In the early part of 2021, Sasha and the Valentines cast a hypnotic spell on us with “Witches.” It was a ghostly track rife with new-retro cool, a dream-pop lounge act for the emotional daydreamers and mental shapeshifters that, alongside follow-up “Don’t You Love Me”, would eventually appear on the Austin band’s spring debut album So You Think You Found Love? Fast forward a thousand years later, and Sasha and the Valentines, who formed a few years back at the University of Massachusetts Amherst before seeking clearer skies under Texas, roll into O’Brien’s Pub in Allston tonight (October 31) for the final stop on their fall SYTYFL Tour.
While we don’t know the setlist in advance, it seems like a good opportunity to air out “Witches” for the (most likely) costumed crowd. ‘Tis the season, ’tis the day.
“Writing ‘Witches’ started as a chord progression on my Acetone organ and I got hooked on the feel of it,” says vocalist Sarah Addi. “I loved how spooky the organ felt compared to the clean bright tone of the guitar. Lyrically, I wrote the song about past relationships where I had the tendency to psychoanalyze my partners. I felt like a witch that could pull secrets and inner thoughts out of my lovers. It also points to a softer part of me that can always sense when someone is hurting and how I want to take away their problems.”
The track floated into our headspace when it first dropped courtesy of a new visual, directed by bassist JB Bergin. And it strikes a nice note at the themes of this Halloween 2022.
“The video was inspired by similar themes, along with visual influences ranging from The Love Witch, to Marcel Marceau to The Addams Family,” adds Addi. “Shooting on 8mm film gave it an energy of antiquity that fit alongside the slapstick-esque moments.”
SASHA AND THE VALENTINES + MINT GREEN :: Monday, October 31 at O’Brien’s Pub, 3 Harvard Ave. in Allston, MA :: 8 p.m., 21-plus, $18 day of show :: Event page