The Distaff by maud the moth

released February 21, 2025

Music and lyrics: Amaya López-Carromero

Piano, voice, psaltery, hyperpiano and percussion: Amaya López-Carromero
Guitar, Moog and saxophone: Scott McLean
Drums and percussion: Sebastian Rochford
Cello: Alison Chesley (Helen Money)
Violin: Fay Guiffo
Sound design by Scott McLean and Amaya López-Carromero

Produced by Scott McLean and Amaya López-Carromero
Mastered by Alex Wharton at Abbey Road (London)
Mixed by Scott McLean
Recorded at Gorbals Sounds (Glasgow), The Shelter (London) and Neon Fable (Edinburgh) between January and July of 2024 by Scott McLean and Amaya López-Carromero.

Art direction and artwork by Amaya López-Carromero
Original photo by Demelza Kingston, styled by Michelle Watson.

This album was funded by Creative Scotland.


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¨The Distaff wears in bold and uncharted tapestry its heart-wrenching endeavors. Without a peer, Maud the Moth threatens to fly freely at the top of its own constructed throne.¨ - ANGRY METAL GUY 5/5 album review

¨To listen is to labour. The artist demands not passive consumption but active communion—an emotional and intellectual plunge into the darkest corners of the self. The reward, for those willing to brave the journey, is a rare equilibrium: a balance of beauty and brutality, where closure emerges from the chaos like a fragile moth from its cocoon. Devotees of the extreme, the experimental, and the deeply human will find in The Distaff a work that moves body, mind, and soul—a coruscating rush of sound striking steel, resounding with the grief and grit of survival.¨ - SENTINEL DAILY

“As timely as it is powerful…her most challenging but ultimately rewarding album yet…its power is palpable throughout.” - PROG

“the piano keys in 'Burial Of The Patriarchs' sounding as though they're creeping through castle corridors, the thunderclap guitars on 'Despeñaperros'...” - ELECTRONIC SOUND

“unapologetically rapturous, as if all the performers are playing magnesium flames as musical instruments” - EVERYTHING IS NOISE

“… unfolds like a modern-day, avant-garde opera filled with incomprehensible levels of drama, beauty and pain.” - THE SKINNY

“an artist as intense as Keeley Forsyth, as singular as Joanna Newsom and as dramatic as Diamanda Galas… An operetta set in song, López-Carromero’s thrilling soprano yearns, gliding over the cymbal splashes and scratchy harmonics..." - BACKSEAT MAFIA

"... filled with eerie keys, dramatic volume shifts and diaphanous vocals” - GET IN HER EARS

“an impressive re-imagining of the post-classical form” - BACKSEAT MAFIA - 8.9/10 album review by John Parry

“a cipher of womanhood, transgenerational trauma, of identity unraveled and rewoven through time by the hands of those who came before, and those who follow. There is something ancient about it, something almost inescapable, an organic quality as natural as the turning of the seasons, as instinctive as birds’ chirping.” - LOUD WOMEN - album review by Diana Revell (21st Feb)

“bubbling in the crucible of these songs is that exceptional voice which has with the mercurial dexterity to punch through granite as well as offer up a tenderness that is heart-breaking” - JOYZINE - album review (22nd Feb)

“Its thematic content is rich – exploring trauma, memory and catharsis – and with each listen reveals further layers of intrigue and ideas. Its unexpected, sparse, yet heavy sonic craft is compelling, particularly in its rich falsetto harmonies. Yet the whole thing is escalated through intent. Its off-kilter and thunderous nature directly expresses the vivid and indistinct recollection of childhood. It makes for a compelling experience.” - DISTORTED SOUND MAG - 8/10 album review by Chris Hart (20th Feb)

“a deep, meaningful and transcendental experience that is hard to liken with anything else… essential listening” - NOIZZE UK - 8/10 album review (20th Feb)

“It connects antiquity with the present, it builds bridges, it is about the human condition.” - VEIL OF SOUND - album review (20th Feb)

“a ferocious piece of work… the musicianship is off the scale” - MOONBUILDING - included in newsletter roundup (21st Feb)
“immediately becomes the defining album of her Maud the moth project… deeply moving and memorable ” - BOOLIN TUNES - 9/10 album review by Dobbin Thomas (20th Feb)

“solidifies Maud The Moth as a unique and compelling voice in contemporary music, offering an album that will resonate deeply with those willing to embrace its darker, introspective journey… a hauntingly beautiful and thought-provoking experience that lingers long after the music fades.” - OUT OF RAGE - album review (20th Feb)

“unapologetically rapturous, as if all the performers are playing magnesium flames as musical instruments” - EVERYTHING IS NOISE - album review (18th Feb)