Haley Roughton on Femininity, Faith, and Gore.
In an era where metal often feels overrun by algorithmic precision and performative rage, Haley Roughton is a rare kind of frontwoman — one who bleeds sincerity through every note she screams.
As the voice and creative nucleus of Gore., Roughton has emerged as one of heavy music’s most compelling new figures: an artist who’s unafraid to blur brutality with vulnerability, fusing metalcore ferocity with lush melodic sweeps and the confessional honesty of a diary entry.
Before forming Gore. in 2023 with guitarist Alex Reyes and bassist Devin Birchfield, Roughton had weathered years of upheaval — personal heartbreak, creative rejection, and the sense of being written out of the same bands that she helped shape. But rather than fracture her, those experiences became the crucible for something new. Gore.’s debut EP, A Bud That Never Blooms, translated that pain into catharsis, exploring femininity, longing, and identity with both aggression and grace.
Now, with the October release of their latest EP, If You Do Not Fear Me…, Roughton and her bandmates push even further into that tension between beauty and brutality — effortlessly expanding their sonic world while sharpening their emotional edge.
In a genre long dominated by masculine narratives, Roughton is opening up new emotional terrain, reclaiming softness as a strength and reimagining what it means to be “heavy.” For Gore., and for Roughton herself, the mission feels clear: to make music that doesn’t just hit hard, but hurts beautifully.
KP: I know you’re probably so tired of talking about this by now, but I think you have the coolest career crossover of anyone that I’ve ever spoken to. I tried to resist starting here, but I can’t! [Laughs]
You work as a spacewalk engineer while fronting a metal band. How do you manage such demanding careers concurrently? And do you find that they influence or inform each other in any way?
HR: I never get tired of talking about either! :) It’s pretty tough — I don’t really take any time off. Whatever time I take off from work, I use for the band. I work from nine to five, and then five to nine, basically. But it’s worth it, at least for now. My work as an engineer definitely adds to my high-strung personality and being so deadline- and results-driven in the music industry.
KP: I love that you embrace the many dimensions of yourself — especially in today’s culture, where people often feel pressured to fit everything into one neat identity or “brand.”
My background is incredibly diverse too — I’ve never really felt like I made sense as a singular human being. [Laughs] But I love that, and I embrace it in others as well. You’re a perfect example of that.
What advice would you give to women who want to pursue dual careers in such distinct, disparate fields?
HR: My biggest advice is do things because you actually love doing them — not to please anyone else. Who knows where I’d be now if I had stuck with music when I was younger, but I didn’t because I wanted my parents’ approval. (Not that I regret anything; it all happened for a reason.)
On the opposite side of that coin, be realistic and have a job that you can get paid for while you pursue what you really want in life. I think the idea of having to be constantly stressed about money and ruining your health to pursue your dreams is dangerous. Spend money on those healthy groceries and that gym membership so you can chase your dream for as long as you want.
KP: Moving onto your musical work — you front Gore., a Texas-based metal quartet that’s received praise from acts including Motionless in White, Papa Roach, and Flyleaf. Your progress has been significant, and it’s certainly well-deserved. How do you handle the tension between being validated by the scene’s veterans and carving out your own identity without compromise?
HR: I actually think that’s less difficult than people might assume. As long as you’re not going into the studio trying to sound like x band or follow y trend — and you listen to music outside of metal so you can draw inspiration from it — you’ll find your own nook in the genre pretty naturally. The problem is, too many musicians are so concerned about writing what will be a “radio hit,” and that’s when you start sounding like everyone else.
KP: There’s historically been a shortage of women in heavy music. How do you feel about the current representation of women in rock and metal, and what progress would you like to see in the industry?
HR: It’s odd, because women are more prevalent now than ever in the industry, yet compared to men, there’s still a shortage. I’d like to see the market saturated enough that women aren’t constantly being compared to the same five massive female-fronted bands — especially when the only similarity is just that.
KP: Absolutely. I think that we’d all love to see that.
Your debut EP, A Bud That Never Blooms, explored themes ranging from religion and romance to police violence and privilege. As a Catholic schoolgirl born and raised — but also someone who fervently supports human rights and justice above all else — it makes me so happy to see work where all of that can coexist.
Although I wouldn’t consider myself inherently religious today, I still believe that religion and justice can be two sides of the same coin — quite the opposite of the rhetoric we often see today. I don’t necessarily have a question here, but I wanted to give you the opportunity to speak on that if you’d like. I think it’s a topic that deserves more airtime, especially in such divisive times.
HR: I love that! We live in a world where a lot of people see things in black and white — politics, religion, human rights — especially on social media. I encourage people who feel overwhelmed by those extremes to engage with others in real life, because most of us actually exist in the grey. I even had to learn that for myself.
