Curse Mackey
Part II
Known for his commanding solo work and collaborations with genre luminaries including Pigface, My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, David J (Bauhaus / Love & Rockets), and Clan of Xymox, Curse has built a legacy on pushing sonic and visual boundaries from stages across North America and Europe. His latest solo album Imaginary Enemies - the final chapter in a trilogy that began with Instant Exorcism (2019) and Immoral Emporium (2022) - was ranked the #1 album on Regen Magazine's Top 50 of 2025.
But this time, we're here to talk about the written word. Curse's new book The Sound Philosophy: An Artist's Survival Guide drops April 21, 2026 via Subtle Body Press. Built from decades of lived experience... touring, recording, publishing, curating, running creative businesses, losing momentum, and rebuilding — the book distills 100 micro essays drawn from his journals, road stories, and hard-won lessons into a practical framework for sustaining a creative life under pressure. It's a field manual for independent artists who want clarity, discipline, and forward motion instead of drift, burnout, or dependency.
Curse is also a published curator behind the art books Rides of Passage (with Bruce Bart) and DRAW (with Erik Foss), with artwork and exhibits shown in galleries and museums worldwide.
Whether you're a musician, writer, visual artist, or anyone trying to sustain creative work without burning out, Curse Mackey brings decades of lived experience and hard-won wisdom to the table.
What they get into
- What inspired The Sound Philosophy and why this book needed to exist now
- The difference between making art and actually sustaining a creative life long-term
- Turning decades of journals and road stories into 100 micro essays
- Dealing with resistance, burnout, and the pressure to keep creating
- How touring with acts like Pigface and Thrill Kill Kult shaped his philosophy on survival
- Building creative independence without waiting for permission or validation
- What artists get wrong about momentum - and how to actually rebuild it
- The connection between his music, visual art, and writing practice