Interview: L.A. Witch

If you've been with this blog for any length of time, you probably know how much we love L.A. Witch. They've been consistently one of the most exciting acts to watch and we're so excited their debut full length will be out later this year on Suicide Squeeze. Ahead of that release we got back with the band again and asked a few questions through e-mail. 

The Grey Estates: How does it feel to be signed to SS and to be releasing a debut album? How long has the debut been in the works and what can fans expect of this full length?

IRITA: We've recorded this album with 3 different people over the past 2 years. We wanted to make sure that we put out something that we were proud of, and represents us as a band.

SADE: We're very happy to be with Suicide Squeeze. They're very passionate about what they do and that's why we wanted to work with them. It's been a trial and error process since it's our first album. We're kinda learning as we go. The only thing I would tell anyone to expect is 30-something minutes of of reverb. Expectations are premeditated resentments. 

ELLIE: It feels great! Coathangers are some of our favorite people and we we love their music so it's cool to be in the same family as them.

You completed a tour with The Coathangers and now you're going back on the road! Y'all are road warriors! How do you handle the rigors of touring along with writing and preparing this new album? Do you enjoy being on the road? Will the tour include any performances of new songs?

IRITA: We try to drink a lot of water, and we take oregano oil and apple cider vinegar to keep us from getting sick. We've been working on new songs, and we'll be trying them out this upcoming European/UK tour.

SADE: I love/hate being on the road. Touring with the Coathangers was nice because we had friends along the way. We like meeting people on the road. With writing new stuff on tour, i usually have recordings of new stuff and I'll just listen to it over and over while I'm on tour and write out my ideas so when I'm home, I can piece it together. I've just recently found a way to make writing work whole on the road. 

ELLIE: We all love touring, Its so fun when we have time to sight see. I love meeting people in different places and hearing new music. The tour experience is really cool. Its hard when your tired or sick or homesick but I always try to remind myself that its worth it and may be my only chance to do certain things.

What was the writing/recording process like for this record and for the band? How long have you been working on this full length? Is there a track that you're really excited for fans to hear or that you're really in love with?

IRITA: So far I really like how "Untitled" came out. But the more I listen to the album, I know that will always change. I like them all!

SADE: I guess we never really though that far ahead when we first started. We just wanted to play music. So the process of writing an album took longer since we didn't exactly plan for it. None of these songs are necessarily tied in together. It's just what we've written the last few years as a band and now it's finally gonna be an album. 

ELLIE: I'm nervous and excited to release the album. Capturing the energy of our live sound is really important to us. It's been rough trying to get the right sound and vibe for the album.

After touring with The Coathangers and just being on the road, what have you learned about live performances and what is your approach like for bringing LA Witch music to life for audiences? 

IRITA: The live performance is a whole different animal. The Coathangers are amazing live, and it was really inspiring to see the way they interacted with their audience. They've got some die-hard fans for sure.

SADE: I think we are all growing on stage and learning about ourselves and about the audiences too, still. I think for me, I'm always trying to kinda let go of everything more and more when I play so I can be as honest as possible to the audience. 

ELLIE: The Coathangers put on such a fun show, I could watch them every night and continue to be impressed and have a great time.

Are there any bands that you'd like to tour with in the future or dream of touring with?

SADE: JAMC, Slowdive, APTBS, Psychic Ills, Night Beats...there's a lot of bands I'd wanna tour with. 

Your Instagrams always capture these really beautiful and unique places that you visit during tour and just in your downtime. Is there a place that you've come across in your travels that was really special? Is there a memory from touring or on the road that sticks with you? 

IRITA: Europe was really beautiful. The medieval Gravensteen Castle in Ghent, Belgium was really cool, they had a torture museum and the original guillotine they used back in the day. White Sands in New Mexico was also surreal, I've always wanted to go there. 

SADE: I was really happy to get the chance to go to Frank Lloyd Wrights Falling Water house in PA. I've always loved mid century architecture and that house is one of the greatest ever built. I grew up visiting a lot of cemeteries since my dad had an obsession with abandoned towns and stuff and maybe that kinda stuck with me because it's become some of my favorite places too. The St. Louis cemetery in Louisiana is one of my favorite places along with the Louisiana swamps!

ELLIE: I loved the drive to Scotland! The love the green fields and the stone walls that separate the farmlands and all the cute animals roaming around. It was so beautiful. I also loved Mexico because of all the culture and history. There are alters to the Virgin Mary everywhere. Lots of times I saw people doing performances on the street like juggling torches and riding a unicycle at the same time, or laying down on broken glass. Its pretty crazy. Theres so many beautiful buildings and churches there too.

What are your plans as a band beyond this UK tour and for 2017 and beyond? Do you have any crazy dreams or goals that you'd like to see come true this year?

IRITA: Australia, New Zealand and Japan!

Describe the new album using emojis: