Hear First Song From Bat for Lashes’ New Psych Side Project Sexwitch
Bat for Lashes‘ Natasha Khan has teamed with producer Dan Carey and British rock act TOY to form Sexwitch, a new project that debuted Saturday at Wales’ Green Man Festival. The group’s debut self-titled LP will arrive September 25th and feature six covers of Sixties and Seventies psychedelic songs culled from throughout the globe. Sexwitch also unveiled the first single, “Helelyos,” their version of Iranian singer Zia Atabi’s track.
“Helelyos” quickly locks into a hyponotic, Middle Eastern-infused groove as Khan sings lyrics translated into English by Iranian friends. Sexwitch‘s tracks were plucked from Iran, Morocco, Thailand and North America, the latter represented by a cover of Skip Spence’s Oar classic “War in Peace.” The Sexwitch tracks were recorded by Khan, TOY and Carey in one studio session in London.
In an interview with Pitchfork, Khan explained the genesis of her side project’s unusual moniker. “When we were recording it, every time I’d do funny sex noises, me and Dan said, we’re being sexy witches. It’s a bit tongue in cheek — we’re not trying to be super cool — but I think it’s memorable,” Khan said. “There is something very magical and dark and feminine archetypal force about it. Also, when I was singing — and this sounds ridiculous — it did feel like I was channeling some sort of ancestral feelings about witches.”
Sexwitch will perform one more gig September 29th at London’s XOYO before Khan concentrates on Bat for Lashes, with the follow-up for 2012’s The Haunted Man due next spring. Sexwitch is available to preorder now through iTunes.
Sexwitch Track List
1. “Ghoroobaa Ghashangan” (Iran)
2. “Ha Howa Ha Howa” (Morocco)
3. “Helelyos” (Iran)
4. “Kassidat El Hakka” (Morocco)
5. “War In Peace” (North America)
6. “Lam Plearn Kiew Bao” (Thailand)