Corvyx On Witchy New Single ‘At the Stake’

Alternative pop enigma and YouTube powerhouse Corvyx has debuted a spine-chilling new single and music video titled “At the Stake,” just in time for Halloween.

Reigniting Corvyx’s cinematic, electronic sound as his first original in two years, the sinister-inspired visual captures the anxiety and hysteria of the classic witch hunt, but in reverse. Instead of condemning the witch, “At the Stake celebrates the outcast and sets ablaze those who damn the different.

Corvyx is known for his high-fashion aesthetic and describes the video as “if Alexander McQueen had orchestrated a witch hunt at a 1692-themed Met Gala, and all attendees were on acid. The track’s witchy inspiration speaks deeply to the artist since he sees music as the closest thing humans have to magic, and he uses his to cast a spell of hopeful escapism from a, sometimes, wretched world.

OFM caught up with Corvyx to talk more about the song and what initially draws him to the spook, horror, and macabre.

Can you begin by telling us more about the concept and inspiration behind your new Halloween-themed single and music video, “At the Stake?”
I come from a very narrow minded, kind of old fashion mentality and school of thought. I grew up in Staten Island, New York, so it was very much like, if you didn’t look or speak the way that people thought you should, you were an outsider. As a queer, gay, young boy, I was always fascinated by witches. The Craft was one of my favorite movies growing up, and aside from female empowerment, I always related to strong females on screen.

I thought the idea of a witch was drawing this confidence and power from within, instead of looking outside to what organized religion has always trained people to think. Like, you need to look to God; you need to look at something outside of yourself, something greater than yourself to draw strength from, and, to me, witches were always the opposite of that. You can use the earth and you are a part of something greater than yourself, but you can draw that power from within.

So, the concept kind of came from that, and it is also sort of a fuck you to people that always thought that I was different. I sort of came into my own power and I wrote this song as a reverse witch hunt. Like, OK, you want to call me a witch. Witch has always been used as an accusatory, derogatory term, and I am taking the power back with this song. You want a witch? You’re going to get a witch.

Celebrating the outcast and setting ablaze to those who damn the different, it sounds like this track can truly resonate with the LGBTQ community in so many ways.
I hope so!

“At the Stake” is your first original piece in two years?
Correct. Back in 2019, I had released an original called “Planet 9,” and it’s funny because I wrote “At the Stake” at the same time. I released it, but I didn’t give it the launch that it deserves because I was more focused on “Planet 9.” I thought it was going to be a more universal song, and then the world shut down and the pandemic happened.

This year, I was like, I didn’t give that song the attention that it deserves. I think it is perfect for spooky season, and I also think that it’s a great standalone track aside from Halloween. Let’s face it; Halloween is queer Christmas. It’s like the best of both worlds. So, I decided to re-release this the way that I wanted to. I am a very visual person. I would say I put as much into my visuals as I do my vocals. I hold them at the same level. So, I wanted to treat this the right way. I wanted to have fun, and I said, ‘”t’s time to put that energy towards this track.”

You are known to reinvent popular songs in a macabre aesthetic. What draws you to the spook and horror?
I think it goes back to being a young kid and finding solace in the villains. I always thought that they were misunderstood. I always thought that there was a backstory to them, and it’s kind of the story of the underdog, but it is painted in this really badass way. They kind of take the power back.

The first slasher that comes to mind would be Freddy Krueger. Freddy was always my favorite growing up, and it was the story of how he was burned alive by the parents of Springwood and then he comes back in their dreams. He creates this psychological warfare on people. I think as a queer artist, as a gay man growing up in a predominantly heterosexual environment, I kind of always felt like the outcast. I always felt like the underdog, and I sometimes even feel that way now because within niche groups, like the LGBTQ community, there is division between everyone. Being an alternative gay artist also plays a role.

How has “At the Stake” been received by listeners so far?
People seem to really, really connect with it, which is kind of weird because it was one of the songs that I was nervous about. I didn’t know if people were going to think this came off gimmicky, which I don’t want it to. Obviously, there’s the fun of it that I am releasing it during October, but I do want it to stand as its own sort of entity. I remember when I did release it for a short period of time back in 2019, I took it down almost four weeks after I posted it, and I was getting messages from people saying, ‘Where did this song go? I loved it.’ I have a lot of drag kings that follow me, I love the drag community, and I had a lot of performers reach out to me asking where the track went because they wanted to do a routine to it. So, I think it hit home. I think people liked it, so I am hoping that the people who haven’t heard it yet really love it. I also hope the visual brings it to a whole new level, which I think it will.

