Esben and the Witch

Expansive Primal Goth-Punk - United Kingdom

Esben and the Witch Band

Three-piece ESBEN AND THE WITCH have methodically strode their own path; a route which has enabled them to be inventively collaborative, stealthily prolific and fiercely independent. If anything, the band’s fifth record ‘Nowhere’, testifies to that and simultaneously celebrates the tenth anniversary of ESBEN AND THE WITCH.

It’s been ten years since guitarist Thomas Fisher and drummer Caniel Copeman crossed paths and teamed up to write music. After a number of failed auditions for a vocalist, Fisher had a fated meeting with long time friend Rachel Davies. Davies turned out to be the missing piece to complete the newly founded “Esben and the Witch”, named after the foreboding Danish fairytale

The self-released ’33 EP’ (2009) and a 7″ single entitled ‘Lucia, at the Precipice’ (2010) created a buzz that resulted in a first record deal for the band. With the single ‘Marching Song’ (2010), ESBEN AND THE WITCH heralded their debut full-length ‘Violet Cries’, a Gothic post-rock nightmare that hit the stores in January 2011. The album was immediately picked up by critics and fans alike, managing to climb to #13 in the UK Indie Chart.

2012 saw the trio commence work on their sophomore album ‘Wash the Sins Not Only the Face’ which was released in early 2013 and again scored critical praise. ESBEN AND THE WITCH decided to take matters into their own hands and published third full-length ‘A New Nature’ (2014) on their own imprint, ‘Nostromo Records’.

In 2016, the band signed to Season of Mist, releasing fourth opus ‘Older Terrors’ later that year. The record marked a point in the career of ESBEN AND THE WITCH on which the trio’s songwriting crystallized into a mix of beauty, emotion, and musical depth. The musicians established their reputation as a masterful live act once more, ultimately recording and releasing their impressive set at Roadburn Festival 2017 as a live album.

Whilst maturing, experimenting and finetuning their sound, the three-piece is now back with their latest full-length, ‘Nowhere’. With haunting, tranquil passages, a primal fierceness expressed in punk-influenced, distorted riffs and the alluring voice of vocalist Rachel, the extremities of beauty, noise and power have been tested over the past decade. We invite you to hear its manifestation on ‘Nowhere’.

Line-up:

  • Rachel Davies : Vocals, bass
  • Thomas Fisher : Guitar
  • Daniel Copeman : Drums & electronics

This band is no longer active on Season of Mist.

Posted on November 27, 2018

ESBEN AND THE WITCH have kicked off their European tour tomorrow. During the first leg of the tour, the three piece will play shows in Belgium, the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Italy and Germany. At the start of 2019, the tour continues with several more shows in Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Austria and Poland.

Posted on October 30, 2018

ESBEN AND THE WITCH are premiering their new video for the song “Golden Purifier” via Prog Magazine (UK). The track is taken from their upcoming album ‘Nowhere’, which will be released on November 16th via Season of Mist.

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