Next week the Bay Area quartet Sour Widows will unveil their sophomore full-length, Sigil. Having already rolled out a run of standout singles—”Blood In The Grass,” “Lucky Star,” and “Choke Chain”—the band now presents “Lullaby,” a sweeping and formidable track that addresses the genocide unfolding in Gaza.
Maia Sinako offers insight into the personal lens she brings: she comes from an Assyrian background, part of a centuries‑old Middle Eastern ethnic minority that has faced persistent persecution, massacre, and forced diaspora as part of Western powers’ shifting strategies of dominance. She describes feeling a profound connection to the Palestinian people’s hardship, which has persisted for nearly a hundred years. Sinako also identifies as Jewish and acknowledges involvement in the Zionist project linked to the state of Israel. She argues that the suffering endured by her ancestors has been weaponized and warped to justify the killings of Palestinians, contending that there is no true freedom for Jews within Zionism, only the erosion of humanity on both sides. In her view, as someone who is both Jewish and Assyrian, she rejects Zionism’s hypocrisy and wickedness and prays daily for a liberated Palestine.
“Lullaby” begins with a cathartic, shadowy instrumental section. Sinako’s vocal approach shifts across textures—first melodic singing, then spoken word, and finally a chanting cadence that swells into a scream. It marks another compelling advance preview of the record. Listen below.
Sigil is slated for release on 10/23 through Julia’s War.
