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All Them Witches

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All Them Witches
Background information
OriginNashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres
Years active2012–present
Labels
Members
  • Charles Michael Parks Jr.
  • Ben McLeod
  • Allan Van Cleave
Past members
  • Jonathan Draper
  • Robby Staebler
Websiteallthemwitches.org

All Them Witches is an American rock band from Nashville, Tennessee. The band consists of vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Charles Michael Parks Jr., guitarist Ben McLeod and keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist Allan Van Cleave.

History

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Formation and early years (2012–2015)

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All Them Witches formed on January 6, 2012.[1] Drummer Robby Staebler, having lost all of his money, had recently sold many of his possessions and moved to Nashville from Portland, at which time he was living in his car.[2][3] The intention of the move had been for Staebler to play in another person's band; however, he left the project upon finding the other party difficult to work with.[2] Staebler had created a rough collection of eight tracks – on which he played all instruments – and, being "in love with the sound," was looking for musicians to turn that project into a band.[2]

Staebler recruited guitarist Ben McLeod after seeing him playing slide guitar at a bar.[2] The pair originally attempted creating jazz music, but abandoned this in favor of a heavier sound.[2] This was followed several months later by Staebler meeting frontman and bassist Charles Michael Parks Jr. while they were both working for "a corporate hippie store."[3][4] Parks was shown a collection of demo songs created by Staebler and McLeod, which persuaded him to join.[2]

The band's name is taken from a book of witchcraft, All of Them Witches, featured in the 1968 film Rosemary's Baby.[5][6]

The band self-released their first, self-titled four-track EP in the same year as their formation.[7] They then became the first American band to be signed to the German heavy psych record label, Elektrohasch Schallplatten.[8][4] Their debut album, Our Mother Electricity (which had previously been self-released by the band in summer 2012),[8] was released on Elektrohasch with new mastering and new artwork (by Mat Bethancourt) in February 2013.[8] Soon after came their second EP, Extra Pleasant, which was recorded with two microphones directly to a four-track cassette tape recorder.[1]

In 2013, the band's second studio album, Lightning at the Door, was self-released via their own Bandcamp page;[9] it was later marketed by Tone Tree Music.[1] Their next self-released album was the official live album At The Garage in February 2015.[10]

New West Records, (2015)

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In summer 2015, the band signed to New West Records.[11] Later in the year, they released their third studio album (and their first with New West), Dying Surfer Meets His Maker, which was recorded in six days in a remote mountainside cabin, overlooking Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.[12][13][14] The album's name was originally used by McLeod for a song in his solo project, Woodsplitter, inspired by a real-life incident where he almost died when surfing.[15]

The band's previously self-released album, Lightning at the Door, was then re-released by New West in 2016.[16] This was followed first by Live in Brussels (recorded live in Brussels, Belgium, in March 2016) in September 2016,[17] then by the band's fourth studio album, Sleeping Through the War, in February 2017.[18] Sleeping Through the War was produced by Nashville's Dave Cobb, who had worked previously with artists such as Sturgill Simpson and Chris Stapleton.[5] The album featured guest vocals from three Nashville-based female vocalists: Caitlin Rose, Erin Rae, and Tristen,[5] in addition to harmonica contributions from Mickey Raphael.[4][19]

In mid-2018, it was announced that Jonathan Draper was replacing Allan Van Cleave on keyboards. In an interview at Download Festival 2018, Parks and Staebler made clear that the change was permanent, and that Van Cleave had left the band.[20] Their next album, ATW, was released in September of that year;[21] however, the following month, Parks announced that the band would be continuing as a three-piece, without Draper.[22] ATW was produced by the band's guitarist, Ben McLeod, and mixed by producer Rob Schnapf, featuring a more simplified, naturalistic sound than their previous albums.[23][24]

The band's first music as a three-piece was the non-album single "1X1," which was released on Halloween 2019.[25] This was followed by their sixth studio album, Nothing as the Ideal, in September 2020. The album was recorded at Abbey Road Studios (in Studio Two, as previously used by The Beatles and Pink Floyd)[26] and produced by Mikey Allred, who had also produced their earlier album, Dying Surfer Meets His Maker.[27][28] In mid-August, shortly before the album's release, a video was released for the track "The Children of Coyote Woman." The video was directed by Staebler and starred himself alongside professional skateboarder Evan Smith.[29] Metal Hammer named Nothing as the Ideal as the 46th best metal album of 2020.[30]

