Interview with... Witch Hunt

Leeds doom-pop duo Witch Hunt have been enchanting audiences across the land recently supporting the likes of Wolf Alice, Michael Kiwanuka and Veronica Falls. I was lucky enough to catch Chris and Louisa before their show at the Nation of Shopkeepers, where we talked about breakfast cereal, dream band line-ups and the state of rude health the Leeds music scene is currently experiencing.

Please could you tell us a little bit about yourselves for anyone who hasn’t heard of Witch Hunt before?

Chris: We were actually at uni together, but we didn’t actually speak during our time there. We first got chatting at a gig I was playing at, as I’d seen her (Louisa) around a few times playing acoustically. Louisa was actually looking for a guitarist for another band, but that slowly fizzled out and we became Witch Hunt. We’re a bit like the Dead Weather, The Kills, PJ Harvey and Queens of the Stone Age put together.

What’s behind the bands sound and how did you come to it?

Louisa: It’s taken up until now to develop the sound that we want to have. We’ve expanded out from acoustic gigs that we started out at, with two acoustic guitars and two vocals, to having a mini electronic drum machine behind us and a spectrum of effects pedals, which gives us a fuller kind of sound.
Chris: We did have a four-piece band and it wasn’t really sounding that special. But we ended up doing a two-piece gig supporting Michael Kiwanuka, which we sort of worked out on the day but it worked. So we thought ‘let’s try and do this for a while’ and then it turned into how can we make it as loud as the White Stripes!

Would you ever consider ditching the drum machine and adding a live drummer?

Chris: We’ve thought about it and we’d like to get a drummer for special occasions.
Louisa: Yeah like a guest drummer, but I think for now we work well together and we work well with just bouncing round our own ideas.
Chris: I think it would have to be something more than one person and a drum kit, because then we’re back to ‘the band’ idea. I think we would want to have some type of set up that still sounds like what we already do on our backing track.

What’s been your favourite gig that you’ve played so far?

Chris: Thomas Truax!
Louisa: Yeah that was really good!
Chris: Because that was when we realised what we were and what we really could be. I think we have a bit of Thomas Truaxs’ craziness in us. He makes his own instruments and does lots of live looping, which I love because it’s so creative. It was just a pleasure to play with him.
Louisa: My favourite was playing in a White Stripes cover band with Chris at the Brudenell for New Years. I got to brush the drums!

Where did your band name come from? (It’s quite scary!)

Louisa: I don’t even know where it came from. We were in this situation where I was forced to come up with something for a university project I was doing. I was sat in the kitchen with my housemate and we were just brainstorming stupid ideas when he just said “Witch Hunt” and we were like “ooh that’s nice!”

You released debut single ‘Chairman’ in December of last year, can we expect any more releases in the near future?

Chris: We are going to release a single called ‘Crawl’ in April but we’re not sure of the exact date yet. They’ll be another video to go with it and of course a download and all that kind of stuff.
Louisa: They’ll be more live videos up soon as well!

The Leeds music ‘scene’ is getting a lot of positive press lately, what are your thoughts about it?

Chris: We know a lot of people who have started new things like a band or record label and with the ‘why not?’ attitude which is brilliant and people are really supporting that sought of thing at the moment.
Louisa: There’s lot’s of good venues aswell which helps.

Who would be in your dream band line-up and why?

Louisa: It would be… Jack White hopping between piano and guitar. He’d do a bit of singing like he does with Alison in The Dead Weather. Thom Yorke is strictly on rhythm guitar and backing vocals only. PJ Harvey would be on Harpsichord with Jenny from Warpaint on bass. Meg White is on drums and Josh Homme would be on lead vocals. I’ve thought about it so much!

I thought we should finish on a quick game. It’s just going to be a quickfire round of questions and you can only reply with a one-word answer.

What is your favourite song?

Louisa: What is that song by PJ Harvey and Thom Yorke? (Starts singing to herself) Oh what is that song called!?
Chris: Last Goodbye by Jeff Buckley

Who is your favourite rapper?

Unanimously: Jack White!

What is your favourite holiday destination?

Louisa: Paris
Chris: Berlin

What is your favourite breakfast cereal?

Chris: Frosties
Louisa: Sainsbury’s own-brand granola with strawberries!

Who is your favourite Dragon from Dragon’s Den?

Louisa: Debora Meaden.
Chris: Err… the one on the end who’s nice?
Louisa: Theo?
Chris: No… Duncan Bannatyne!
Louisa: Ohh I should of said the one with the big lips, she’s funny.

Interviewed by - Joe Woods

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