Pale Souls is a modern romantic drama set in the underground garage rock/independent music scene of Pittsburgh, PA. It centers on Vanessa Lukin, band manager of an all-girl rock trio called The Nags. Vanessa is ambitious and charming, aspiring to fame beyond dive bar Pale Souls. Her passion for music fuels a willingness to do whatever it takes to get The Nags a record deal, but potentially at great cost. After all, it’s lead singer Morgan’s heroin addiction, and affection from Vanessa, that feeds her creativity.

After saving Morgan from an OD and allowing her to continue to perform, it’s clear Vanessa is willing to enable Morgan’s drug habit and emotional dependence in return for potential success.

While struggling with The Nags, Vanessa falls for Sterling, an enigmatic drug dealer whose obsession with death suggests secrets in his past. Sterling’s deep knowledge of Rock n’ Roll is irresistible to Vanessa, and their fiery romance threatens both Vanessa’s understanding of love and the future of The Nags.

When Vanessa discovers that Sterling has been self-medicating from his stash, the group’s collective trauma is thrown into harsh relief. Kicked off the tour, Sterling struggles to cope with his involvement in the death of his girlfriend, Klara, six months prior to the opening of Pale Souls. Aware of Vanessa’s relationship with Sterling, and the extent of her sexual betrayal, Morgan struggles as both artist and addict. And Vanessa, facing the consequences of her battle between protecting The Nags and staying true to herself, is left suddenly alone.

Pale Souls is a story about love: queer love, unrequited love, love between friends, empathy as inspiration, and healing through music. It insists and affirms that trauma is often the architecture of our greatest art. Through the prism of Vanessa’s ambiguous sexuality within a punk community, and my unique, authentic rendering of the underground garage rock scene, Pale Souls is a wholly original rock and roll love story that has never been told.