In April 2021, the band announced via Facebook and Twitter that Van Cleave had rejoined the band as its keyboard player.[31] Their first new release following Van Cleave's return was a cover of "Black Snake" by John Lee Hooker in January 2022.[32] When announcing this new track, the band confirmed that it would be the first of a "Baker's Dozen" of tracks, which would be released on a monthly basis throughout 2022, along with one extra, for a total of 13.[32] In March 2022, the band released digital audio and CD versions of their Live on the Internet livestream show, which had originally been broadcast in 2020 and made available on vinyl for Record Store Day in 2021.[33][34]

Departure of Robby Staebler (2024)

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In late April of 2024, drummer and founding member Robby Staebler announced his departure from the group to focus on other projects.[35] [36]

Musical style and influences

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The band's musical style incorporates elements from multiple genres, such as hard rock,[37][38] stoner rock,[39][40][25] psychedelia,[40][25][41][42] neo-psychedelia,[38][39][43] blues,[25][41][38][42] folk,[14][43] and southern rock;[44] however, Julian Marszalek of The Quietus noted that:

"...this isn't blues of the "woke-up-this-morning" variety but one of malaise, anxiety and fear brought on a by [sic] world seemingly dead set on destruction; nor is this an escapist variant of psychedelia wherein one form of reality is jettisoned in favour of another for reasons of cheap thrills."[42]

Nick Pipitone of Monster Riff described how the band are "influenced just as much by Dr. John and Mississippi bluesman Junior Kimbrough as they are by Black Sabbath and progressive metal" and that their music can "venture from bluesy riffs and folk tales to spacey neo-psychedelic to punishing doom rock."[39] Similarly, Rob Hughes of Classic Rock Magazine noted how "[All Them Witches are] as likely to create boiling riptides of bluesy psychedelia as they are pools of mystic folk and doomy ambience."[14]

Vocalist and bassist Charles Michael Parks Jr., who is also the band's lyricist,[45] has described international folk music as one of his biggest influences, and cited Pink Floyd, Grateful Dead, the Allman Brothers, early Fleetwood Mac, and Roy Buchanan as artists of which all band members are fans.[46] Guitarist Ben McLeod additionally cites Jerry Garcia and The Doors as significant influences, beginning in his childhood.[47] Drummer Robby Stabler cites Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Miles Davis, Sun Ra, Santana, Neil Young, and Nick Drake.[2]

All Them Witches are commonly compared with Black Sabbath;[39][46][48] however, Parks has described this as misleading, because none of the band members listen to Sabbath.[46] Other groups against which the band have been compared include Kyuss,[45][38][44][48] Blue Cheer,[49][50][51] Tool,[38][52] Queens of the Stone Age,[45][48] Pink Floyd,[49][52][19] and Led Zeppelin.[51][4][24]

Band members

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Current members

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  • Charles Michael Parks Jr. – bass, vocals (2012–present)[31]
  • Ben McLeod – guitar, vocals (2012–present)[31]
  • Allan Van Cleave – Rhodes piano, keyboards, violin (2012–2018, 2021–present)[31]
  • Christian Powers – drums (2024) [36]

Former members

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  • Jonathan Draper – keyboards (2018)[20][22]
  • Robby Staebler – drums, vocals (2012–2024)

Discography

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Studio albums

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Live albums

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  • At the Garage (2015)
  • Live in Brussels (2016)
  • Live on the Internet (vinyl 2021, CD & digital 2021)

Extended plays

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  • All Them Witches (2012)
  • Extra Pleasant (2013)
  • Effervescent (2014)
  • A Sweet Release (2015)
  • Lost and Found (2018)

Non-album singles

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  • "Ever Present" (2013)
  • "Born Under a Bad Sign" (2013) – cover of the 1967 single by Albert King[53]
  • "George "Dubya" Kush" (2014)
  • "Voodoo Chile" (2015) – cover of the 1968 album track by Jimi Hendrix[54]
  • "Under Pressure" (2016) – cover of the 1981 single by Queen and David Bowie[55]
  • "Go and Seek" (2017) – from Sounds of Lynchburg (where the band traveled to Lynchburg, Tennessee, home of Jack Daniel's whiskey, for inspiration)[56][57]
  • "1x1" (2019)
  • "Baker's Dozen" project - thirteen individual singles released in twelve months throughout 2022
    • "Blacksnake Blues" (2022) – cover of "Black Snake" by John Lee Hooker[32]
    • "Fall Into Place" (2022)
    • "Silver to Rust" (2022)
    • "Slow City" (2022) – cover of the 2000 album track by Pharaoh Overlord[58]
    • "Acid Face" (2022)
    • "L'Hotel Serein" (2022)
    • "6969 WXL THE CAGE" (2022)
    • "Tiger's Pit" (2022)
    • "Tour Death Song" (2022)
    • "Holding Your Breath Across the River" (2022)
    • "Hush, I'm on TV" (2022)
    • "Mama Is a Shining Star" (2022)
    • "Real Hippies are Cowboys" (2022)