As Abraham Lincoln once said: “I don’t like that man. I must get to know him better.”
“We live in a world where a lot of people see things in black and white — politics, religion, human rights — especially on social media. I encourage people who feel overwhelmed by those extremes to engage with others in real life, because most of us actually exist in the grey. I even had to learn that for myself.”
KP: I can definitely second that about social media. It exists to cause division, but I think we’d need at least a few other chats to touch on that, right? [Laughs]
In “Babylon,” you touch on the tension between traditional personal dreams — like marriage and family — and your music career.
You said, “‘Babylon’ is about my desire to be a loving wife with a husband who loves me, and children. That dream has gotten further and further away. And as a woman, you don’t get forever to have that. You just don’t. I wanted to share that perspective because in a lot of female-fronted rock and metal bands, you get a very girl-boss persona, which I think is amazing and necessary. But I also want to talk about the parts of femininity that are just terrible. ‘Babylon’ is my eulogy to that dream — for now. I’m focusing on music instead.”
How did writing it allow you to process those complex emotions? And what helped you eventually find peace?
HR: That song — and really the whole writing session — was pretty tough emotionally. You can probably feel that, and I definitely do when I revisit those songs. I was pretty sure that I was going to end up alone and without children for the rest of my life, and to me, that felt like a failure. Then God gave me another purpose — and he introduced me to the love of my life within that purpose. Now I’m happier than ever. Turmoil will come again, I’m sure, as that’s just life, but I’m really glad that I got to process that time through that song and my music.
KP: That’s incredible — congratulations!
Similarly, you’ve spoken about wanting Gore. to convey all sides of femininity — not just strength and toughness, but also the delicate, nurturing aspects — while still fitting into a heavy, distorted metalcore sound.
You said, “Our message of conveying all sides of femininity is what truly sets us apart. There’s so much art out there showing women being strong and tough in a male-dominated space — and that’s important — but I also want to bring the delicate, nurturing side of femininity to the forefront with this band. I think a lot of metalcore right now has a sleek, industrial look, which is great, but I wanted Gore. to be particularly feminine and delicate, yet disturbing and distorted in the same space.”
What does it mean for you to publicly explore aspects of femininity that aren’t always celebrated? And how has exploring these facets influenced your songwriting and artistic vision?
HR: For us, it means taking risks to convey our vision even when we aren’t sure it’ll sell — from more “feminine” merch than usual to writing about still wanting intimacy with a man who abuses you (our song “Like You Meant It”). It’s an uncomfortable topic, but it’s extremely common and understandable to love your abuser. We want to give men and women alike a space to feel emotional without guilt.
We’ve even had men — not just women — come forward and tell us how much our music helped them process an abusive relationship, and that means the world to us.
KP: To expand on that, so much of your music perfectly balances the soft and the heavy — emotion with rage. “Sepsis” immediately comes to mind. How do you approach blending those extremes in your songwriting, and what draws you to that tension?
HR: It’s funny — I think we’re still figuring that out. We feel like the jarring juxtapositions are what make us, well, us, but we still want the parts of our songs to blend together well. Some people loved “Sepsis” and said that it was their favorite. Others said the changes were too jarring, which I totally understand. I love R&B and theater, but I also used to be in death metal bands, so having those two extremes just feels natural to me.
KP: Your latest record, If You Do Not Fear Me…, was just released on October 3rd — congratulations! Can you walk us through the themes and creative process behind the new album? Do you have a favorite track, or one that feels the most personal to you?
HR: This one was tricky — we wanted to keep the momentum from A Bud That Never Blooms, but we also didn’t want to play it too safe or to sound exactly the same as that EP. So we worked with some new people and stepped outside of our comfort zones in terms of writing.
My most personal song on this EP is “Like You Meant It,” since it’s the first song I wrote with producer Lee Albrecht — who’s now my fiancé. :)
KP: Oh, I didn’t know! That’s amazing!
What advice would you offer to women who want to pursue a career in rock?
HR: THERE IS ENOUGH ROOM FOR YOU. So don’t quit before you even start.
KP: What advice would you lend to women about life, work, or love?
HR: The people who are right for you will come into your life when you’re doing the things that are right for yourself.
Also — prioritize sleeping at least eight hours a day! I’m so sick of people bragging about not getting enough sleep — it’s not cool! And women especially need more sleep than men — it’s backed by science.
And making a lot of money doesn’t matter if you never have time to spend it.
KP: What do you feel makes a provocative woman?
HR: In my opinion, nothing is sexier than modesty — not just in how you dress, but in how you act, too. Knowing that you don’t need validation from anyone about your looks is hot.
