True to their name, Inner City Witches is a band that will enchant you. Their sense of rhythm and pace is unmatched, hypnotic in a way few bands truly are. This is music that captures you completely, that demands your attention- and music that is pretty much impossible not to enjoy.
Seriously, the technical skill of this trio cannot be overstated. Even just listening to their latest EP, “HOOF!”, the way the tracks ebb and flow between different sections is super impressive. Each crescendo is allowed enough time to fully build up and pay off, and it just makes for an awesome listening experience! Their music is kind of experimental in this way, and along with the unique vocal style, it creates an intensity that is engaging without being overwhelming.
But even being so technically sound, they play in a way that is very free, and vibe-y. And just as important as raw talent, this is a group that is fun. When they’re performing, they look like they’re having fun. The crowd is definitely having fun- there’s not much more you can ask for. They’re a vibe, and their music is a vibe, and if you get a chance to see them play live, do it! You won’t regret it.
I interviewed Inner City Witches at The Doorknob on February 28. It was a good show- a great lineup of bands overall- and it was cool to hear some of the tracks they plan to put on their next album. I would definitely say this was the most comedy-filled interview I’ve done. These three are very funny and a little silly, and there were a lot of bits and jokes that hopefully translate okay to the written format.
But without further ado, here’s our interview with:
INNER CITY WITCHES
[ Originally recorded February 28, 2025 ]
Pictured (L to R): Allan, Addison, Simon. Photo via their IG.
Witch on Press
Can you guys introduce yourselves and what you do in the band?
Addison (guitar/vocals): Addison James Wicks III- no, not really.
Alright, ok
Simon (drums): I'm Simon [redacted] Avrushenko- forget the [redacted] actually, I don’t know why I said that out loud.
Allan: I have the most underwhelming name: Allan Michael Stacy. I play bass.
How did this project start?
Addison: 4000 years ago… No, we started out as a band called Suits and then that turned into Inner City Witches. And then that turned into Simon joining not too long ago. And that's how we're here!
How did you come up with the name?
Addison: We were trying to do something that rolled off the tongue, like “Queens of the Stone Age”, and then we just went through a bunch of names and “Inner City Witches” came up and we settled on that. That’s really it, it was just, like, phonetically sound. And no one else on any online shit had that name, so that was a big part.
That is nice. That’s really nice.
For each of you, what’s your relationship like with your instrument?
Allan: How do you view guitar? Do you see it as an extension of yourself?
Addison: I thought he meant like- I just started playing when I was 13.
Simon: To me, the drums are everything. That's all I think about, all day, all night… or, that's Arby’s, sorry- the drums! (laughing) The drums though, I think about a lot, I will admit… No, it's everything. It's like an extension of my voice. I speak through it, I feel like.
Addison: It’s the only thing impressive that we can do. If you ask me to throw a football, I swear to god I cannot. I can't do it.
Simon: I can make a mean BLT though. I can do that.
I’ll make sure that’s on the record.
Allan: Bass was kind of an afterthought for me. I picked it up for this band. I didn't really play it prior, and over the few years I've learned the importance of a good bassline, how it supports complex yet chaotic sounds. But I try and keep it simple, because if people can't hear ‘cause a basement’s shitty, if they can feel the bass grooving that helps out.
Simon: The bass is the backbone, like, it's everything.
Allan: It's what people literally feel.
The Sound
What inspires you guys musically?
Simon: For me- and this is just a personal thing- Mars Volta, huge. And there's some aspects of that in some of the newer music, at least I find. Maybe I’m just imagining or wanting to hear that. But I like… what's that band, the previous before Mars Volta?
Addison: At the Drive-In. I like At the Drive-In more than Mars Volta, but I respect Mars Volta a lot. I’d say just albums I like, just listening to music, like, constantly.
Do you have any specific ones you would name right now?
Addison: I don't know, ‘cause it's not like I just listen to punk. It's like… honestly, D'Angelo fucks. I'm trying to think, like…. Mozart rules.
Simon: Oh, good one.
Addison: Like, it's not just one genre.
How would you guys describe your sound or how would you pitch this band to someone?
Simon: Sounds I hear when I go to sleep.
Really?
Simon: (laughing) No, no.
