For the Witch, Dog God is both a return and a start – a record shaped by the distance, the change and the kind of raw devotion that resonates for a long time in the streets of Los Angeles.
“I just saw the display panel in Los Angeles for the first time, and it was a pretty cool moment for me, especially since it was at home,” explains Frontwoman and guitarist Sade Sanchez, reflecting with casualness on the way the group feels ahead of their next tour. It was a moment in a full circle, that the trio could feel deeply when they are preparing to take their new songs on the road.
Their spring tower starts soon, with a hometown stop at the Highland Park lodge room on May 23 – getting attached to a group whose roots still take place deeply in the city that raised them.
But before the long list of American cities on their route, there was Paris.
“Dog God” was recorded in motorcycle studios in the French capital – a change of deliberate decor which infused the record with new sound and visual textures.
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“I think we would all agree that, even if it was difficult, it was really pleasant to change our environment and seek inspiration elsewhere – somewhere familiar but different, like Paris,” said bassist Irita Pai. “We have all been there several times, we have had some of our best shows there, and we all really like the city.”
She continued: “There is so much to offer – obviously, it is one of the most visited places in the world – but as an artists, it was great to soak up this energy and integrate it into the disc. Of course, we could have recorded in Los an choice. “
The title of the disc itself, a palindrome, reflects the group’s fascination for duality. “It is love and devotion,” said Sanchez. “But also on dependence, and how these feelings can become messy and reversed. It is God and the dog – it is worship and nature, it is power and submission.”
From the haunting reverbs and the cathedral to its medieval visual themes, “Dog God” does not fear the dramatic. It is intentional. “We wanted to rely on something more silent, darker,” added Pai, citing influences like Joy Division and Bauhaus. “The post-punk world was just felt this time.”
And yet, the DNA of the Witch is always entirely intact. The raw edges, the hypnotic rhythms and a spirit anchored in their first days of DIY in Los Angeles are always strong. “At the time, it was all house and small places, where the scene looked like a family,” recalls Pai. “This kind of intimacy and community – it sticks to you, even if the steps are growing.”
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It is a kind of loyalty that appears in unexpected places, including their recent clip for “The Lines”, which presents the interpreter ASL and the dancer Lark embodying the lyrics of the song through movement and expression. “We had no budget, but we had the right people who believed in vision,” said drummer Ellie English. “And that made all the difference.”
The same ethics applies to their song writing process, which the group describes as entirely collaborative. “There is no defined formula,” said Sanchez. “Sometimes it starts with a riff, sometimes a mood. It is built organically between us. ”
Even after more than a decade together, the group continues to evolve. Tour habits have changed. As well as their understanding of personal care and sustainability on the road. “We are better at rest, knowing our limits better,” said English. “And honestly, that’s what keeps us pointed in a creative way.”
While they are preparing to play hometown again, the group admits that there is always additional pressure in performance for friends and family. “You want to give them the best,” said Sanchez. “But it’s also beautiful, because they saw us grow from the start.”
When asked what kind of film Dog God could the soundtrack, Sanchez smiled and said: “It would be a French vampire film. Very bad mood. Lots of fog.”
What if she could give advice to her young person? “Save more money,” she said. “And don’t force it. Everything takes place as it is supposed to do.”
For a group that started with grain, intestine and ghostly reverberation in the underground, Dog God feels like a point of arrival – but which opens a brand new chapter. It is clear that the Witch does not hold space in rock music. They build their own world.
Originally published:
California Daily Newspapers
