Next Friday, Temple Canyon releases Fortress, their third release, second full-length, and first vinyl. Mariko Ruhle fronts the shoegaze alt-rock group as the vocalist, guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Bassist Jason Shao and drummer Al Reiter round out this trio that roots itself in weaving lyricism and cascading sonics.

The album is riddled with, well, riddles. Each track tells a distinct story from Ruhle’s life — encapsulating a specific struggle or thought process — simply propelled by the desire to get the story out to the world. On track four, “I Tangled With The Serpent,” Ruhle cries, “serpent seep, set me free, leave my body / the crooked lines you left on me / won’t wash from my skin but / I’ll keep untangling, untangling.”

“I was struggling with how to process my own experience, without divulging a story that is not mine to tell,” said Ruhle. “For me, the serpent is a woman afflicted by her own trauma to the extent that she is paralyzed and blind to her own trespasses. She is the character that you can’t help but empathize with despite having a conflicted moral sensibility.”

Dan’s Tunes interviewer Seven Sky Spillios sat down with Ruhle, Shao, and Reiter to chat about their “wet” sound, how the band got its name, the inspiration behind Ruhle’s lyrics, and how D&D plays a role in the band’s dynamic.

Watch the video below, and stay tuned for Fortress, out August 23rd.