December 2002 - DIXIE WITCH
I can't really describe with words how much the DIXIE WITCH debut "Into The Sun" on Brainticket Records means to some members of the Lava-crew. It's filled with honest lyrical passion, and soundwise, it knows to appeal with a finest blend of 70's Hardrock, old Southern-Rock and a bit of Doom. And it spreads a real uplifting postive vibe, without beeing cheesy or sounding too "friendly". But DIXIE WITCH have found their very own place in the heavy music scene, and that's only one of the reasons, why they are belonging to one of the hottest US-acts of today. Their shows are legendary and powerful as hell and I really hope, that this band will found its way to Europe in the next months or years. Bloodbrother Thorsten, the man for the "southern edge" in the Cosmic Lava, has put together some interesting questions and guitar-player Clayton Mills answered them completly.
Hello, Clayton!!! Your album "Into The Sun" is not one of the newest releases, but in my opinion one of the freshest sabbatish southern-heavy-fuzzed-out sounds in the last years. First of all please give a brief introduction to the readers of "Cosmic Lava" about the history of DIXIE WITCH!
We formed Dixie Witch in the fall of 1999 and began playing almost immediately all over Texas and the southern states. In the summer of 2000 we recorded a demo which starting getting us some attention from all over the world and a bit of internet buzz going by the end of that year. We did our first US tour with Alabama Thunderpussy and the Suplecs in the spring/summer of 2001 and since then have been around the US about 3 more times. Our debut album "Into The Sun" came out on Brainticket that same summer. The album has done well and lots of labels from Subpop to Mans Ruin (before their untimely demise) seemed interested in the second record.
Well, needless to say after a solid year of live shows in 2002 and garnering even more fans for the Witch, we've signed with Small Stone Records out of Detroit for the next record. We're about to head out on a southern tour at the beginning of the year and we're set to record in February with Jefferson Pinkus (ex-Butthole Surfers) at the helm of the project. The album will come out probably in May and then heavy touring will again commence including another appearance at the Emmissions From the Monolith festival in Ohio this summer and hopefully we'll make it over the big pond and hit Europe later in the year.
Where does the name DIXIE WITCH come from?! Is there any story behind the name?
Actually its kinda a play on words from the Dixie Chicks. It started as a joke but we ended up using because it was the only name we could all 3 agree on and we already had several shows booked and agents harrassing us for a name to advertise. Plus - its kinda an apt description of what we're about musically.
After all the reviews I`ve read, you`ve earned a lot of positive reactions from different types of magazins and websites. "Into The Sun" seems to be one of the best selling records for brainticket. Your debut has tons of musical diversity, it`s just Southern-Blues Heavy-Psych-Doom and more.... You can find your album in Psychedelic-, Metal-, Doom/Stoner-mailorders, etc. Please tell us about the last months after getting such a good feedback for this monster album.
The album has done better than expected. We've sold a few thousand and a lot of those have been at our live shows throughout the US and everyone really likes the record. The next one is going to be even better!!
What kind of music did you play in the years before DIXIE WITCH? I know that you all came from different bands and styles. But there must have been a kind of sound-connection, or not? How did you get first together and please talk about the bands, in which plaid before!
We've all played in several kinds of bands in the past. I've been in everything from thrash metal bands to blues bands. None of them accomplished much, seemed like I could never stay in a band that could keep a steady line-up for longer than 6 months. Curt played in a band that was similar stylistically to Dixie Witch years ago in Lubbock, Jabberwalker, and then joined Light Bright Highway with Trinidad. They were a balls to the wall instrumental psychedelic group that did pretty well in our region of the country. They signed a deal with Mans Ruin but broke up before the record could've been recorded. Also, Trinidad played drums in a band that was the first incarnation of what was to become REO Speedealer and then eventually Speedealer.
There are a lot of other Texas based heavy-rock bands, I think. You mentioned Honky, Speedealer, Super Heavy Goat Ass, Roller, Godzilla Motor Company, the Riverboat Gamblers, etc. in an earlier interview. So please tell us about these guys, their music and about your relationship to them.
Well not all of these bands are heavy rock. Honky (Jeff Pinkus's band) is more of a powerhouse rock trio. Kinda ZZ top on steroids and Roller and Speedealer (RIP) were straight ahead high energy rock. Speedealer has done really well in the past.....Jason Newsted produced their last record and they toured the US over a dozen times with everyone from Motorhead to Nashville Pussy and did europe with Motorhead last year too. Super Heavy Goat Ass are an incredible band and probably the closest sounding to us.
They just need to get their super heavy asses outta Texas sometime. SHGA's guitarist played in bands with Curt for years including Jabberwalker. I played guitar in Riverboat Gamblers but quit to start Dixie Witch. They've since done really well and toured several times.....they're more of a garage-punk MC5 kinda thing. Godzilla Motor Company is Jason from Watchtower, Dangerous Toys, etc. 's new band. Awesome Heavy Metal!!!
On the one hand I`ve read that you started as a Black Sabbath Coverband, called NIB, and on the other hand there is the story that it was only a very short part in the history of DIXIW WITCH. So please tell us the truth or about the decision/moment to perform and write own songs as DIXIE WITCH!
Actually, we were already jamming together and writing songs for Dixie Witch but we hadnt played out or anything yet. A friend of ours asked us to back him up as Black Sabbath for a local coverband night in Dallas, so we learned the songs which took about 2 weeks to get 12-13 of them happening and did the gig. The reaction was so good that we were asked to play 4-5 more shows. It was great fun but we were really anxious to pursue our originals and didnt want to stagnate as a cover band.
All in all, it only lasted about 2 months and I think it was real positive for us as a band....it was the first time we all shared the stage together and it really helped bring us together as a tighter musical group. We were still writing the first batch of Dixie Witch tunes the whole time. Occasionally we'll bust out "Symptom of the Universe" or "Fairies wear Boots" or something at soundchecks.
Obviously your sound is the essence of the 70s grumbling heavy-hard fuzzed-out bluesrock. There is a big influence of the big bands like early Sabbath, Mountain, Grand Funk. But the other influence is the heaviness like Sir Lord Baltimore, Cactus, Gov`t Mule, early ZZ Top and the mighty Lynyrd Skynyrd. But what about the other Texas based bands from the past like Seompi, early Point Blank, Josefus, Ultra - do you know them and what are or your other musical influences?
Yeah, you've definitely nailed a lot of the big influences on the head. But there's tons more music we love and listen too. We all grew up on metal - you the know the big bands Priest, Maiden, Slayer, Mercyful Fate, Dio, Deep Purple, Metallica, Motorhead, etc. Also classic bands like Zep, Floyd, Hendrix etc. and punk and thrash as well.
Not to mention blues guys like Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Blind Lemon Jefferson and country too - but not the new nashville crap -real country. As far as old texas bands - besides the ones you mentioned I really dig the Moving Sidewalks, 13th Floor Elevators and Bloodrock. We all have pretty diverse tastes but honestly as a musician you kinda have to have to diverse musical tastes or else you'll end us sounding like a carbon copy of somebody else.
