Markus Hamence is chatting with Joana Lavole of The Witchy Djypsies
A jubilant and bustling cinematic explosion of gypsy ska and western hues arrive today via In My Mind, the new single from Perth-based international six-piece collective The Witchy Djypsies. A masterful upbeat sonic spell, In My Mind will also be celebrated live onstage next week when The Witchy Djypsies descend on Mojo’s Bar in North Fremantle for their single launch on Saturday 12 July.
Instantly erupting with pulsing beats and prowling basslines, In My Mind careens into moody yet mischievous terrain as it balances smoky western backdrops against punchy brass, deep harmonies and a sprinkle of string shedding (“I’m surprised we didn’t melt the strings,” shares drummer Jimmy Marelich). Drawing inspiration from prominent yeo-tone ska act Madness, as well as the likes of Strangely Arousing, The Cat Empire, Doe Maari, Zoufris Maracs and Mano Negra, In My Mind is a euphoric and eclectic immersion for the senses that defies time and genres; something The Witchy Djypsies are fluent in, with the fever dream qualities in the track also stemming from some real-world experiences. “I wanted to write a song about overthinking and feeling everything all at once,” says vocalist and instrumentalist Joana Lavole. “I was sitting outside at about 2am in a dead silent night witnessing the endless train of thoughts and overwhelming feelings that come with it. I wrote the intro then and had a bit of a concept. I brought it to the band, and we shaped it together! We actually worked on that track while touring up north in 2022. We had just done our last gig in Exmouth and we all got COVID. We were stuck on a campsite and I do believe the fever brought out the best of us!”
Teaming up with some of Perth’s finest, The Witchy Djypsies recorded In My Mind at Hopping Mouse Studio with Hunter Percy (Saturated Analog) and Stu McLaughlan, with mixing by Nathan Bell (Bell Acoustics) and mastering by Rob Grant at Poons Head Studios. “We always bounce ideas with our long-time friend and FOH engineer Zak Johnson too!” adds Joana. “The track was produced by us in-house, but especially by Dennis, our bassman, who poured a lot of energy in this whole process!”
Bringing together six talented artists and their musical backgrounds, with members hailing from France, Guadeloupe, The Netherlands and Australia, The Witchy Djypsies have been casting musical spells since vocalist and instrumentalist Joana Lavole first crossed paths with guitarist Sam Ukkola in 2018, leading to jamming, busking and, ultimately, a makeshift band of travellers settling in Western Australia and turning their gaze to writing songs together – and they’ve never looked back. Now consisting of Joana and Sam as well as backing vocalist and bassist Dennis Kooij, backing vocalist and saxophonist Christopher Best, drummer James Marelich and guitarist Leo Ollivier, The Witchy Djypsies fuse Latin beats, cheeky gypsy jazz and brass-infused ska rhythms with refreshing ease, also armed with a potent live presence that has seen them charm at Nannup Music Festival and Blossom Festival, as well at their own headline shows – and fans can definitely expect a party when the group’s In My Mind single launch takes over in Fremantle next week.
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