Queercore Project Belted Sweater Shares New Track, ‘Dominion’

Keegan (they/them) is a journalist/artist based in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles queercore/synthpunk project Belted Sweater is sharing the first single, “Dominion,” from his upcoming covers EP, Health Goth. Check out the track right here, premiering at OFM.

Belted Sweater is the project of drummer and singer Christopher Patrick Gregory. Gregory describes the Belted Sweater sound, “like if Henry Rollins was in the Pet Shop Boys, but with live drums and even gayer lyrics, chronicling terribly humiliating Grindr hookups and free clinic visits.”

Gregory released the project’s debut record in the middle of the 2020 lockdown, not having played a solo show. He turned to his high school favorites, deciding to add a few cover songs to his live show repertoire, which led to the inception of the new EP.

Gregory says he started thinking about other bands he’d seen, with a single record out, who added covers to their setlists to round them out.

“It got me thinking about how these cover songs could either add context to the original material, or could just be a good time. I liked that kind of freedom,” Gregory says.

Through the lockdown, Gregory listened to a lot of goth/industrial records, returning to the stuff he liked as a kid—as many of us have through the pandemic—while the world around us seemed to be falling apart.

While he explored the options for his live set, he returned to the second Sister of Mercy record, Floodland.

“Their debut record, First, Last and Always, is my go to, so I tried branching out a bit and was surprised how poppy the second record was,” Gregory says. “I kept humming ‘Dominion’ to myself for days afterwards, so I finally decided to try covering it, eventually playing it at a show, and was sooooo happy to be playing live; it felt like a celebration. I tried translating that joy into the studio version, even though the lyrics are quite dark, and unfortunately quite timely again, rooted in fears of nuclear disaster.”

The collection of covers—comprising “Dominion” by The Sisters of Mercy, “Requiem” by Killing Joke, and “House of Jealous Lovers” by The Rapture—showcase Gregory’s versatility and honestly as he explores the formative tracks. With “Dominion,” and each cover, Gregory adds his distinct flair, giving new life to the already iconic tracks.

Stream “Dominion” here: