When country star Charley Crockett decided to kick Twin Temple off his Age of the Ram tour, he didn’t hold back on the reasoning. The L.A.-based married couple Alexandra and Zachary James, who make satanic doo-wop music with songs like“Lucifer, My Love,”“Sex Magick,”and“Burn Your Bible,”were set to open shows in Troutdale, Oregon on July 14 and Paso Robles, California on July 18. But their upside-down crosses, pentagrams, and blood-drop emoji-flanked Instagram bio proved too much for the“Hallelujah Trail”singer.
In a statement released Friday, Crockett didn’t mince words:“I thought they were like Black Sabbath, but they ain’t. Not today, Satan.”It’s the kind of quip that feels almost scripted—so perfectly on-brand for a country artist suddenly finding himself booked with a self-described satanic act.
The removal came as a surprise to Twin Temple themselves, who posted on Instagram Wednesday that they’d been informed of their removal from the upcoming dates. They expressed disappointment about missing the opportunity to perform and what they saw as a missed chance to bring different music lovers together. The couple—who have connections to Nashville through producer and singer Shooter Jennings, who co-wrote and co-produced Crockett’s April album Clovis—weren’t exactly hidden about their aesthetic. A quick glance at their social feeds makes it abundantly clear what they’re about: a bio reading“SATANIC DOO WOP EST 1666”and a logo built entirely from upside-down crosses.
What’s interesting here isn’t just the removal itself, but how it happened. Jennings had co-produced Crockett’s most recent work, and Twin Temple had given the producer a public shout-out last year. They were even photographed together at the Grammy Museum in 2002. So the question becomes: how did Twin Temple get booked in the first place if their entire brand is, well, Satanism? Either there was a serious gap in the booking vetting process, or someone on Crockett’s team made an assumption that didn’t pan out during a final check-in.
Twin Temple isn’t slowing down over this bump. They’re already slated to tour with fellow occult-loving act Danzig in September, where presumably their imagery will be far less of a surprise. For Crockett, it’s back to curating a lineup with acts like Sierra Hall, Wild Horses, Weary Boys, and Penrod—acts a bit more aligned with country radio sensibilities.
About the Author
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
