Esben & The Witch

Named after a Danish fairy tale and crafting fittingly eerie and bewitching music, Brighton, England’s Esben & the Witch features guitarist/keyboardist Thomas Fisher, electronics/guitarist Daniel Copeman, and vocalist/percussionist Rachael Davies. The trio formed in 2008 when Fisher convinced Copeman to make the music he was working on available to the public, and the pair drafted Davies to become their singer. The band’s live act drew attention, as did their self-released 2009 EP 33. Esben & the Witch played gigs with Deerhunter, the xx, and Foals, and released the single Lucia, At the Precipice in 2010. That May, they contributed their song “Corridors” from 33 as the soundtrack to an installation by artist Karl Sadler as part of the London edition of the Creators Project. Later in 2010, Matador Records signed the group and released the Marching Song single that October; in December, it was announced the band made the long list for the BBC’s Sound of 2011. That January, their debut album Violet Cries arrived.