Vera Farmiga’s band The Yagas to release new single tomorrow to complement ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’
The Yagas,the alt rock band fronted by Oscar and Emmy-nominated actressVera Farmiga, whose new filmThe Conjuring: Last Ritesis in theatres tomorrow (Friday, September 5th).
“[‘The Crying Room’] is something of a prog metal beast, big on atmosphere, epic of scale and stout of heart.”
– Classic Rock Magazine
“A notably moody and atmospheric bit of alternative rock.” – Rock Cellar Magazine
“One of rock’s newest and most intriguing creative forces.” – Icon Vs Icon
“A hauntingly gorgeous, sometimes downright gritty collection of songs that channel the ghosts of ’90s angst, while
also weaving in a dreamy, old-world mysticism…With blistering tracks like ‘Life of a Widow’ and ‘Bridle,’ Midnight
Minuet doesn’t just catch your attention—it grabs you by the collar and pulls you into the storm.” – Macabre Daily
“Midnight Minuet from The Yagas is a delectable cornucopia of sounds that might be one of the best debuts of 2025.”
– Rock and Roll Fables
September 5, 2025 – Alt rock band The Yagas, fronted
by Oscar and Emmy-nominated actress Vera Farmiga,
whose new film The Conjuring: Last Rites is in theatres
today, has released their new single “Illusion.” The
haunting track, featuring Fynn Hawkey, son of Farmiga
and husband/Yagas keyboardist Renn Hawkey, on
cello, serves to complement the film’s harrowing tale.
PRESS HERE to listen. “Illusion” follows the release of
The Yagas’ independent debut full-length album,
Midnight Minuet, in April.
“[‘The Crying Room’] is something of a prog metal beast, big on atmosphere, epic of scale and stout of heart.”
– Classic Rock Magazine
“A notably moody and atmospheric bit of alternative rock.” – Rock Cellar Magazine
“One of rock’s newest and most intriguing creative forces.” – Icon Vs Icon
“A hauntingly gorgeous, sometimes downright gritty collection of songs that channel the ghosts of ’90s angst, while
also weaving in a dreamy, old-world mysticism…With blistering tracks like ‘Life of a Widow’ and ‘Bridle,’ Midnight
Minuet doesn’t just catch your attention—it grabs you by the collar and pulls you into the storm.” – Macabre Daily
“‘Illusion’ is my auditory expression of The Conjuring:
Last Rights,” shares Farmiga. “The Yagas wrote this
song whilst I was in the ectoplasm thick of filming C4.
The song emerges from a strange convergence of two
events – my terrified offspring running into my
bedroom, haunted by an out-of-body experience, and
my on-screen child, Judy Warren, experiencing
psychological torment. ‘Illusion’ is our sonic interpretation of this haunted dreamscape – the fragile space
between fear and acceptance; the space where you realize that the things in your head may be much more
than just your imagination.”
Midnight Minuet, produced by Hawkey (formerly of famed alt-metal band Deadsy), who also produced
“Illusion,” has been hailed as an “unexpected masterpiece,” “a spellbinding sonic journey” and “a delectable
cornucopia of sounds that might be one of the best debuts of 2025.” The 10-song collection is highlighted
by the singles “The Crying Room,” “She’s Walking Down,” “Life Of A Widow” and “I Am.” As shown on
Midnight Minuet, The Yagas embody a potent duality of shadow and light, ferocity and tenderness. They
adorn even the darkest moments with unexpected bursts of ineffable beauty. PRESS HERE to listen.
Formed in 2023, The Yagas – Vera Farmiga (vocals), Renn Hawkey (keys), Jason Bowman (drums), Mark
Visconti (guitar) and Mike Davis (bass) – took shape after its five members met at Rock Academy (a
Woodstock-based music school run by Bowman) and began playing together in the school’s adult program,
discovering an undeniable musical chemistry. An audacious band with otherworldly origins, the New Yorkbased quintet borrowed their name from the mystical Slavic folklore figure Baba Yaga, believed to devour the souls of the newly deceased to safeguard the fountains of life.
The quintet wholly sharestheir namesake’s storied penchant for shapeshifting, morphing from metal to industrial to wildly extravagant alt-rock as their songs journey into the strangest depths of the human psyche.
Since debuting last fall, The Yagas have amassed over 3 million collective streams and views and earned praise and support from Revolver Magazine,
Metal Hammer, Classic Rock Magazine, NME, The Noise/Ones To Watch, Stereogum, Blabbermouth,
Bloody Disgusting, Rock Cellar Magazine, and more. Creating a truly singular aural experience, their music
is endlessly unpredictable but infinitely propelled by the spellbinding force of Farmiga’s vocal work.
The Yagas have also been using their platform to shed light on Ukrainian culture and help those in need by
partnering with organizations that provide humanitarian and medical aid to the Ukrainian population with
their rendition of the popular Ukrainian love song “Chervona Ruta” with Gogol Bordello, with Vera and Gogol
frontman Eugene Hütz both being of Ukrainian heritage.