ghostbells open a portal to the afterlife on new single ‘Curses’

Rising darkwave/EBM/synth-pop duo ghostbells are back with their new single Curses, out now via Out Of Line Music. It’s the band’s first original single since their debut EP ‘Catacouture‘, released February 5, 2026, and follows a string of high-profile remixes the duo delivered over the past months for Blutengel, Cemetery Skyline, and Blitz Union.

▶ Stream Curses

The Sound

Curses finds ghostbells leaning further into the sound that defined ‘Catacouture’ — a blend of 80s and new wave melodies, modern production, 90s EBM, and the danceability of techno and pop. The track was shaped in part by the most recent Beetlejuice film, channeling its gothic-romantic sense of mischief into a song built for both headphones and the dancefloor.

The Story

Lyrically, Curses is a ritual: a portal drawn to the afterlife to reunite with a lover lost to the other side. A ghost asks the living to trade souls for one more chance to walk the earth, set against a pulsing, candlelit arrangement of drawn circles, blown-out candles, and dancing with the dead.

“Curses is about opening a portal to the afterlife to reunite with a lover who has previously crossed into the ether. The ghost is asking to swap souls with the living to have a second chance of walking the earth.”

On the Road

The single arrives as ghostbells’ live calendar fills out fast. Since debuting at Poland’s Castle Party Festival, the duo has toured the UK with Ashbury Heights and played multiple festivals and shows across Europe and the US. Curses now soundtracks a run that includes a main support slot for Blutengel & Chrom at Dark Summer Open Air in Germany, a support run on Hocico’s South America tour, and festival dates across the UK, Germany, and the US.

Upcoming Live Dates

• 12.09.2026 — Chemnitz, Germany (Dark Summer Open Air, supporting Blutengel & Chrom)
• 19.09.2026 — Los Angeles, USA (Bar Sinister)
• 23.09.2026 – 04.10.2026 — South/Latin America (supporting Hocico, “Unseen Horror Scenes” tour)
• 29.10.2026 — Fort Worth, TX, USA (Haltom Theatre)
• 30.10.2026 — Houston, TX, USA (Scout Bar)
• 13.11.2026 — Tampa, FL, USA (New World Tampa)
• 14.11.2026 — Miami, FL, USA (Las Rosas)
• 20.-21.11.2026 — Wangels, Germany (Plage Noire Festival)
• 28.11.2026 — Essen, Germany (Obsidian Echoes Festival)
• 24.-25.07.2027 — Germany (Amphi Festival)

About ghostbells

ghostbells are a US-based darkwave/EBM/synth-pop duo known for pairing icy new-wave melodies and 90s EBM pulse with sleek, club-ready production. Signed to Out Of Line Music since 2025, the band made their live debut at Castle Party Festival in Poland with nearly two albums’ worth of material already written. Their debut EP ‘Catacouture‘ — featuring Darkness Saves, Ghosts, Wrath, Cry4Her, Immortal Lovers, and The Color — followed in February 2026.

With Curses, ghostbells open a new chapter.