References

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  1. ^ a b c Jurek, Thom. "All Them Witches | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "An interview with Robby Staebler (All Them Witches)". Psychic Garden. March 8, 2021. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  3. ^ a b Alleva, Dan (March 20, 2019). "Having a Ball with All Them Witches". The Aquarian Weekly. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d Dhillon, Achal (July 27, 2017). "Nashville's All Them Witches are a dark blues force to be reckoned with". Metro. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  5. ^ a b c DeMain, Bill (February 27, 2017). "Six things you need to know about All Them Witches". Classic Rock Magazine. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
  6. ^ Guiley, Rosemary; Zaffis, John (2009). The Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology. Infobase Publishing. p. 214. ISBN 978-0-8160-7314-6.
  7. ^ "All Them Witches - All Them Witches EP". Discogs. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  8. ^ a b c Goodman, Bill (February 21, 2013). "REVIEW: All Them Witches, Our Mother Electricity". The Obelisk. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  9. ^ "REVIEW: All Them Witches, Lightning at the Door". The Obelisk. September 25, 2014. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  10. ^ "ALL THEM WITCHES to Release 'At the Garage' Feb. 10". The Obelisk. February 3, 2015. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
  11. ^ "All Them Witches Sign to New West Records; New Album Due this Fall". The Obelisk. June 18, 2015. Retrieved February 26, 2018.
  12. ^ "All Them Witches: Dying Surfer Meets his Maker « American Songwriter". American Songwriter. November 6, 2015. Archived from the original on July 6, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
  13. ^ Lewis, Richard (October 30, 2015). "All Them Witches – Dying Surfer Meets His Maker (New West Records)". Bearded Magazine. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  14. ^ a b c Hughes, Rob (February 19, 2016). "High Hopes: All Them Witches – Psychedelic jams and wizard tales". Classic Rock Magazine. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  15. ^ Lewis, Richard (March 4, 2016). "Interview: All Them Witches". Bearded Magazine. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  16. ^ Koczan, JJ (January 28, 2016). "All Them Witches Post Lost Jam "Surface to Air Whistle"; Reissuing Lightning at the Door". The Obelisk.
  17. ^ "All Them Witches "Live In Brussels" als gratis Live-Album veröffentlicht". ROCK HARD (in German). September 21, 2016. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
  18. ^ Bill, DeMain (February 27, 2017). "Six things you need to know about All Them Witches". Classic Rock Magazine. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
  19. ^ a b Horowitz, Hal (February 23, 2017). "All Them Witches: Sleeping Through The War". American Songwriter. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  20. ^ a b Cook, Lottie (July 5, 2018). "INTERVIEW: All Them Witches (10/06/2018)". Dead Press. Archived from the original on September 29, 2020. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  21. ^ "Here's the Bio I Wrote for ALL THEM WITCHES' New Album 'ATW'". The Obelisk. August 1, 2018. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
  22. ^ a b "ALL THEM WITCHES Announce Lineup Change; Band to Continue as Trio". The Obelisk. October 29, 2018. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  23. ^ "ALBUM REVIEW: All Them Witches, ATW". The Obelisk. September 18, 2018. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  24. ^ a b Carr, Paul (October 10, 2018). "All Them Witches Go Back to Basics on 'ATW'". PopMatters. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
  25. ^ a b c d Armstrong, Chuck (October 31, 2019). "All Them Witches premiere heavy new song "1X1": Stream". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
  26. ^ "ALL THEM WITCHES RETURN WITH NOTHING AS THE IDEAL SEPTEMBER 4th, 2020 VIA NEW WEST RECORDS". Red Light Management. June 6, 2020. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
  27. ^ Lanham, Tom (September 3, 2020). "All Them Witches on Crafting Psych-Rock at Abbey Road". Spin. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  28. ^ "ALBUM REVIEW: All Them Witches, Nothing as the Ideal". The Obelisk. September 3, 2020. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
  29. ^ March, Kim (August 12, 2020). "All Them Witches Revisit the Founding of Rome in "The Children of Coyote Woman" Video". FLOOD. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
