The Witch Release Infatuating Halloween-Inspired Single "WHEN YOU'RE NOT HERE"
Written by Faith Logue
Graphic by Rebekah Witt
It’s quite challenging to describe the sound of New Jersey-based band The Witch, as they draw on a diverse range of genres and influences to create the experimental, shoegazey, and techno-inspired noise featured on their latest record, Everything That Has Happened, Now, released last February. Comprised of Magnus Chenel, Gregory Donatien, Joshua Bandstra, and Logan Johnson, the foursome leans heavily on vibes akin to bands like Deftones, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Nirvana - but with their own special twist. Their new single, “WHEN YOU’RE NOT HERE,” is the band’s first one in over a year and is perfect for this fall season, where it is cold, dark, and everyone wants to be inside, either dancing and inhaling secondhand smoke or crying and going to bed early.
The track immediately sucks you into their new sonic landscape with a heavy techno beat—the perfect BPM to dance to without being too fast or too slow (and also sounds like what you would think a Halloween track would be)—and emotional and mid-tempo guitars guiding it in the background. Soon, you’re immersed in Greg Donatien’s voice, which is soft and melodic, yet powerful. As the song transitions into the chorus, more and more instruments are added into the mix, like piano notes, percussion, vocal layerings, and an intriguing bassline. Just when you think you understand what the band is doing, they bring these intricate sounds into an infatuating beat as Greg repeats “When you’re not here.”
As they head into the second chorus, they keep these heavier instrumentals in the back, forcing each line to hit your brain and stay there, singing lines like “Can't remember if it's wrong or right and know you're just mesmerized by the lonely lover/Who takes what she can get…” They are wondering what has happened to the lover they once knew and how they ended up here, which are perfect emotions for this season, when it is cold, lonely, and everyone is just trying to figure themselves out. The bridge is the most intriguing part of the song, where the beats become almost more sinister, and the guitars sadder, leaving you with a sense of nostalgia and sadness.
Overall, The Witch’s new single “WHEN YOU’RE NOT HERE” is a danceable and emotional track that is perfect for taking a place on a pregame playlist or can be the soundtrack to your emotional fall and winter months. Be sure to follow them on Instagram @thewitchnj, and you can listen to the track wherever you stream music.