Witch Hats
OriginMelbourne, Australia
GenresAlternative rock, post-punk revival
Years active2004–present
LabelsIn-Fidelity Recordings
New York Night Train
Z-Man Records
Longtime Listener
Behind the Beat
MembersKris Buscombe
Ash Buscombe
Robert Wrigley
Matt Cox
Past membersDuncan Blachford
Tom Barry
WebsiteWitch Hats bandcamp

Witch Hats are a rock band based in Melbourne, Australia.

History

Formation & Wound of a Little Horse (2005 - 2007)

The band was formed in late 2005 by guitarist and vocalist Kris Buscombe with drummer Duncan Blachford, who moved to Melbourne from Tasmania to start a band.[1] Shortly after a self-titled demo CD was released, Buscombe recruited his younger brother Ash to play bass. By the time the group was prepared to release their first EP, Wound of a Little Horse produced by Phill Calvert (The Birthday Party) on In-Fidelity Recordings in 2006, Tom Barry had also joined the line-up.[2] A 7-inch single, "Before I Weigh" was released in November 2007 as a teaser for their upcoming debut, Cellulite Soul.[3]

Cellulite Soul & US Tour (2008)

Again working with Phill Calvert, Cellulite Soul was released in March 2008. Shortly after, the band embarked on a US tour with The Drones.[4] While in the US, they released the single "Hellhole" on the New York indie label New York Night Train. They filmed the video clip for their song, "Check the Center" in a desert in Arizona and recorded new material for Solarium Down the Causeway in Oakland, California.[5] Their cover of The Breeders' song "The She" was released on the compilation album Gigantic: A Tribute To Kim Deal (American Laundromat Records).[6]

Solarium Down the Causeway Era (2009 - 2010)

Upon returning to Australia, the group released a second EP, Solarium Down the Causeway in 2009. They were invited to play at the Meredith Music Festival after the US indie rock group Crocodiles cancelled their Australian tour.[7] The band contributed their song "Hellhole" to the soundtrack of Sean Byrne's Australian horror film The Loved Ones. In 2009 Blachford left the group and was replaced by Matt Cox.

Pleasure Syndrome (2011 – 2013)

In August 2011 Witch Hats released a video clip for a new song, "Hear Martin" (view here).[8][9] They also announced an October release for their sophomore LP, entitled Pleasure Syndrome, produced by US-born producer/engineer Casey Rice (Dirty Three, Tortoise).[10][11] Guitarist Tom Barry left the group shortly after the recording sessions of Pleasure Syndrome and was quickly replaced by Robert Wrigley.[12]

On 28 January 2013, a benefit concert was held for the 2013 Tasmanian bushfires relief at The Tote Hotel. The lineup included Witch Hats, the Blackchords, Monique Brumby, Tom Lyngcoln (The Nation Blue), Mike Noga (The Drones), Andy Hazel (Paradise Motel) with former AFL stars Brendon and Michael Gale and Matthew Richardson assisting with BBQ cooking duties. Over $5,500 was raised for The Red Cross Appeal.[13][14][15]

Witch Hats toured Asia for the first time in November 2013, visiting China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea.[16][17] A free collected works CD, A China Selection containing three new songs was given to patrons at shows.[18] In an interview with the online publication Shanghai 247, vocalist and primary songwriter Kris Buscombe discussed recording the band's third album, which he intends on sound engineering himself.[19]

Deliverance (2016)

Witch Hats released their third full-length album 'Deliverance' in July 2016. The album garnered a 4 star review by Guardian writer Andrew Stafford who praised its "intense blasts of modern Australia as dystopian nightmare".[20] Deliverance marked the band's first entirely self-recorded and produced record and was released on Phill Calvert's Behind the Beat Records label. Deliverance features 8 songs including the self-titled track Deliverance and the nine-minute Strange Life.

Discography

Albums

Compilations

Demos

  • Witch Hats - Independent (2005)

EPs

Singles

  • Jock the Untold - In-Fidelity Recordings (2006)
  • Before I Weigh - In-Fidelity Recordings (2008)
  • Hellhole - New York Night Train (2008)
  • Check the Center - Z-Man Records/Sony/ATV (2009)
  • Hear Martin - Longtime Listener (2011)
  • In the Mortuary - Longtime Listener (2012)
  • Deliverance - Behind the Beat (2016) [23]
  • Strange Life - Behind the Beat (2016) [24]

References

  1. ↑ GO MEMPHIS New Rock From Tasmania 15 August 2008
  2. ↑ In-Fidelity Records – Witch Hats Discography
  3. ↑ Mess + Noise Witch Hats - Before I Weigh
  4. ↑ Witch Hats Release Cellulite Soul, US Tour
  5. ↑ thevine.com.au ‘’Witch Hats Interview’’
  6. ↑ AMERICAN LAUNDROMAT RECORDS: VARIOUS ARTISTS: Gigantic: A Tribute To Kim Deal
  7. ↑ Mess + Noise Meredith ’09: “I Think I'm Going To Die” by A. H. Cayley
  8. ↑ Mess + Noise Watch: New Witch Hats 'Hear Martin'
  9. ↑ WITCH HATS ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM & SINGLE LAUNCH
  10. ↑ Mess + Noise Witch Hats Working On ‘Song Focused’ Second Album
  11. ↑ Wild Parlour - Witch Hats Pleasure us with New Album and Show 10/09/11
  12. ↑ "The Brag: Witch Hats Less Caps Locked by Greg Clennar". Archived from the original on 1 April 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  13. ↑ THE TOTE RAISE OVER $5000 FOR BUSH FIRE APPEAL 31 January 2013
  14. ↑ The Tote Raises Over $5k For Tasmanian Bushfire Appeal 31 January 2013
  15. ↑ Tasmanian Bushfire Benefit 29 January 2013
  16. ↑ Split Works Presents: Witch Hats China Tour
  17. ↑ New Noise: Buzz Kull, Witch Hats, Mere Women, Cannon
  18. ↑ Witch Hats release exclusive China record
  19. ↑ Witch Hats: Meet Melbourne's Most Psychotic Boy Band
  20. ↑ Stafford, Andrew (30 June 2016). "Witch Hats review – intense blasts of modern Australia as dystopian nightmare". The Guardian.
  21. ↑ Mess + Noise Sydney Indie Other Tongues Folds 24 August 2011
  22. ↑ 1 July 2016
  23. ↑ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Witch Hats - Deliverance. YouTube.
  24. ↑ Witch Hats - Strange Life. YouTube. Archived from the original on 10 December 2021.
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