The Wytches are back with their most authentic sound yet. The Brighton four-piece have announced ‘Talking Machine’, their new album dropping 10th October via Alcopop! Records, alongside new single ‘Black Ice’.
This isn’t just another album announcement. It’s the band’s first record since their debut to be recorded entirely live – a decision that’s injected raw energy back into their trademark surf-sludge sound.
The album title comes from Thomas Edison’s nickname for gramophones. Edison would host “Tone Tests” where audiences thought they were hearing live musicians, but it was all pre-recorded. Sound familiar? With AI dominating headlines, the parallels to today’s tech fears aren’t lost on the band.
Vocalist Kristian Bell explains the inspiration behind ‘Black Ice’: “I started working shifts at a record shop last year. There’s so much 60’s music to play while I work. I remember putting on ‘Till The End Of The Day’ by The Kinks. It sounded so heavy to me. Heavier than modern metal. I wanted to go down that route.”
The band drew inspiration from trashy 80’s revival acts like The Milkshakes and The Cannibals – bands that captured that accidental heaviness of 50’s and 60’s recordings. Even Cliff Richard’s first album gets surprisingly heavy, Bell notes.
“Recording everything live instantly made me love what we were doing,” Bell continues. “We tried to nail that big sound together in the room, avoiding the modern way of making albums sound hyped with post-production tricks.”
The result is raw, authentic, and raucous – exactly what you’d want from The Wytches. The album combines pounding rockers with quieter reflective moments, showcasing Bell’s documented love for songwriters from Bob Dylan to Elliott Smith.
The band kicks off their UK tour on 7th October in Chelmsford, hitting venues across Britain before heading to Europe. Tickets are on sale now, with the tour coinciding perfectly with the album release.
Talking Machine tracklist includes standout songs like ‘Coffin Nails’, ‘Factory’, and ‘When The Obsession Began’ – titles that hint at the band’s continued obsession with expanding their unique sound.
For a band that’s been part of the UK punk scene since 2011, this feels like a bold new chapter. One that strips away the modern studio tricks and gets back to what made them “buzzy favourites” in the first place.
