Doomed Confessionary: Jenna Rose (Psalm)
Photo by Keya Goldfein
Psalm is a doom/post-metal band from Brooklyn, New York, born of a collaboration between Jenna Rose (Anatomy / Uniform) and James Beveridge (Portrayal Of Guilt).
Joined by bassist Jordan Melkin (Haan), Psalm performs as a three-piece with Jenna Rose on guitar and vocals and Dan Brunnemer (Mesu Betesh), charged with the daunting task of recreating Beveridge’s signature drumming live.
In Psalm, guitar and bass veer from intricate delicacy to full-blown assault and vocals snap between fragility and fury – exemplifying the power, beauty, and burden that is a woman’s capacity to feel. In Psalm, the boundaries between doom, post-punk, industrial, and drone are willfully ignored in the creation of a cohesive sound where any moment of stillness threatens to erupt into something unrelenting.
Psalm’s self-titled debut EP was released on March 21st, 2025 via Portrayal Of Guilt Records.
Can you please say a few words about your band?
Psalm started as a collaboration between James and me in our apartment in Brooklyn, where we demoed primarily in the box – DI guitars, ekit drums, vocals, and synth for sound design. Jordan joined on bass and contributes all of the live sound design, and Dan came in on drums for live and has been our primary recording engineer. Matt Michel has been our go-to mix and mastering engineer.
We perform as a three-piece – Dan, Jordan, and me – with James working behind the scenes as a core songwriter and our studio drummer.
I think we’re a post-metal band?
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
Functioning on a limited budget is tough. Getting a band off the ground costs money – recording, printing merch, etc. We’ve had a hard time finding a drummer for live because James’ parts are extremely technical and most pro drummers are already tied up in multiple bands and (understandably) expect guarantees – especially when they didn’t write the material. We’ve been lucky to have had the opportunity to work with Dan. He’s not only a proficient drummer but also a great engineer. He’s a really nice guy, too, which makes playing together a lot of fun.
What can you be most proud of so far?
Our EP. We recorded drums, guitars, and vocals in the basement of a crumbling, abandoned building on 14th Street in the city. There were dead rats. When it rained, water poured down the walls. It smelled like puke. But Dan managed to pull recordings from that place that are really special to me.
What was your biggest regret?
Waiting so long to switch to electric guitar. When I was a kid, I was told to start on a nylon string, and I stayed there for about fifteen years. Classical guitar is cool, but for the music I want to write, that approach never really made sense.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
Gold Sounds with The Body and Sunrot. They’re brilliant artists and genuinely kind people. Their inclusivity runs through everything they do, and their performances left a real impact on me.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
How community-oriented and supportive it is. I haven’t experienced any gatekeeper energy whatsoever. It’s ok that I’m a giant nerd.
Photo by Chris Denman
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
Portrayal Of Guilt, SQÜRL with Jozef Van Wissem, and Amenra.
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
Don’t skip steps. I know I just said classical guitar wasn’t the right fit for me and that getting a band up and running without a budget is hard – but what I’m talking about here is the process of becoming a working musician. Do the DIY tours. Book shows for your friends. Grind.
Working from the ground up builds character and hype bands tend not to last. Though it’s certainly not always the case, I have noticed that privilege can lead to poor work ethic and missteps in interpersonal relationships – which, at the end of the day, are what matter most in any community.
What are your guilty pleasures?
Cupcakes.
Can you say something more about the current music scene in New York City?
NYC has five boroughs, so there are a ton of different scenes – many of which overlap. There are metal communities that blend into various punk scenes, some intersecting with hardcore and/or harsh noise, which can overlap with industrial music or techno (and not always in that order). You’ve got Corpus and Saint Vitus. These are just to name a few.
But at the end of the day, I think the world is actually pretty small. My label family is based in Texas. Some of my friends are in Germany, others in Mexico. In my experience, a music community isn’t really a local thing – regardless of genre.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
We’ve got a few shows coming up – one in Queens and another in Brooklyn – and we’re hoping to tour as soon as the stars align.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
To keep writing, recording, and playing out – just basic band stuff.
How can people best support your band?
Probably the same way you’d support any band – come to shows, listen to the music, say hi. Share your art with me, too.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Everyone starts as a beginner, and it’s never too late to try something new. I’ve noticed that people who actively listen to music – or are involved in community – often have an artistic instinct of their own, whether they know it yet or not. Sometimes, it just takes a YouTube tutorial and five minutes a day to prove it to yourself. Starting is the hardest part – but five minutes usually turns into an hour. You’ll be amazed at what you’re capable of.
Links:
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp | Spotify | YouTube
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well