Listen: Manifest Destiny’s Child Veers Down a Dark Path on Rojo

In 2000’s thoroughly stressful film Requiem for a Dream, a game show grows out of the television. Ellen Burstyn is then accosted by a conga line, blinding lights, and a jeering audience. Her refrigerator roars to life. Austin/Denton trio Manifest Destiny's Child cites the chaotic sequence as inspiration for “Staircase,” out today on double single Rojo.

“In the movie, she slowly catches herself going insane,” explains MDC guitarist/vocalist Carol Gonzalez. “I tried to tap into what makes me feel not grounded and not sane. I have this weird thing that happens where I can’t totally remember if the memories I have are real. That’s the closest thing to being completely out of my mind.”

Matching Warpaint-esque single “Franco’s Ocean” also packs a stormy punch, spiraling on the repetitive line, “In it to win it.”

The group recorded both tracks at Brack Cantrell’s Dojo Baby Studios in Denton. The engineer served as Gonzalez and bassist/vocalist Sabrina Tionloc’s music teacher years back during lessons at School of Rock. The childhood friends launched the band as teenagers, and upped regular Austin live offerings following Gonzalez’s transfer to the University of Texas last year.

Drummer Kaylin Martinez now joins the noise-rock crew, continuing presence on 2019 LP Rio​/​/​Discotheque with Austin’s Secret Soup Records. According to Gonzalez, she brings a heavyweight interest in metal and prog rock.

“We’re changing as Kaylin starts to feel comfortable writing whatever she wants, but also as Sabrina and I grow up,” says 20-year-old Gonzalez. “We started the band when we were 16. It’s a dark direction, but the one thing we all love is witchy, mysterious stuff.”

Listen to double single Dojo here, with cover art by local creative presence Ishaq Fahim.