The Widow's Bane is an American band from Boulder, Colorado whose music incorporates elements of roots revival, sea shanties, klezmer, vaudeville, gothic rock, and murder ballads while evoking the comedic cabaret styles of Tom Waits and Nick Cave. The band defines their genre as Zombie-Death-Polka. Its line-up includes frontman Gov. Mortimer Leech (a.k.a. Clay Rose), Rutherford Belleview, Rictus Corpum, Franklin McKane, and Bat Catacombs. Previous band members were Jimson Crockett, Abracham Lynch, Frank Raven, James Calvin Thompson, and Philip Parker. Their live show is characterized by zombie-style makeup, Great Depression-era costumes, the creepy animatronic movements of lead singer Leech, and dancing by self-styled "snake-charming hussy," Madame Reaper.
In 2018, The Widow's Bane wrote and performed the score, for a production of Wicked Bayou, with Denver based Wonderbound ballet company.