From The xx’s nite-prowler rock to the poignant pub-step of producer James Blake, young British musicians have been getting quite moody lately. Now comes Brighton’s Esben and the Witch, a mirthless trio making waves with the cascading, atmospheric post-rock found on their Matador debut, Violet Cries. Guitarist/keyboardist Thomas Fisher talks to NOW in advance of the band’s CMW showcase at Wrongbar on Friday (March 11). See listing.
Discussion of your band usually involves the term “goth.” Are you comfortable with that?
Not overly. It’s a strange situation, because we don’t see our music as goth at all, a goths ourselves. Everyone seems to believe we have record collections full of Bauhaus, This Mortal Coil and Cocteau Twins, but in actual fact we discovered these bands as a result of being compared to them.
The video for Marching Song is quite violen t. How does it feel to see yourself looking beaten to a pulp?
Quite gratifying and intriguing. The only other way to see yourself in that manner would be ridiculously painful. We were really happy with how the video turned out and the reactions it’s provoked.
Your live show has a theatrical element. Was that developed over time?
It’s something we’ve always aimed for. It’s harder at some times than others, particularly since we can’t fly in our artifacts. But we still attempt to create a sense of theatre through the performance and pacing of the live set. Hopefully we achieve it.
You’re getting hyped pretty hard these days. Do you feel you have something to live up to or prove?
It’s helpful in that it means more people will listen to our music, which is fantastic, but it can distort their preconceptions. [Hype] is something we try to avoid and ignore as much as possible. There’s no way it can have a positive effect on your psyche, regardless of whether it’s praising or damning.
Is it easy to form a band in Brighton? Are there plenty of musicians around?
There are indeed lots of musicians, but that’s no guarantee that forming a band will be easy. It’s an interesting place to be in a band because of how disparate the population is. There is no real scene, just lots of different but nonetheless excellent bands.
