L.A. Witch is the Platonic Ideal of an indie rock band. The trio of Sade Sanchez, Irita Pai, and Ellie English constructs thick, buzzy tracks that inspire and ground. And on April 4, the group will release their newest LP, DOGGOD, via Suicide Squeeze Records.
VICE caught up with the band to talk about recording their new album in Paris, and to premiere their latest single, “Icicle.” Check out the new work as the trio prepares to drop their forthcoming LP before heading out on a three-month tour.
VICE: Your new album was tracked in Paris, France. Outside of the music, what was the best part about being in the city?
SADE SANCHEZ: Aside from the music, the best part about being in the city is being surrounded by all the beauty and different art forms. There’s so much great architecture, amazing food, museums, old theatres, stylish people, and great music venues. It’s really a city where you have to walk, so it’s easy to engage with all of these things. For someone from L.A., even the tiny details on every door can be quite stunning. And obviously, the cemeteries are the most beautiful. We walked past Montmartre cemetery every day to get to Motorbass Studios in the city.
IRITA PAI: And all the gothic cathedrals and gargoyles. The city has a very macabre, old-world haunted feeling, which is the perfect atmosphere for the album.
VICE: What made you choose to track the album abroad?
SS: I’d been spending a lot of time in Paris working on another music project, and I was shown the studio. When I walked into Motorbass, I knew that I had to try to get the next album recorded there. It had the studio, energy, and beauty that I was looking for. And obviously, I felt that being in Paris would be inspiring for this album. It just made sense. A lot of the lyrics and ideas were inspired by living in Paris, so why not record the album there as well?
VICE: How did you feel about being away from the United States for a period of time?
SS: It was really difficult at first. Especially because we were writing together for about two months, working really hard to finish up the album, and then we went straight on tour, which can sometimes be a bit brutal. We had our gear lost by the airline, so the first part of the tour was super stressful. After the tour, we went to the studio with a two-day break in between. So, it’s not like it was a vacation. We were all tired, a bit homesick, and stressed. It’s a lot of pressure to record, and we didn’t have that many days in the studio. I love the U.S, but now I’m back living in Paris, and I’m really okay to take a break from the U.S. I realize now that a city like Paris has been more nurturing to me as an artist at this time in my life.
VICE: Did you have a favorite meal in Paris?
ELLIE ENGLISH: My favorite meal in Paris is when we were in the studio recording, we walked down to a seafood spot and got a little bit of everything. It was very close, so we walked it back to the studio and shared all the goodies and some wine with everyone. It was the best seafood, and we learned how to pull bulot out of the shell. It was so fun.
IP: I’m obsessed with the ficelle apero chorizo poivron at Le Grenier á pain, their croissants are great as well. Nothing in L.A. even compares to a French croissant. And the classic jambon beurre at Mamiche.
SS: I agree with Ellie. The spot we went to was La Mascotte. We had a little feast in the studio with oysters, shrimp, bulot, really good butter, and some baguettes.
VICE: How is L.A. Witch different than you were, say, five years ago?
IRITA: Exactly five years ago, we released our second album during COVID, and we weren’t able to tour at all—in fact, our album release was a live stream with only the engineers in the room. Since then, we’ve been touring and traveling all over the U.S. and Europe, reconnecting with friends and fans, getting inspiration from our experiences, and discovering new music and new genres. What you’ll hear in the upcoming album is a reflection of all that.
Photo by Marco Hernandez / Courtesy Suicide Squeeze
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