  30. ^ "The 50 best metal albums of 2020". Metal Hammer. Future plc. January 8, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  31. ^ a b c d "ALL THEM WITCHES Announce Return of Allan Van Cleave & Live 3LP". The Obelisk. April 11, 2021. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  32. ^ a b c Glass, Polly; Lewry, Fraser (January 31, 2022). "Tracks of the Week: new music from Dorothy, All Them Witches and more". LouderSound. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  33. ^ Kennelty, Greg (March 18, 2022). "ALL THEM WITCHES Streams Crunchy Live Version Of "Enemy Of My Enemy"". Metal Injection. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
  34. ^ Daly, Rhian (September 15, 2021). "Lana Del Rey, U2 and more lead Record Store Day Black Friday releases". NME. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
  35. ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved April 24, 2024.
  36. ^ a b "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
  37. ^ "All Them Witches". NPR Music. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  38. ^ a b c d e Damara Kelly, Tyler (September 2, 2020). "All Them Witches prove themselves inimitable and extraordinary on Nothing As The Ideal". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  39. ^ a b c d Pipitone, Nick (September 9, 2020). "All Them Witches: Nothing as the Ideal Album Review". Monster Riff. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  40. ^ a b Wasylak, Victoria (March 10, 2017). "Southern Sorcery: All Them Witches share their stoner-psych this weekend at The Sinclair - Vanyaland". Vanyaland. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  41. ^ a b "Interview: The Powerful and Patient Psychedelia of All Them Witches in Less Than Ideal Times". New Noise Magazine. September 8, 2020. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  42. ^ a b c Marszalek, Julian (March 9, 2017). "Reviews | All Them Witches: Sleeping Through the War". The Quietus. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  43. ^ a b Grech, Aaron (August 12, 2020). "All Them Witches Continue to Hone a Heavy Classic Rock Sound in New Video for "The Children of Coyote Woman" -". mxdwn Music. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  44. ^ a b Nuttall, Luke (September 26, 2018). "ALBUM REVIEW: 'ATW' by All Them Witches". The Soundboard. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  45. ^ a b c Damara Kelly, Tyler (October 2, 2018). "Interview: All Them Witches talk about improvisation on their latest album 'ATW'". When The Horn Blows. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  46. ^ a b c Baker, Brian (April 19, 2017). "All Them Witches: Gray Sabbath". Magnet Magazine. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  47. ^ Von Bader, David (March 16, 2016). "Spellbinders: Ben McLeod and Charles Michael Parks, Jr. of All Them Witches". Premier Guitar. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  48. ^ a b c Leach, Max (September 29, 2018). "Review: All Them Witches encapsulates band's capabilities as a whole on 'ATW'". Sidelines. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  49. ^ a b Welding, Alan D. (November 21, 2019). "All Them Witches Premiere "1X1" Video Ft. Drea de Matteo Today – On Tour With Ghost – 2020 Dates". Pittsburgh Music Magazine. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  50. ^ Moffitt, Casey (February 10, 2015). "All Them Witches Bring Magical Brew To Empty Bottle". The Chicagoist. Archived from the original on August 15, 2020. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  51. ^ a b "16.10. ALL THEM WITCHES / THE GREAT MACHINE". Roadtrip to Outta Space. September 27, 2016. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  52. ^ a b Donohue, Shawn (September 4, 2020). "All Them Witches Riff Up its Grimy Psych at Abbey Road Studio via 'Nothing as the Ideal' (Album Review)". Glide Magazine. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
  53. ^ "All Them Witches Release Free Cover of "Born under a Bad Sign"". The Obelisk. September 4, 2013. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
  54. ^ "ELECTRIC LADYLAND REDUX Preorders Now Available". The Obelisk. February 16, 2015. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
  55. ^ Koczan, JJ (January 13, 2016). "All Them Witches Post "Under Pressure" Cover; Tour Starts Tonight". The Obelisk. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
  56. ^ Sterling, Scott T. (October 19, 2017). "Home Again: All Them Witches 'Go and Seek' the Heartbeat of Jack Daniel's". Billboard. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
  57. ^ Sterling, Scott T. (October 18, 2017). "The Jack Daniel's Experience: All Them Witches See the Light in Lynchburg". Spin. Retrieved September 6, 2020.
  58. ^ Alleva, Dan (April 30, 2022). "ALL THEM WITCHES Release New Single & Video "Slow City"". Metal Injection. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
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