The flawlessly Indie French musicians, The Bewitched Hands On The Tops of Our Heads have been hard at work putting together their debut full-length album, Work, playing across Europe, and preparing for their first trip over seas to play SXSW. But before they head to Austin for the famed festival, this seven piece will be dropping by the Windy City to play Chicago’s Empty Bottle along with Papier Tigers and Pound Cake tonight.
Though their name seems to always be the first topic of discussion, what initially grabbed our attention about this set of musical septuplets was their striking balance between the psychedlic past of the early 70’s and the contemporary indie blowing up all over iTunes. Sometimes full bodied and orchestrated like in the title track off their upcoming album, the band varies in other moments such as “Ghost Road”, when they take on a more ElliotSmith or Bright Eyes-like sound with their shakey voices and unaided guitar/bass.
The Bewitched Hands on the Tops of Our Heads aren’t exactly doing something entirely new, but they are doing something right. There is a certain je ne sais quoi to these indie/pop musicians that we look forward to discovering more about with the release of Work this May.
The Bewitched Hands On The Tops of Our Heads took the time to answer a few questions from across the Atlantic, telling us about their favorite locals, writing process, and best/worst moments as a band.
Reviewsic: If you could book a tour with any 3 bands, past or present, who would they be and why?
The Bewitched Hands On the Tops of Our Heads: The Shaggs because we play better than them, Daniel Johnston because it would be fun to be his backing band, and the Velvet Underground for reasons which don’t need to be explained…
Reviewsic: What are your top three musical influences?
The Bewitched Hands On the Tops of Our Heads: Indie Rock before 1995, Punk, Sixties pop, French variety of the
eighties, Italo Disco, New Wave… Choose the three ones you want.
Reviewsic: Is there any instrument you don’t play, but wish you did?
The Bewitched Hands On the Tops of Our Heads: Sometimes we would like to add horns in our arrangements, but we
can’t…
Reviewsic: What are the last three albums or bands you listened to?
The Bewitched Hands On the Tops of Our Heads: The Drums, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Smith Westerns.
Reviewsic: If you could work with one person in the music industry, who would it be and why?
The Bewitched Hands On the Tops of Our Heads: Quincy Jones, Phil Spector, Pharell Williams, or maybe none of them…
Reviewsic: Who was the first band/musician you saw live?
The Bewitched Hands On the Tops of Our Heads: It’s different for each one: Nirvana, Magma, Frank Black…
Reviewsic: Who are three of your favorite local bands?
The Bewitched Hands On the Tops of Our Heads: The shoes, We are enfant terrible, Libelul
Reviewsic: What is the backstory on how the band came to be what it is today?
The Bewitched Hands On the Tops of Our Heads: We were friends involved in music, who played in different bands and we decided to play together and put some of our songs in common. It was a bit psychedelic, messy but very energic. At this time it was a kind of recreation for us, but very fast the band evolved, made a lot of gigs in France and a few ones abroad, and got the upper hand on our other musical activities.
Reviewsic: Tell us about the new music you’re working on
The Bewitched Hands On the Tops of Our Heads: The album is almost done, so we focus on the live.
Reviewsic: What goes into your writing process?
The Bewitched Hands On the Tops of Our Heads: Yoghourts and beer, good vibes and love, and the willing for everybody to bring his stone to this huge mess.
Reviewsic: What are the best and worst band moments so far in your career?
The Bewitched Hands On the Tops of Our Heads: The worst one was a concert in summer 2009, where the technical conditions were below everything we could imagine, and no one on stage was able to hear what he needed to hear… And the best one was this concert too, because the situation finally provided us a lot of fun.
