/MUSIC UNDER THE SPELL OF CALIFORNIA’S DARK SIDE

predilection for the dark side. Active since 2013, though only achieving wider recognition in the past 12 months, L.A. Witch create spellbinding music of crepuscular unease. More California nightmare than California dreaming, the trio – Sanchez, alongside Irita Pai on bass and Ellie English on drums – produce a sinister, psychinfused noir-rock sound that’s earned glowing comparisons to bands ranging from The Cramps and Velvet Underground to Mazzy Star and The Jesus & Mary Chain.

Even so, for a band with such a strong connection to their birthplace, L.A. Witch haven’t been spending much time at home of late. From headline tours to festivals slots to support gigs with bands such as The Kills and The Coathangers, the trio have slowly built a worldwide fanbase through relentless touring over the past three years.

For L.A. Witch, success is clearly not gauged by social media likes and followers. Rather, it’s through the sheer satisfaction of visiting a city or country for the second time and seeing a considerable growth in audience attendance.

“That’s the best thing about touring,” says bassist Irita Pai, “seeing your audiences grow. It’s that instant connection; something you don’t see with social media. When you’re winning people over in a room, whether it’s 50 people or five hundred people, that feels more important than how you’re judged online. We’ve had young girls come to us after shows to tell us that they started playing the guitar or the drums because of us. That’s the biggest compliment.”

You might assume, then, that three years of solid gigging would be the perfect preparation for going into the studio and recording an album – not so, however. L.A. Witch’s self-titled debut album, released last September, went through a lengthy, troubled gestation, and was re-worked and re-recorded numerous times before the band were eventually satisfied.

As it transpired, the final version of the album – the one which received lavish critical praise upon its release – only emerged when the trio decided to relinquish their perfectionist streak.

“We ended up recording the album in just three days,” explains