A reflection of the industrial grime and perpetual sunny glow of Los Angeles, Casket Cassette (Constant Williams) blends euphoria and melancholy in an expression of existential perseverance. Casket Cassette’s depressingly danceable music takes a takes a contemporary spin on the dark sounds of the 1980s post-punk movement.

The project takes its name from a memory Williams has from childhood of his father recording a live song onto a cassette tape, then placing the tape into his grandfather’s casket as it was being lowered into the ground. Williams’ lyrics often reflect upon similarly somber themes such as mental health struggles, loss, heartbreak, addiction and recovery—while also offering glimmers of hope, humor and a general determination to overcome.

Williams splits his time between Los Angeles, CA, and Iowa City, IA, where he is pursuing an MFA in poetry at the Iowa Writers Workshop. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.