Have you always had a passion for singing and songwriting?
I have. I know it’s cliché, but I have been singing since I could talk. As far as songwriting goes, I have done a lot of songwriting. It is easier for me to put the covers out because it’s, obviously, my take on someone else’s work, but I don’t have this perfectionist thing when it comes to somebody else’s song because it is already written. All I have to do is interpret it and sing it the way I want. When it comes to original music, a lot of my supporters and the people that have supported me through the years, they always ask, ‘Why don’t you put out more originals? We love your voice. We love everything you do.’ It really does come down to a perfectionism thing.

I will write something, and then I’ll sometimes wait too long, then I am sick of it. The next month, I’ll be like, oh, that’s not good, and I won’t release it. I know that’s selfish, and I am trying to get myself out of that. Even with “At the Stake,” it’s two years old. I released it in 2019, and I didn’t know if I wanted to release it again.

I was like, no, I have got to stop this. I need to stop being selfish. Just because you’ve heard it doesn’t mean everyone else has heard it, and that’s why I was like, I am going to put it out. Regardless of my stubbornness and my perfectionism, I am going to put it out. So, I write a lot, but putting it out is something I struggle with. My phone is overflowing with voice memos, notes, and lyrics, but I am going to start putting out much more original work.

You have previously headlined stages for Six Flags’ iconic Halloween Fright Fest. How much fun was that?
Oh my God, it was such a unique experience. It was like the stars aligned because I have performed live most of my life, but I did musical theater for a long time. I went to college for musical theater, so I always performed live as a character. Corvyx, obviously, is me, and it was the first time that I performed live as Corvyx. It was Fright Fest, it was spooky season, it was just the best, and I got to perform some of my biggest covers. What’s wild is that a lot of the people that came to see me are still following me. They are still really big supporters of mine, so it was a very cool experience.

What is one of your most memorable Halloween memories?
Oh God, Halloween is a giant memory [laughs]. I always think back to when I was a kid and in college. Those times stick out the most, I think just for nostalgic reasons. College was just crazy. I was a part of a very prestigious theater program, so the kids got really, really crazy when it came to Halloween, and I was one of them. It was basically like going to school with a bunch of drag queens because we all made our own costumes, and Halloween was literally every party. Any excuse where we got to dress up, we would make any party a Halloween party, but those parties stick out to me the most because everyone went balls to the walls.

I also went to the Hawthorne Hotel Halloween party in Salem, Massachusetts one year, and I went dressed as the Nun. This was a couple months before The Nun actually came out, and I was the only one there dressed as her. It was really cool because people were coming up to me; I was taking pictures with them, and I think people thought I was professionally hired. Like I said, I get into Halloween. When I do my costumes, I go all the way.  Then there’s Fright Fest. I got to spend Halloween performing at one of the biggest theme parks in the United States during one of the biggest holidays.

What kind of horror movies do you enjoy the most? You mentioned Freddy Krueger earlier, so are slasher films your thing?
Actually, I probably steer away from slasher films the most. What I enjoy the most are the demonic possession films. I love The Conjuring series, pretty much anything James Wan does. I love the psychological aspect, and that’s why I like Freddy. Out of all the slashers, I like him because there’s that concept to him. It’s something different than someone just stalking you in your house, and their only weapon is a knife or machete.

Michael and Jason, I have love for both of them because it’s a nostalgia thing, but I definitely gravitate more towards the unseen and the paranormal. Those are my favorites. Paranormal Activity, Hereditary, and then The Craft is my all-time favorite.

What are your plans for Halloween this year?
This weekend, I will be going back to Salem for the first time since the Hawthorne Hotel party, and then the following weekend, will be going to a drag show in New York City. I will be seeing a bunch of Drag Race girls like Violet Chachki, Kandy Muse Gottmik, they are all going on tour together. So, I will be at that show; then, on the 31^st, I think I’m just going to chill since it’s a Sunday, but Friday and Saturday are going to be the party nights.

What are some future goals you would like to accomplish as a musical artist?
Everything [laughs]. I would love to go on tour, and I would love to do something more than just a set. I want to do a visual experience. Also, having a visual installment somewhere would be cool. Almost like an art gallery, but have it be all my original pieces, or even my covers. Just a walk through the mind of what I do when I create.

I think an art installation is definitely something I want to do, and I would love to perform at Fright Fest again. That would be amazing, but looking forward, I really want to do more originals. There is something so rewarding about seeing something that is completely your own come to life. I am not going to stop doing covers. I enjoy them as well, but I am just going to create more.

Before we wrap up, are there any other upcoming projects or anything else you would like to mention or plug?
As of right now, no. The year is kind of winding down, but I release, at least, once a month on my YouTube channel. I am always releasing new music. Whether it be a cover or an original, and I am always active on my Instagram and TikTok. Any news, you’ll know about it there!

Connect and stay up-to-date with Corvyx by following him on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Patreon. “At the Stake” is now available on YouTube, Spotify, and all other digital streaming platforms.  

Photos Courtesy of John Paoli, Blackwolf Imaging, and Corvyx of Vyxen Visions