L.A. Witch is an American

garage-rock Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock music that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The style is ...

trio formed in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

in 2011. Founded by L.A. natives Sade Sanchez (vocals, guitar) and Irita Pai (bass), the band's sound has been described as a "mix of forlorn psych folk, lethargic

lo-fi Lo-fi (also typeset as lofi or low-fi; short for low fidelity) is a music or production quality in which elements usually regarded as imperfections in the context of a recording or performance are present, sometimes as a deliberate stylistic ch ...

blues and boozy

garage rock Garage rock (sometimes called garage punk or 60s punk) is a raw and energetic style of rock music that flourished in the mid-1960s, most notably in the United States and Canada, and has experienced a series of subsequent revivals. The style is ...

drones steeped in moody, drugged-out surf

reverb In acoustics, reverberation (commonly shortened to reverb) is a persistence of sound after it is produced. It is often created when a sound is reflected on surfaces, causing multiple reflections that build up and then decay as the sound is a ...

." The group's influences include

Black Sabbath Black Sabbath are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. After adopting the Black Sabbath name in 1969 (the band ...

The Brian Jonestown Massacre The Brian Jonestown Massacre is an American Rock music, rock band led and started by Anton Newcombe. It was formed in San Francisco in 1990. The group was the subject of the 2004 documentary film called ''Dig!'', and have gained media notorie ...

, and seminal L.A. punk rock bands X and the

Gun Club The Gun Club were an American post-punk band from Los Angeles that existed from 1979 to 1996. Created and led by singer-songwriter and guitarist Jeffrey Lee Pierce, they were notable as one of the first bands in the punk rock subculture to i ...

History

Formation

Sanchez formed the all female group when her then-boyfriend forbade her from playing with male musicians. Asked to come up with a name, the band chose its current name after discovering its first choice, Witch, was taken. Drummer Ellie English replaced original drummer Crystal Nava after the latter left for New York City and didn't return.

Influences

The band cites

The Gun Club The Gun Club were an American post-punk band from Los Angeles that existed from 1979 to 1996. Created and led by singer-songwriter and guitarist Jeffrey Lee Pierce, they were notable as one of the first bands in the punk rock subculture to i ...

as one of its early influences, with Sanchez noting that "When our band first met, that was one of the connections we made. There’s something about their vibe — it’s blues-y, twang-y, kind of country, but also poetic and goth-y — that inspired me."

Touring and Recording

The band toured extensively before releasing its eponymous debut album in 2017, recorded at Hurley Studios in Costa Mesa and mixed in Highland Park, Los Angeles. Their second album, ''Play With Fire'', was released in 2020, followed by a cover of the Gun Club's ''Ghost on the Highway''. Their third album, ''DOGGOD'', is scheduled for release in April 2025. The band tours frequently in the U.S. and internationally. Joining the band on its 2022 European tour was guitarist

Lauren Andino Lauren Andino is an American artist, musician, and co-founder of DL Skateboards. Raised in Columbia, South Carolina, Andino moved to Brooklyn, New York, as a young adult, where she played in several bands. She is currently the singer and guit ...

of the Los Angeles-based duo Tremours.

Discography

Albums

2025 So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...

- ''DOGGOD'' *

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

- ''Play With Fire'' *

2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

- ''L.A. Witch''

Singles

2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...

- ''One Way or the Highway'' *

- ''Gen-Z'' *

2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...

- ''Octubre'' *

- ''Drive Your Car'' *

- ''Untitled'' *

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

- ''Brian'' *

2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...

- ''Kill My Baby Tonight'' *

- ''Drive Your Car'' *

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

- ''Your Ways'' *

2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

- ''L.A. Witch''

References

External links

L.A. Witch

Suicide Squeeze Records
Musical groups from Los Angeles Garage rock groups from California Musical trios from California American all-female bands Musical groups established in 2011 Suicide Squeeze Records artists 2011 establishments in California {{US-rock-band-stub