The Wytches embrace analogue for debut album, ‘Annabel Dream Reader’

With frontman Kristian Bell’s love of tape recording and recording in a digital setting “not working out”, The Wytches embarked on recording their debut album in analogue at Hackney’s Toe Rag Studios. Following the lead of artists who’ve recorded there like Tame Impala, The Cribs and The White Stripes, the record sounds warm, with a rich, gritty agenda exhaling through. Done in five days, half of it was written by Kristian when he was just 17. He co-produced it with Bill Ryder-Jones, The Coral’s former guitarist, who gave them lots of tips.

‘Annabel Dream Reader’ carries nods to all their influences. When asked about who inspired them growing up, a heap of artists including Black Sabbath, Limp Bizkit, Slipknot, Bob Dylan and AFI are all thrown on the pile. Going to gigs when they were young also had an effect on their desire to be in a band. “I hated being in the audience, I just wanted to be onstage to the point where I wouldn’t enjoy a gig,” bassist Dan Rumsey admits.

On the album, tracks like ‘Digsaw’, ‘Wide At Midnight’ and ‘Robe For Juda’ all go full-pelt with lingering, moody atmospheres. Alongside them stand tracks like ‘Fragile Male’ and ‘Weights & Ties’, which plod along at a more toned down pace. Kristian sums up this balance, “I have a lot of inspiration from obnoxiously heavy music and a lot to thank from soft music, and I feel like I’m neglecting all my inspirations if it’s just the one track.”

Read more in the August issue of DIY, out Friday 8th August. Pre-order your copy here.

The Wytches’ debut album ‘Annabel Dream Reader’ will be released on 25th August via Heavenly Recordings.