Tony West named his band after finding the best musicians in town with the worst reputations, and Blacklist Union has been living up to both halves of that description ever since. The Los Angeles hard rock band has released their new single, “Madame Butterfly,” available now on all streaming platforms, alongside a music video featuring rock icon Lorraine Lewis of Femme Fatale.
The official video was filmed, edited, and directed by Michael Sarna of Inmotion Entertainment in Hollywood, California, pairing the song’s dark allure with a cinematic visual style. Lewis brings her own unmistakable charisma and sensuality to the screen, making it a genuine collaboration between two enduring forces in rock music.
The release sets up a bigger run ahead. Blacklist Union heads overseas this September for a European tour alongside glam rock legends Faster Pussycat and Lewis, bringing their live show to audiences across the continent.
Tony West captured the momentum of the moment in his own words. “Everything that is happening right now is like walking through the keyhole to my biggest dreams. I’m here to bring the wow factor and the fire to the firefight… so let’s rock this shit.”
Lewis is just as fired up about the pairing. “Working with Tony has been icing on the cake for me. Having newly signed with Cleopatra Records, FEMME FATALE is slated to release our full album in August, produced by Steve Brown. The timing couldn’t be more perfect for the FASTER PUSSYCAT / BLACKLIST UNION tour.” Brown, who produced the record, has previously worked with Trixter and Ace Frehley.
Blacklist Union’s story goes back to 2006, when West put out the band’s first record, After the Mourning, chasing a sound he couldn’t find anywhere else. He built the group’s name and reputation from the same idea, gathering the best players in town regardless of the baggage they carried, and shaped a sound pulling from Stone Temple Pilots, Guns N’ Roses, Warrior Soul, The Cult, and Mother Love Bone.
That reputation for explosive live shows and an unapologetically bold sound has only grown. Their previous record, Letters from the Psych Ward, racked up over 2,000,000 streams, and their latest release, Slay the Dragon, came out in September 2025.
Ahead of this next era, West spent time on several ayahuasca journeys deep in the Amazon. “Ayahuasca isn’t a drug, it’s powerful spiritual medicine from another realm. It helped me heal in ways I never thought possible, releasing layers of trauma, heartache, and sorrow. I’m not perfect, not Gandhi or anything, but it changed everything. My entire view of myself, love, the world, people, and my children changed because of those experiences.”
West’s own musical roots trace back to the Bronx, where he grew up on the Ramones, Bad Brains, and New York hardcore before heading west to Los Angeles at 19. A stint in Memphis in 1998 put him at the first Saliva gig, where he met drummer Paul Crosby, sparking a friendship that grew into management, song collaborations, and guest video appearances over the years.
West has also collaborated with guitarist Todd Youth of Murphy’s Law and Danzig, and with Malfunkshun, the band kept alive by Kevin Wood, brother of the late Andy Wood. Andy Wood remains West’s musical muse, and West has called it an honour to sing in his hero’s band.
Credit: Source link