A Dirty Dozen with SARA BRADY from WITCHES RIDE – May 2025

According to a recent press release: “Prepare for the ritual. Dark groove band Witches Ride are set to unleash their long-awaited new album Collector on June 19th, 2025. Alongside the album announcement, the band has dropped a gripping new music video for the single, “Among the Crowd.” Witches Ride is a dark groove machine—part Southern-fried chaos, part industrial ritual. Fusing the bone-crushing swagger of Clutch with the sinister theatrics of Marilyn Manson, this band rides the line between dirty rock ‘n’ roll and occult-fueled spectacle. Think smoke, sweat, and distortion—wrapped in velvet and barbed wire. Driven by thunderous riffs, hypnotic rhythms, and snarling vocals, Witches Ride brings a unique alchemy to the stage. With the keys casting eerie atmospheres and haunted textures, the sound is as cinematic as it is feral—blues-born, hell-bound, and soaked in gasoline. Every show is a ceremony. Every song is a spell. And once you’re under, there’s no turning back.” We get lead singer Sara discuss new music, influences, and more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets the band put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

We hope that the fans really feel the cohesion in this album and that these songs all tell a story. I had the idea of a preacher that lost his following and sold his soul to the devil in exchange for that following back. So in track one its all about this preacher and the sins he commited to lose his following. There are some emotional songs in there that touch on the emotion of feeling lost and unable to get out from under a dark cloud. Betrayal is a track about the prescher wanting to commit suicide because he sees no way out from the horrble position he put himself in. All and all I hope people just see the raw emotion in these songs.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

As far back as I can remember I have loved music and singing. I remember being super young and watching performers like Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Cyndi Lauper and just knowing that’s what I wanted to do.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

I really dont think it was one performer, it was just the idea of doing that up on stage in front of millions of people. I wanted to make people feel the way I did when I watched live shows. There has never really been anything else I’ve wanted to do in my life.

4. Who would be your main five musical influences?

Tina Turner, Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, Siouxsie Sioux, and Prince.

5. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

Well if they were alive id have to say Tina Turner, but that sadly is never gonna happen. I would have loved to have taken her classic soul sound and come up with something incredible. Still alive I’d have to say Lady Gaga, I feel like our voices would be so magical to hear together.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe or you disagreed with?

So far people have said we sound like a female Danzig, and I love that. My vocals are a bit on the lower end, so I can see that comparison. There really hasn’t been an odd comparison to our music yet.  I personally would say our music is horror rock. Sort of mixing Marylin Manson with Siouxsie, and a bit of Concrete Blond.

7. What’s the best thing about being a musician?

There are these magical moments on stage when you look out and see the sheer joy music is bringing to the audience, and that’s what I live for.

8. When the band are all hanging out together, who cooks; who gets the drinks in; and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

I definitely feel like the band mom, so I make sure everyone eats, Evo Mikey, our guitar player is the first to crack out the guitar, and Delmy, our bass player always comes in with the shots or drinks.

9. When was the last time you were star struck and who was it?

A long time ago I got to meet John 5 when he was still in Marilyn Manson’s band and I couldn’t form the words correctly to speak to him. I ended up barely saying a word.

10. If you weren’t a musician, what would be your dream job?

If it weren’t singing, I would maybe try acting.

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over”, even if it didn’t change your current situation?

I feel as if some decisions along my life in music might have felt a bit wrong or misguided at the time, but I know that they were all for a reason and those decisions got me here.

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

Knowing that Queen spent three weeks recording “Bohemian Rhapsody” and it took over 200 tracks for overdubs to do that, I would have loved to just see that magic go down. That record really showed me that music can truly be whatever you want it to be. It truly was such a blend of all types of music, so ahead of its time.

WITCHES RIDE LINKS:

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Category: Interviews