Peek Inside the Crypt: About Graveyard Brat

Graves, known in the underground as Graveyard Brat, is a multidisciplinary artist conjuring beauty from the macabre. Born and raised in Hartford County, Connecticut, their work is shaped by early exposure to horror and alternative culture—less an influence than an inheritance. What others fear, Graves has always treated as familiar terrain.

They began experimenting with makeup at thirteen, gravitating toward SFX and character-driven transformation that blurred the boundary between fantasy and decay. That instinct evolved into lived experience: several formative years working in a funeral home, followed by five years embedded in a local haunted attraction, where they became known for deeply unsettling clown personas. These chapters did not simply inform the art—they embalmed it.

Now entering their third year as a drag performer, Graves has cemented themselves as a formidable presence within the underground drag scene. In 2025, they were crowned MX Toxic, a title recognizing their uncompromising performance style, conceptual vision, and dedication to drag that unsettles as much as it seduces.

Beyond performance, Graves is a builder of lineage. Alongside wife/haus father Riktus Grin, they co-founded the Haus of Braktus, serving as its haus mother and creative architect. The Haus is home to their drag children—Chapstick Roan, Helium, and Gregothy—and functions as both chosen family and artistic incubator, grounded in mentorship, transformation, and collective survival.

Graves’ work remains immersive and femme-forward, steeped in dark glamour, theatricality, and emotional grit. Each performance operates as ritual rather than spectacle—where sequins become sigils, the grotesque becomes holy, and the stage becomes a séance.

Outside of drag, Graves is also a musician, crafting ambient, liminal soundscapes fused with experimental beats and spectral electro. Their debut EP, Hell is a Promiseland, dropped on February 6, 2022 — their birthday — cementing their signature sonic mood. They also released an earlier track, Castle.wav, as a spectral precursor to their musical journey.

A visual artist as well, Graves dabbles in freelance art, prop design, light costume creation, and SFX makeup, extending their creativity across multiple mediums. Their work has been showcased in galleries and onstage alike, with notable performances at spaces including The Webster in Hartford, CT, and RPM Fest in Massachusetts.

Graves is also a contributing voice in underground media, currently working with Black Noise, a publication that previously featured them in a digital mixtape release cloaked in ritualistic flair.

Every incarnation of Graves — whether through drag, sound, visuals, or writing — is a carefully summoned spirit. Their work doesn’t just entertain; it haunts, provokes, and lingers.