Witches set to cast their musical spell at Glenfarg

Feb 26 2008

AWARD winners Waking The Witch (right) expect to be at their seductive best in Perthshire this weekend - but are keeping the fluffy towels and hot water on stand-by!

The Leeds girl group’s Patsy Matheson told Music Scene that bandmate Becky Mills is expected to join the four-piece for their double-date at the Glenfarg Hotel, despite being heavily pregnant.

Waking The Witch, whose ‘Boys From the Abattoir’ landed the runners-up prize in this year’s Classic Rock Society best album awards, recently announced they’ll be calling it a day after their latest UK tour – and are determined to go out in style.

“Bex is having to play sitting down, which is quite unusual,” said Patsy yesterday.

“She plays guitar with her arms outstretched and is doing a sterling job.She should really be at home with her feet up! I don’t know how she manages to sing, I certainly couldn’t when I was pregnant.”

Patsy said CRS recognition for last year’s lush studio outing meant more to the band than receiving the top folk/roots performer award from the same people for the second year running.

“We were particularly delighted that ‘Boys’ got nominated because it’s not a rock album,” she declared.

“The album was recognised by people who aren’t normally roots or folk fans, so we were jumping for joy.”

The Witches were also invited to put the LP forward for possible Mercury Music Prize recognition, vindicating the hard work put in by the four since forming five years ago.

Each member takes a hand in songwriting duties, but as Patsy explained, quality control is always carefully exercised.

“We were all solo singer / songwriters before coming together,” she said. “So the best 10 or 11 songs get picked for albums, irrespective of who has written them.

“It’s nice to have so many to choose from. Bex lives next door to me so for the last album we did some writing together. Before, the writing was done in complete isolation from each other. Now we sit round and have a wee dram and out pops a song!

“It’s a shame we didn’t get the opportunity to do more of that but we’ll write together again at some stage. “With two writers you tend to get a better result.”

Patsy said the presence of former Big Country guitarist Bruce Watson on the track ‘Me Leaving Me’ delighted the band.

“We said we really needed a great big Bruce Watson-esque solo on it and we rang him up,” she said.

“He said he’d do it if we made him a curry! He put lots of great guitar pieces down during half a day in the studio.

“He has a really distinctive style and delivered a rousing performance. We’re particularly proud of it and he was so pleased as well.”

Patsy was equally full of praise for the work of Kaiser Chiefs producer Dave Creffield on ‘Boys’.

“Dave has a fantastic understanding of string arrangements and we were desperate to work with him,” she said.

“He was in Sisters Of Mercy but can move across genres so easily and we nabbed a few production ideas from Simon & Garfunkel’s sixties albums.

“He’s also a great people manager, which he needed to be working with four girls!”

The band’s listening tastes are as diverse as you’d expect, ranging from classic singer / songwriters like Maria McKee, Kate Bush, John Martyn, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell to Keane, Arctic Monkeys and The Jam.

Other favourites include Justin Currie, early Rod Stewart albums - “he’s ace”, said Patsy - and new folk artists such as John Redfearn.

The Witches were all friends before starting out, and according to Patsy have become even closer through working together.

“It would be very glamorous to say we’ve had this great big fall-out, like The Beatles, but we’ve not,” she insisted.

“We’ve just done as much as we think the four of us can do together. All three albums are on our own label, which makes me proud, but it has been a learning curve.

“It’s our own label, no one else is involved, and you can go into all the major stores and find our work.

“The major benefit has been we’ve had complete control. If we’d been on a major label the marketing and promo budgets would’ve been massive and we’d probably have sold more but still made the same amount of money.”

After the farewell shows, Patsy plans to get moving quickly on a solo career.

“I’ve virtually got my album written and am talking to studios at the moment,” she revealed. “It’s really exciting. The others will probably all appear on it.

“Bex will obviously be very busy short term, I’m not sure about Rachel and Jools but I think they’re ready to spend some time at home.”

Patsy says the final few shows on the tour are sure to be emotional affairs.

“We’ve been quite taken aback by the support and feedback from our fans and how kind people are,” she said.

“We’re disappointed not to be playing the Bein Inn because the little concert room there is amazing.

“However, we’ve made so many friends there I’m sure they’ll all come and see us again, and we might even put a couple of new songs in the set just for fun.

“We have a good time wherever we play and we’re looking forward to staying in the hotel. Unlike in England, the Scottish venues put you up for the night, which is a real treat!”

* Waking The Witch play the Glenfarg Hotel on Friday and Saturday as part of the Beinstock festival. Tickets from 01577 830241.