{"id":2501938,"date":"2026-07-14T17:46:31","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T17:46:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2501938"},"modified":"2026-07-14T17:46:31","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T17:46:31","slug":"twin-temple-on-charley-crockett-drama-if-theyre-really-satanists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/twin-temple-on-charley-crockett-drama-if-theyre-really-satanists\/","title":{"rendered":"Twin Temple on Charley Crockett Drama, If They’re Really Satanists"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n\tBefore Charley Crockett<\/a> nixed a husband-and-wife duo from his tour last week over their use of \u201csatanic imagery,\u201d it\u2019s likely that few had ever heard the name Twin Temple<\/a>. A cult band (perhaps literally) out of L.A., the group has released throwback rock and doo-wop songs with titles like \u201cLucifer, My Love\u201d and \u201cSatan\u2019s a Woman.\u201d Apparently that was too much for Crockett and, well, all hell broke loose online: Twin Temple announced they\u2019d been removed from the shows<\/a>, Crockett defended<\/a> his decision, and then Jack White got involved<\/a>, offering Twin Temple an opening slot at one of his<\/em> upcoming gigs.<\/p>\n

\n\tToday, vocalist Alexandra James and guitarist Zachary James announced their new album, Doomed Lovers<\/em>, a project that puts Twin Temple squarely in the throwback-country-music lane. Think less outlaw country and more Patsy Cline. Arriving Oct. 9, Doomed Lovers<\/em> was produced by Shooter Jennings<\/a> \u2014 who also produced Crockett\u2019s latest albums.<\/p>\n

\n\tWith all this twisted black magic to parse, we Zoomed with Twin Temple, who\u2019ll tour with Danzig later this summer, to talk about the Crockett dustup, whether they\u2019ll accept White\u2019s offer, and whether they really do worship Satan.<\/p>\n

\n\tHow did you learn that you were no longer going to be opening for Charley Crockett?<\/strong>
Alexandra James:<\/strong> Our former agent got a call from Charley\u2019s agent, and he just said, \u201cCharley made the decision to remove you due to satanic imagery.\u201d We just recently started working with a new agent, and we asked them to call Charley\u2019s agent again to confirm, and that\u2019s what they said.<\/p>\n

\n\tDid someone complain? A venue? Promoter? Or was it Charley\u2019s call?<\/strong>
AJ:<\/strong> The only thing we know is that it was due to satanic imagery. We actually got a note from one of the venue promoters that was just like, \u201cI\u2019m so sorry about this. We were looking forward to working together.\u201d At least for them, it wasn\u2019t coming from the venue side. Our agent said it came down from Charley.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn your Instagram post telling fans you were off the tour, you mentioned artistic freedom. Do you think that your artistic freedom is under assault?<\/strong>
Zachary James:<\/strong> These are Charley\u2019s shows. Ultimately, it\u2019s his decision, which, you know, is artistic freedom in its own right.<\/p>\n

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\n\tAJ:<\/strong> Artistic freedom isn\u2019t guaranteed, so that\u2019s something that we don\u2019t take for granted. But I felt like it would have been a really cool statement on Charley\u2019s part about music being able to bring people from different backgrounds together. I feel like music is maybe the hands-down most beautiful and powerful art form to bring people together. The reason why we were so excited about these shows was to build some of these bridges. Charley is a really talented artist, and I think we share so much musical DNA: our love of everything from Roy Orbison to Buddy Holly, Waylon Jennings, Loretta Lynn, Burrito Brothers, the blues. So, we\u2019re a little sad. It felt like maybe it\u2019s reinforcing a divide between artists.<\/p>\n

\n\tSatanic imagery has been used in music forever. Everyone from Black Sabbath to M\u00f6tley Cr\u00fce, to the Misfits and Glenn Danzig. Even Sammy Davis Jr.<\/a> got involved in the Church of Satan. Alexandra and Zachary, are you guys really Satanists<\/strong>?
AJ:<\/strong> Hell yeah! To us, Satan is a metaphor for exploring all of these things in our art. It\u2019s the images that have always resonated with us. For me, growing up a mixed-race woman [of Korean and British descent], first-generation in America, I\u2019ve always felt a little bit like an outsider. And Satan\u2019s the original outlaw, right? He\u2019s a rebel angel. He\u2019s the one who questioned authority, fought for himself, refused to bow down or conform, and was like non serviam<\/em>. That was a metaphor that resonated very strongly with me.<\/p>\n

\n\tI grew up reading gothic romance. Frankenstein<\/em> really resonated with me because I didn\u2019t see anyone representing me on stages or in film. It was the monsters that, I felt, were like I was. There were times growing up where we had the mob with the pitchforks coming out for me as a mixed-race kid. I got my first death threat when I was six. And so very early on, I learned, \u201cI am never going to be really accepted by mainstream America. There isn\u2019t a Barbie that looks like me.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n\tAnd that\u2019s what we mean by artistic freedom: the freedom to explore the things that inspire and excite you, and for us, that\u2019s our visual language. Freedom is what this country was built on \u2014\u00a0and we have an amazing constitution that protects these rights.<\/p>\n

\n\tZJ:<\/strong> America is kind of satanic at its core.<\/p>\n

\n\tIs there a particular sect of Satanism you ascribe to? Anton LaVey\u2019s Church of Satan, for instance?<\/strong>
AJ:<\/strong> I think the thing that resonates with us with Satanism, or the broader tradition of the \u201cleft-hand path,\u201d as you would call it, is that it is not dogmatic. So, there\u2019s no proselytizing. There\u2019s no, \u201cThis is the correct way to practice.\u201d It\u2019s very much about finding what works for you.<\/p>\n

\n\tZJ:<\/strong> It\u2019s exploring subversive ideas, transcending cultural norms. Individualism.<\/p>\n

\n\tAJ: <\/strong>But I do practice witchcraft. Zach does practice ceremonial magic. We are students of the occult and find the tradition very interesting, ideologically and philosophically. It\u2019s all those things, and that\u2019s really why we made Twin Temple in the first place. It\u2019s really fun to go shopping for a human skull and a Ronettes record in the same day, and we get to do that with our band.<\/p>\n

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