Premiere: Domenic Cicala presents a murder ballad through equally-dark ‘Hanging Tree’ video

“A widow cries when true love dies,” sings Domenic Cicala. With his song “Hanging Tree,” the singer-songwriter presents “a murder ballad of sorts,” he explains to B-Sides & Badlands. “Touching more of the broad impact of crime and violence and less on the gory details.”

Darkness seeps from Cicala’s bones, as his voice torments the listener with a twisted and sinister story. “Yes, your Honor, it was me,” he unravels. “Pulled the trigger / I done the deed / It was me, oh, I done the deed / Answers the clear, I enter here a guilty plea…”

“Hanging Tree,” lifted from Cicala’s latest record Bitter Blues, boasts many talented musicians, including Rick Shea (lead guitar), Holly Montgomery (bass), and Bob Berberich (drums). Together, the band curls its musical tentacles around the melody with a tight, relentless grip. It’s almost suffocating the way the swampiness floods the listener’s ears and nearly swallows them whole.

Watch the “Hanging Tree” video below.

Follow Cicala on his socials: Website