salem Remix)" from SWRMXS (2010)
• These New Puritans – "Hologram (Salem Remix)" from Hidden Remixes (2010)
• Blonde Redhead – "Penny Sparkle (Salem Remix)" (2011)
• Britney Spears – "Till the World Ends (Salem Remix)" (2011)
• Charli XCX – "Stay Away (Salem's Angel Remix)" (2011)
• Interpol – "Try It On (Salem RMX)" (2011)
• Light Asylum – "Shallow Tears (Like a Storm) (Salem Remix)" (2011)
• The Cult – "Elemental Light (Salem Remix)" (2012)
• Wolfgang Tillmans – "Make It Up as You Go Along (Salem Remix)" from Device Control (2016)
• Bladee & Mechatok - "Grace (Salem Remix)" (2021)

Productions

• Lil B – "Slangin Yayo" from Red Flame: Evil Edition (2010)
• Yung Lean – "All the things" from Stardust (2022)

References

References

1. Eede, Christian. (August 3, 2016). "Will Witch House Make A Comeback?".
2. Chandler, Rachel. (2011). "Salem – F/W 2011 Issue 16". [[Purple (magazine).
3. Shepherd, Julianne Escobedo. (September 1, 2011). "Salem".
4. Noah Yoo. (October 16, 2020). "SALEM Announce New Album Fires in Heaven, Share New Song: Listen". Pitchfork.
5. [https://www.michaelbullock.nyc/volumes/journalism/john-holland John Holland Interview by Michael Bullock] December 2008, [[Butt Magazine]]
6. (May 7, 2009). "Salem: Strung Out".
7. "King Night by Salem". [[Metacritic]].
8. (January 4, 2011). "AllMusic's Favorite Albums of 2010".
9. (December 17, 2010). "DIY Albums Of The Year: The Winner Is...".
10. (December 1, 2010). "50 Best Albums Of 2010".
11. Turner, Luke. (December 10, 2010). "Angst Music For Sex People: Quietus Albums Of The Year 2010 & Spotify Playlist".
12. (December 8, 2010). "Stereogum's Top 50 Albums Of 2010".
13. "Japandroids, Harlem, Salem (before they were booed) & others @ the Fader Fort (SXSW 2010) - pics & video".
14. Friedlander, Emilie. (November 5, 2020). "The Complicated Appeal of Salem, a Band that Makes Feeling Awful Sound Great".
15. (March 6, 2020). "Let's Remember The 10th Anniversary Of The Worst Musical Performance at SXSW Ever".
16. Welsh, April Clare. (August 3, 2016). "Salem to bring back witch house with first album in six years". [[Fact (UK magazine).
17. Myers, Owen. (August 22, 2016). "The Video For Salem's Remix Of Wolfgang Tillmans Will Give You Nightmares".
18. Lobenfeld, Claire. (August 22, 2016). "Salem return with remix of Wolfang Tillmans' 'Make It Up As You Go Along'".
19. Lozano, Kevin. (August 22, 2016). "Salem Remix Wolfgang Tillmans' "Make It Up As You Go Along": Listen".
20. "Salem return after a lengthy silence with this remarkable mix, titled STAY DOWN.".
21. "Instagram post". Heather Marie Marlatt.
22. (September 18, 2020). "SALEM Return With Video for New Song "Starfall": Watch". [[Pitchfork (website).
23. (September 18, 2020). "Influential Witch House Group Salem Return After Ten Years With A Storm-Chasing 'Starfall' Video". [[Uproxx]].
24. (October 16, 2020). "Red River – Single by Salem". iTunes, Apple Music.
25. (October 30, 2020). "Fires In Heaven by Salem". iTunes, Apple Music.
26. (October 24, 2024). "Primavera Sound Barcelona 2025 Lineup Announced: Charli XCX, Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, LCD Soundsystem, Haim, and More". Condé Nast.
27. Phares, Heather. "SALEM: Biography".
28. (June 11, 2009). "Pink Fog".
29. Smith, Sam-Hockley. (November 24, 2009). "We Make it Good Mix Series v. 11: Salem".
30. Smith, Sam-Hockley. (April 23, 2010). "Salem, Raver Stay Wif Me Mix MP3".
31. Smith, Sam-Hockley. (August 5, 2010). "Salem, I Buried My Heart Inna Wounded Knee Mix".
32. Reynaldo, Shawn. (September 28, 2010). "Podcast 162: Salem".
33. "Gurn Baby Gurn".
34. "Mixtapes".
35. (March 25, 2011). "Feel slow, weird and too-much-cough-syrupy with new Salem mixtape".
36. "SALEM 'STAY DOWN' mixtape 5.2.2020 – official band page".
37. (October 16, 2020). "Red River – Single by Salem". iTunes, Apple Music.
38. Anderson, Sarah. (July 20, 2011). "The 50 best remixes ever".
39. Smith, Sam-Hockley. (October 1, 2009). "Salem Remix Gucci Mane".
40. Coplan, Chris. (December 9, 2009). "Adult Swim puts together insanely awesome remix album".
41. Hughes, Josiah. (January 8, 2010). "Diplo Orchestrates Gucci Mane Remix Tape Featuring Flying Lotus, Salem and Zomby".
42. "DISCO2 (Bonus Content Version) by HEALTH".
43. "SWRMXS by HIM".
44. Fitzmaurice, Larry. (October 19, 2010). "New Release: These New Puritans: Hidden Remixes".
45. Bevan, David. (June 23, 2011). "Penny Sparkle (Salem Remix)".
46. Francis, Bronya. (May 5, 2011). "New music: Salem v Britney Spears – Till the World Ends".
47. (May 6, 2011). "Video: Britney Spears "Till The World Ends (Salem Remix)"".
48. "Stay Away – EP by Charli XCX".
49. "Try It On – EP by Interpol".
50. Fallon, Patric. (June 15, 2011). "Light Asylum "Shallow Tears (Like a Storm) (Salem Remix)"".
51. Kim, Brandon. (November 20, 2012). "Exclusive premiere: The Cult "Elemental Light" (SALEM Remix)".
52. "Device Control – EP by Wolfgang Tillmans".
53. "Bladee & Mechatok - Grace (Salem Remix)".
54. Schnipper, Matthew. (November 30, 2010). "Lil B Releases Red Flame Evil Edition, Samples Salem".
55. Smith, Nadine. "Yung Lean: Stardust".