Ego Likeness
Ego Likeness is an American darkwave/industrial rock band from Baltimore, formed in 1999 by Steven Archer and Donna Lynch. They started as an experimental trip-hop project and released a four-track demo, Songs from a Dead City, in 1999. In 2000 they issued Dragonfly on their own Angelfall label, moving toward darker electronic and dance music. After a break, they signed with Dancing Ferret Discs and released Water to the Dead in 2004, blending electronic roots with heavier rock. They built a live following and toured, performing at festivals and events such as Convergence, Dracula’s Ball, and Dragon Con; Dragonfly was reissued by Dancing Ferret in 2005.
In 2006 Ego Likeness released The Order of the Reptile, returning to a heavier electronic/darkwave sound, and they created a Neil Gaiman tribute, Where’s Neil When You Need Him? The band toured Europe and the US with The Crüxshadows and Ayria. In 2007 they began releasing The Compass EPs—South, West, North, and East—featuring new songs and remixes.
Their fourth album, Breedless, came out in 2010 on Metropolis Records to strong reviews, and they contributed to the Electronic Saviors cancer-benefit compilations. In 2012 they released the single Treacherous Things with a music video, and in 2015 they issued When the Wolves Return, followed by a remix single, New Legion.
After a period of lower activity, they released the Wolves EP in 2020 and a Madonna cover, Live to Tell, in 2023. Ego Likeness has shared stages with many artists and performed at various conventions and festivals. The band has featured a rotating lineup, with the core duo continuing to lead the project.
Donna Lynch is a writer and poet who has published novels and poetry collections; Steven Archer is a visual artist and musician who has released other projects such as Hopeful Machines and Stoneburner. They are both involved in other artistic ventures and are ordained ministers.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 12:00 (CET).