Margarita Witch Cult: Strung Out On Riffs
Riffs form the keystone of the towering arch of heavy music. Enabling the genre to stand tall and lock together all the other elements into a unified force. Since heavy music’s inception and all the myriad sub-genre off shoots since, a strong riff can help bring an identity to a band. This is certainly true of trio MARGARITA WITCH CULT.
Hailing from the spiritual home city of heavy metal, the Birmingham three-piece make no secret of their love of the riff laden approach to music. At a time when there are numerous bands aligning themselves with a BLACK SABBATH like delivery, there is a need to curate an individuality in order to avoid getting lost in the herd. As Scott Vincent [guitars/vocals], puts it “upon arriving in Birmingham, I just assumed that every band was going to sound like BLACK SABBATH!” To his subsequent surprise this at wasn’t the case, but there was something organic about the coming together of the trio and that chemistry is what appears to help elevate them above peers.
Rather than setting out with the set goal of creating a riff driven, groove inducing stoner doom band and then falling down when the creative process doesn’t fit that boundary. They allow a greater creative freedom to their writing. As bassist Jim Thing alludes to, “initially the first album was already formulated by Scott. Throughout COVID, him and George [Casual, drums] had got a lot of ideas together. So, there was input arraignment wise, but it was largely following his lead. Album two however was a bit more democratic. I was able to write some riffs, bring more to the table.”
The chemistry between the three musicians is palpable. They’re comfortable talking about their individual input, but at any given opportunity they will champion the other members of the band. As Scott opines off the back the democratic nature of writing the second album. “A lot of it came out of jamming, and George, is a phenomenal drummer. The first time I heard him; he blew my mind. Everyone brings their own style and flare. It’s an absolute joy.”
When it comes to growth, MARGARITA WITCH CULT have definitely found their groove. The new album, Strung Out In Hell, has built on the wonderful introduction of the self-titled debut. One of things Scott attributes to this is “we know more about each other. We know how the others are going to play and react when one of us writes something like a particular middle eight, pre-empting each other.”
Jim adds more to this idea, “the new album is like the first but, more! We were able to look at each and kind of dare ourselves to push, to go a bit heavier at certain points.” For those that have heard the new album and the debut, these factors of development are very apparent, as is the unafraid approach of trying elements that could be considered out the box. Commenting on this, Jim explains how Scott came up with the idea of using brass. “He approached us and said I want to try this on The Fool. I’m not sure if it’s gonna work but it could really add something.” With a grin, Jim concludes “…and it absolutely did work, it sounds great.” With this we can understand that another part of the key makeup of MARGARITA WITCH CULT is that they’re not afraid to take a stylistic risk or push their genre boundaries. To do so on the second album is commendable as they’ve been able to feel fully comfortable in their identity but are seeking to provide more.
While they’re a trio and each musician dedicates an individual performance to the collective. The undeniable powerhouse lies with the drumkit. As Jim attests “he writes some incredible catchy hook parts, which are incredibly memorable. Which can sometimes shoot him in the foot.”
Continuing with a laugh, “he has to get it right live and if there is a slight variation I pick him up on it!” The live performances are where MARGARITA WITCH CULT really let their combined energy ignite. Taking command of whatever stage they find themselves on and locking in. George reflects that as a drummer he picks up on different aspects for his playing. “I take cues from the vocal lines. Me and Jim are such a locked in rhythm section, it allows us to work with the melody better. We can go four to the floor granted but we’re picking up on the hooks rather than the set rhythm.” Going on to state, “we think as three. How would all three of us lead up to a chorus. It’s not formulaic, not strict four-four but groove.” This gives space for the music to reach a wider audience, unlocking that primal response to catchy melodies and irresistible rhythms. It’s becoming a greater signature of the band as they deliver more music.
They’re not a band to take themselves too seriously wither. Fun and entertainment are at the forefront of what they do. Not just for themselves but their audiences too. “Wherever possible we exit the stage to Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” Laughs Scott. “Dancing at doom shows is the coolest thing.” He’s right of course. The music of doom metal and associated genres is often, by its very nature, gloomy. The music and lyrical content can be cathartic but can also be smothering and is not often tied with light relief. Many contemporary artists can take it and themselves too seriously. Yet the audiences are there for an entertainment factor and this can be forgotten. As a band however, MARGARITA WITCH CULT are keen to dispel this. They collectively make references to a previous comment of “spooky doom party” and “sexy murder metal”. The grins are broad and the laughs genuine when it comes to discussing these attributes.
As Jim is happy to summarise, “melody is king, that’s where we’re at, not heavy in an overly gruesome way. Heavy, but wanting to put a smile on your face. This has led to having a diverse crowd at our gigs.” Going further with the aspect of wanting to entertain he continues. “in the smaller, local scenes, you don’t see a lot of bombastic rock bands. There’s lots of different bands but no one to just blow your tits off. So, where we were able to hit the stage in the first instance almost fully formed it took people by pleasant surprise.”
Strung Out In Hell is out now via Heavy Psych Sounds. View this interview, alongside dozens of other killer bands, in glorious print magazine fashion in DS123 here:
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