INTERVIEW: WITCHY WONDERLAND WITH L.A. WITCH
For this Holiday 16, OBEY Women’s teamed up with girl band L.A. Witch for a special lookbook, shot by OBEY homie and Slow Culture gallery partner, Steve Lee. Fill your heart with festive cheer with this interview we did with the witchy women.
TELL US WHERE YOU ALL ARE FROM.
IRITA: LA born and raised
ELLIE: I grew up in the Valley. We all pretty much live in LA now.
SADE: I grew up in the Valley. Currently living in Silverlake for the past 4 years.
HOW LONG HAS LA WITCH BEEN AROUND?
SADE: We started the band about 4 years ago.
WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE NAME LA WITCH? ASIDE FROM THE LA PART, WE’RE NOT THAT DUMB.
SADE: I guess the name is drawn up from our darker influences. I thought “WITCH” was a good way to hint we could be powerful women, whether that be good or evil.
WHAT’S THE CURRENT STATE OF THE BAND, WHA† ARE YOU UP TO THESE DAYS?
IRITA: We’re in a van on our way to London. It’s our first European tour and we’re playing an extra show in London since our last one sold out.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC?
SADE: Dark and Fuzzy.
IF YOU COULD CHANNEL YOURSELF INTO ANY ARTIST/CHARACTER IN THE WORLD (OR IN THE GROUND CAUSE THEY DEAD), WHO WOULD BE YOUR “SPIRIT ANIMAL” & WHY?
IRITA: Nan Goldin. I was introduced to her work at the Centre Georges Pompidou modern art museum in Paris years ago, and I think it’s absolutely perfect.
SADE: Currently obsessed with Joe Roberts. He’s a mixed media artist similar to Basquiat (whom I also love), but uses a lot of characters from childhood, if you grew up in the 80’s/90’s like I did. The little Mickey Mouse from Fantasia or ninja turtles, happy faces and yin yangs everywhere. It’s colorful and psychedelic and it has no limits, which I like. It also makes me nostalgic for my childhood.
ALTERNATE UNIVERSE MOMENT- CREATE THE ULTIMATE LINEUP TO PLAY A SHOW WITH YOU LADIES, WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE?
ELLIE: Black Sabbath.
IRITA: The Gun Club, The Cramps, The Stooges and Joy Division.
SADE: The Gun Club, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Nirvana, Rowland S. Howard, any band Nick Cave was ever in, Joy Division, Spacemen 3, The Cramps or the Velvet Underground.
WE’RE WORKING ON THIS CONCEPT OF A WITCHY WONDERLAND, WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE?
IRITA: Tim Burton’s Gotham City in Batman Returns.
SADE: It would look like the forest in the movie Legend. Except everything would be black.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY RITUALZ?
ELLIE: I love making costumes for Halloween.
IRITA: Mulled wine and Home Alone marathons.
SADE: Wear layers and layers of clothes, have a fire, drink lots of hot chocolate outta my favorite mug and watch the Nutcracker or Charlie Brown Christmas probably Home Alone too.
TECHNICALLY THIS IS A RELIGIOUS BIRTHDAY, IF YOU THREW A PARTY FOR JC (YES, JESUS.) WHA† DOES THAT LOOK LIKE?
ELLIE: I guess we’d have a lot of wine… maybe play Halo.
IRITA: Exactly like The Last Supper, but with a shit ton of weed.
ANY PARTICULAR GIFTS YOU WANT FOR THE HOLIDAYS?
IRITA: Bernie Sanders for president.
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Happy Holidays, y’all.