Esben & The Witch have announced plans to record their new album this summer with Steve Albini. After an amicable split with their previous label Matador, the band will self-release the album, and are asking fans to pledge cash to allow them to make this a reality and record at Albini’s Chicago studio, Electrical Audio.
In a letter to their fans, the band wrote: “With Steve’s help, we will capture the live essence of the music we have written, push ourselves as far as possible and make the music as powerful as it can be. The songs are written and ready, the recording dates booked in, and we are asking for your help to support this adventure.” Following the album, plans for Esben’s own label include signing new acts as well as making it a hub for their own music.
The album will be the third by the three-piece, Daniel Copeman, Thomas Fisher and Rachel Davies, following last year’s Wash The Sins Not Only The Face which distilled their "nightmare pop", a melancholic mix of shoegaze and electronics. Asking fans to “pledge what feels right to you”, the band have promised that in exchange for helping to cover the costs of the recording, fans will receive a copy of the album – alongside "a series of bespoke items that have never before seen the yellow light, black cloth and battered coat hangers of the merch stand" at various price points – as well as a new EP. Entitled And new life blossoms from the ruins the five-track EP will only be available through Pledge Music and is designed to be a companion to the new album. Each EP will be signed and hand-assembled, with a cover drawn by Davies – head to their Pledge Music page to make a donation.
