New music is rolling out from this group of gulf coast synth rockers.
Any good scout can tell you it takes time and dedication to earn a merit badge. This band has been honing their sound and growing through different versions over the last several years to put them where they are now: in the midst of a series of releases and with a solid new lineup.
Guitarist and founding member Mitchell Gruich has guided the band since its earliest days, when a small group of friends first started jamming on their shared love of indie rock. Though old members moved away and new players came and went, the project persisted. Mitchell and several members and collaborators began working up and dropping batches of original demo songs and cover tunes online, and over time the band grew to incorporate new instruments and developed a striking live energy that has come to be a signature of theirs.
“We have a lot of fun elements,” Mitchell said, adding that they get a kick out of newcomers expecting something a little heavier or doomy from the band. Stage props, lively outfits, spicy lighting and even bubble launchers help the performers set an engaging atmosphere for their shows. As he explained, they’re sort of a Halloween inspired party band.
The band’s sound calls on a punk rock energy with some pop sensibilities and just a touch of a darker edge, and is not particularly formulaic or predictable by any means. In addition to the drums, guitar and bass, the band rocks a keytar, synth, a glockenspiel and multiple vocals, giving them a diverse palette of sounds to draw from. They aim to keep their sets moving. “It’s all upbeat stuff.”
Witchcraft Merit Badge recently dropped a 7 inch vinyl for April Fools day, aptly titled April Fools ’24. The record includes the songs “Skips a Beat (The Promise Ring cover)” and “Half Fiction (Discount cover) and marks the first of three vinyl records planned for release within a year of each other.
