For over a decade, L.A. Witch have carved out their own corner of rock ‘n’ roll’s shadowy underworld. What started as a low-key, after-hours project between friends in Los Angeles has now grown into something much more potent: a band whose sound is soaked in reverb, grit, and a defiant sense of cool that can’t be faked. From their raw, no-frills debut to the fiery urgency of Play With Fire, L.A. Witch have always made music that sounds like it’s been dragged through desert dust and lit by flickering neon.
Now, with their third album DOGGOD, they’ve stepped beyond the familiar. Written in Paris and recorded at Motorbass Studio, the record feels heavier, weirder, and more expansive—both sonically and spiritually. The title flips “DOG” and “GOD” into a mirror image, reflecting themes of devotion, submission, and love’s darker undercurrents. It’s L.A. Witch at their boldest: experimenting with tone and texture, unafraid to explore vulnerability, cosmic chaos, and everything in between.
We caught up with Sade Sanchez and Ellie English to talk about the moments that shaped their musical lives, the evolution of their creative process, and what it means to stay true to yourself when the world starts paying attention.
What was your earliest memory of falling in love with music?
ELLIE: “I grew up watching my dad play in bands so, that’s where I really developed a love for music and live performance.”
SADE: “I had music around me my whole life as my parents loved music but there were a few particular moments I recall falling in love with music. One is when I was a kid, listening to the radio and having little dance parties with my brother and sister in the garage. Two, watching Fantasia. And three, discovering MTV. “
What artists are you inspired by? And any you’d like to have a collab with?
SADE: “Musically, I’m inspired by way too many that I couldn’t fully list. But off the top of my head, JAMC, the Cramps, MBV, RIkk Agnew, Skinny Puppy, The Wipers, Joy Division, Birthday Party, PIL, Spacemen 3, Tones on Tail, Cabaret Voltaire, The Fall, Front 242, Death in June, Big Black, Interpol, Nine Inch Nails, Chris and Cosey, Black Sabbath, The Stones … I mean, the list is really endless. I would’ve liked to collab with Steve Albini or someone really different in terms of genre. Like Johnny Cash woulda been so cool to collab with or Aphex Twin!”
How has your creative process evolved since the debut album?
SADE: “I don’t really know. I definitely feel a bit more disciplined in my work ethic. Maybe it’s because I’ve allowed myself to be more devoted to music. Not having a full time job that takes away from creating.”
What song on the new record felt the most personal or challenging to finish?
ELLIE: “I really loved ‘777’ because there were a lot of different avenues of exploration I got to try with the drums. Going more simple ended up the best route for the song overall but it was fun to try different things out. For ‘The Lines’, I got to experiment with faster heavier drumming. I also really enjoyed experimenting in ‘Eyes of Love’ and the changes from some spacy beats to more direct straightforward beats.
SADE: “They’re all personal cos we wrote them all. Especially lyrics. That’s really personal. I wrote all the lyrics and that can feel super vulnerable to share or talk about. I had a hard time with ‘SOS’. I think I was just second-guessing my guitar parts but I’m really happy with how it turned out. “
What song in this album were you the most excited for fans to hear?
SADE: SOS, Kiss Me Deep, Lost At Sea…. all of them i guess.
Any cities or countries that especially surprised you with the crowd energy?
Any cities or countries that especially surprised you with the crowd energy?
SADE: I was super surprised with New Orleans, only because we haven’t really gotten to play there too often. The last show at gasa gasa gasa was so fun. It’s also one of my favorite cities that I’ve gotten to visit.
What’s the weirdest or most memorable moment you’ve had on tour?
SADE: “Uhhh. Sleeping in the green room of a venue in the middle of nowhere in the U.S. because our van broke down was pretty weird I guess. Sleeping in yurt. Sleeping on people’s floors who you just met. Sleeping in an old psych ward. Sleeping in closets… Honestly, it’s all kinda weird. Every day is kinda weird on tour which also means nothing is weird anymore. One of my favorite memories is our show in Cape Town. The show was wonderful.”
How important is visual identity in your music videos or just as a band in general?
SADE: “I think it’s pretty important. I mean, it’s another dimension to your music. It’s another way to narrate the story you wanna tell. Why spend all this time writing music and then package it in something ugly? Btw – ugly can be cool too. I mean you should care.You know? I think we really care.”
You’ve been a band for over a decade — what’s been the biggest lesson you’ve learned creatively or personally?
SADE: “Oh, I don’t know if I’m the best for this kinda thing. I just try to focus on me and doing what I love and making myself happy and healthy. I support other creatives and the people I love. Simple.”
If you could score a film, what kind of story would you want your music to accompany?
ELLIE: “I picture something scary with lots of cool visuals.”
SADE: “I would obviously choose a horror or sci-fi film. Those are my two favorite film genres and I’ve discovered a lot of cool music through soundtracks like John Carpenter, Nino Rota, Riz Ortolani, Goblin, Alain Goraguer and Jerry Goldsmith. It’s actually something I’d like to eventually do. I did a score for a short student film for La Femis in Paris. Hopefully I can do more of that in the future.”
What are you excited about next — tours, collaborations, or maybe unexpected experiments
ELLIE: “I’m looking forward to playing in Ireland for the first time!”
SADE: “I’m excited to come back to Europe. I’m excited to play Dublin for the first time. I’m excited for some collabs I have in the works and some coming out soon. And I’m excited to write new music and always excited about new gear.”
If you/your music was a colour, what colour would it/you be?
ELLIE: “The first color that comes to mind is purple”
SADE: “Eh… blue?”
What song can you recommend for the Karma! playlist?
ELLIE: ‘777’ & ‘The Lines’!
SADE: ‘SOS’
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