Californian trio L.A. Witch are back with their reverb-heavy, grunge-punk sounds as they announce their new EP, Octubre, which is out now via Suicide Squeeze Records. Speaking about the new EP, L.A. Witch said “Octubre is a collection of older songs that we rarely play live, but wanted to revisit them since they’re dark and a bit spooky, and felt right for the season. We were excited to be able to work with Mr. Pharmacist aka Gregg Foreman, our first time working with a producer. We experimented with different textures and sounds for these songs, which you can really hear in ‘Haunting’. This EP feels more atmospheric, and perfect for Halloween.”

L.A. Witch’s eponymous debut album tapped into the allure of warm nights on the West Coast while hinting at the loneliness and lawlessness of living on the literal periphery of a country founded on a dark past.  It felt suited for driving through the desert late at night, broadcasting from some lonesome radio DJ through a low-signal FM station. The three-piece composed of guitarist/vocalist Sade Sanchez, bassist Irita Pai, and drummer Ellie English culled sounds from the outlaws of the warmer climes, whether it was 13th Floor Elevators’ lysergic rock n’ roll, Bakersfield country’s jangling laments, or the cool hand fatalism captured by The Doors on songs like ‘The End’.  It’s an album transmitting subdued revelry while also smirking at the inevitable consequences of the night.

Octubre may be a record about unhealthy infatuations and debilitating love, but it’s also an inadvertent statement on the past and permanence. Offered to the world as a surprise digital release, it might suggest a kind of ephemera, but the underlying motive is to reinvent and bring a new life to these seminal songs from the band’s early years. Reimagined and reshaped, these songs not only represent the band’s beginnings but also serve as a teaser for the band’s future output.

See L.A. Witch live:

'Octubre' tracklist:

1. Haunting

2. Sleep

3. BB's Momma

4. Heart of Darkness

5. Outro

Following a raucous Halloween show at London’s KOKO supporting Dream Wife, dynamic Merseyside noise punk outfit Queen Zee announce their debut self-titled album and an eight date UK tour for February. The album will be released on vinyl/CD/digital formats via the band’s own label Sasstone Records.

It’s been an exciting year for Queen Zee, culminating in a full UK tour in support of Dream Wife and with ‘Sass or Die’ making the Radio X playlist and earning John Kennedy’s track of the week. Earlier in the year Queen Zee won PRS Flash Funding at The Great Escape Festival, which has enabled them to put their madness into this debut record, and have now also been awarded PRS Momentum Funding to continue the journey. Queen Zee have also been gaining the attention of radio both locally and nationally, earning Huw Stephens’ tip of week twice and earning notable mentions from BBC 6 Music's Steve Lamacq, and BBC Introducing, soon followed by an invitation to the BBC's Maida Vale Studios, with a live session and interview aired on BBC Radio One in April 2018.

Fronted by the peculiar and direct Zena Davine (aka Queen Zee), the band is completed by co-founding member and multi-instrumentalist Jason Taylor-Brown, Frankie Wortho (Bass & Vocals), Ash Summers (Keys, Percussion & Vocals) and Dave Bloom (Drums & Percussion).

Full UK live dates below –

December 2018

Thurs 13th                    LIVERPOOL, 24 Kitchen Street

February 2019

Tues 12th                     LEEDS, Hyde Park Book Club

Weds 13th                    BRISTOL, Rough Trade

Thurs 14th                    LONDON, The Lexington

Fri 15th                         BRIGHTON, Hope & Ruin

Weds 20th                    GLASGOW, Attic @ Garage

Thurs 21st                    NEWCASTLE, Think Tank

Fri 22nd                        NOTTINGHAM, Bodega

Sat 23rd                        MANCHESTER, Yes Basement