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Izzy Morris

Interview: Witch Fever

Just before their incredible set at Leicester's Soundhouse, Izzy Morris had the chance to chat to Amy and Alex of Witch Fever. Here's what they had to say!


Over summer, when I go back home to my summer job, my dog and my mum’s cooking, the volume of gigs I get to go to tends to dramatically decrease. Sure, I’ll travel to a few festivals and get my fill there, but Leicester doesn’t have quite the same draw for bands as neighbouring Nottingham and Birmingham do.

The United by Music Initiative with the National Lottery however, has started a campaign to try and increase punter footfall in smaller, ‘rural’ venues. Witch Fever joined a whole range of other artists like Yard Act, Cat Burns, Blossoms and Sleeper who are also heading down the roads less travelled, and stopped by in my hometown for a much more intimate gig at The Soundhouse; a sweaty pub-like venue covered in tour posters tucked away in Leicester’s cultural quarters.

Before the night began, I had a chance to sit down with frontwoman Amy and guitarist Alex in their tour van, enjoying the incredible sounds coming from Notts’ own Alt Blk Era’s soundcheck in the background from next door.

Witch Fever have a sound that, while excellent, is almost hard to place.

“We’ve been described as Doom Punk, but we don’t think that’s the perfect description” says Alex.

“Yeah, We don’t really fit into any specific genre.” Amy agreed. “We’re heavy and angry.”

“Guitars. Lots of guitars.”

Heavy and angry guitar music just so happens to be my favourite genre. It’s most certainly also attracting a whole host of other heavy music fans. On the road, getting to explore different festivals, Alex was in her element.

“2000 Trees and Download were both amazing. I stayed at 2000 Trees and it was so much fun.”

Amy, however, is less of a festival fan.

“I did really like Trees though, and if I was going to stay at a festival, I think I’d like Trees. Everything’s pretty close together and you don’t have to go too far.”

“Yeah it’s a really lovely festival and they had a lot of stuff backstage too which is nice. I also went as a fan to Outbreak festival for the first time this year which was awesome.”


Despite the absolutely sweltering heat that we were enduring in the van, the end of summer has now hit, with festival season coming to an end. But they’re still in action for this rural tour.

“Our label actually put us up to it, and it’s been really cool.” Alex explained. “It’s the first tour we’ve done where we’re not making a loss and the venue’s been fairly paid.”

Plus, they’ve had the chance to reach fans in places without that same musical footfall. Amy had spoken to fans at the previous show.

“They were saying nobody ever really tours there, so it’s great to get to perform in those places and make it easier for fans there to see us.”

I then asked them what an ideal venue looks like, and they both agreed that for them, it’s all about the green room.

“One that doesn’t smell like sweat.” Amy clarified.

“And one that actually takes into account that women are going to be coming through. I think sometimes venues forget that it’s not just men that are going on tour and stuff. Like, give us an area to get ready where we can actually see what we’re doing.”

“Yeah, and some bands put stickers all over the mirrors, which looks cool, but like, I can’t see myself when I’m getting ready.”

A note to all touring bands – stickers on the edge of the mirror instead, please.




On their United by Music tour, they’ve been joined by some incredible acts including Bex and Grandmas House. There’s a clear and intentional reason for their choices.

Alex explained.

“We’ve played with some of these bands before too,” Amy continued, “so we’ve had the chance to get to see them perform and get to know them as people too. Alt Blk Era tonight are so lovely, and so young and talented too. It’s great to have them here.”

And after the tour, the witches will begin brewing their new album. Alex spoke about the ways that the process will be different to Congregation.

“With Congregation, there wasn’t really a plan or like theme for the album. All of the songs just ended up working together. But with the next one, and we’ve already got a few new ones that we’ve started playing, we’ll be building it with more though I think.”

“Yeah, and some of the new ones are quickly becoming some of our favourites to play.” Amy teased, and after seeing their set, I can confirm, Witch Fever fans are in for a treat.

Their tour manager Dan, popped by towards the end with bags from Giggling Squid, much to the delight of the band, ready for their pre-show scran. On the topic of food, I asked them what flavour Witch Fever would be. Alex decided it would be Kim Chi, for that interesting spiciness, but Amy didn’t agree.

“No, no. Something more sour, maybe like sour apple.”

“Like a tangfastic?”

“Yeah, maybe that.”

And to wrap up on an equally silly question, I asked them to come up with their own small venue ideas, to interesting results.

Amy went for a ‘book club, that’s also a café and is also a venue’, after her love of books, such as Stephen King’s IT. We did then have some contention on whether you can call a killer clown book beautiful, but the three of us decided that it’s a description that can work.

When asked for a name, she was slightly more stumped.

“The only thing I can think of that’s going round in my brain is ‘PUSSY.’ So I guess that.”

Alex is going for something a little bit more sophisticated however.

“Mine would be proper wine lady, with really bougie wining and dining.”

Tour manager Dan came in clutch with a name:

“Wine, Dine, 69.”

On that note, I then left the pair to enjoy their curries (although Amy’s bag split and covered the steps of the van with a very sad looking pile of yellow, much to the band’s disappointment), as they headed in to avoid the mirror stickers and get ready to put on a show for the much excited heavy fans of Leicester.


Izzy Morris

 

Edited by Alice Beard


Image courtesy of Witch Fever via Facebook, video courtesy of Witch Fever via Youtube





















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