I was going to say, I don’t know how you get to sleep…
Addison: Straight up lullaby-core.
Simon: Yeah, this is lullaby-core basically.
Addison: How would you (Allan) pitch this band? Think you’re pitching it to Netflix right now.
Allan: Three guys try to be punk…
Addison: But we’re not really, in person.
Allan: …but we were in Jazz band.
Addison: Oh, music theory.
Simon: Punk plus music theory equals punk psychics.
Allan: An actual pitch: post-punk/post-hardcore trio from Missouri.
You guys definitely have a really strong sense of pace. I feel like that whole set was just so nicely sectioned out.
Addison: That was our planning department that did that.
Simon: Yeah, planning department.
Addison: George, Kathy.
Allan: William. Shoutout William.
Addison: William really put that one song in the middle there perfectly.
Allan: Well, ‘cause he brought in the Colombian Brew coffee and from there it just all fell together.
Simon: (laughing) Yeah, yeah. I mean, when he pitched it to us last week in that email I didn't agree with it.
Allan: I mean, we were in the office laughing about it. I had to pause my excel sheet, you know? I had to figure it out.
When you're performing, what’s the most important thing to each of you?
Addison: Having fun, ‘cause sometimes I don't and I don’t like that.
Simon: The crowd. If the crowd’s into it, it’s destined to be a good time for me, and that's what makes the shows.
Allan: I really like to be locked in rhythmically. I feel like it makes a difference if my picking hand matches with his drumming hand and it syncs up. I feel like it's an easier rhythm for people to dance to and get down with, you know what I mean? If it's sloppy, it's like, “Oh, I can kind of…”- I don’t know, I pride ourselves in being a very tight group.
Do you have a favorite song to perform or that you've created?
Addison: It changes and it usually changes based on which is the new one. So, it’s either “Behold” or “Punk Psychics”, because I feel like it's the latest thing on my mind, therefore I want to perform it more.
Simon: It’s “Behold” for me.
Addison: That's the first one we wrote with Simon, is “Behold”.
Simon: Maybe that's why I like it so much.
Allan: I’ll third “Behold”. My previous favorite was “Left Right Center Creator” for a long time. It will be on album two which will ideally be out this year. “Behold” is also going to be on this album, right?
Addison: Yep. Hopefully October we can get that out.
Your EP released last April, right? It’s very good.
Allan: Thank you.
Addison: But yeah, the [new] album is just the best of the best shit we have right now.
What was that first song you guys played tonight?
Addison: “The Law” or “The Laws on Heaven”. It’s kind of like- it's the first song on the album, that's all I can really say.
That one was awesome, I feel like it really set the tone for the whole set.
The Scene and the Future
How do you guys feel about the St. Louis music scene? Have you enjoyed your time here?
Simon: It's closely knit, in a good way. And it also seems weirdly big, like for how small of an area [this is], because there's such a broad range of genres. But at the same time it feels like if you know one person they'll know six other people.
Addison: I like it. I just wish it wasn’t so cliquey sometimes- just to be honest.
Simon: That’s destined to happen with any scene though.
Addison: I wish it was a little bit bigger, and I think we can work on that. Like, it's big, but not as popularity-big like Louisville or Chicago is.
Are there any local bands you’d want to shout out? Like, just a few off the top of your head.
Yes! I’m actually planning on interviewing them soon…
What's your guys’ dream setlist of like you and two other bands?
Addison: Us and… Buck Fever and…
Allan: And Death Grips.
Addison: Honestly, that’d be sick.
Simon: I don't know, that's a hard one. I mean, there's so many bands.
Addison: Yeah, I would definitely pick one local band that I like a lot though, like Buck Fever.
What are your long or short term goals for this project?
Addison: Anything that's happening this year. Release an album and get it all done so it's out.
I'm excited for that.
Allan: We've been sitting on these recordings for almost a year now. So yeah, getting that album out is the main goal right now. Doing more shows now that we're all based in St. Louis! And just have fun.
Simon: Then take over the world.
Is that a short or a long term goal?
Simon: That's a short term goal.
Addison: Go on a real tour- that would be nice.
Allan: Ooh, play a festival! Would love to play a festival. I don’t know when or how, but that’d be great.
Addison: Yeah, playing outdoors is something you don't get as a local band and that would be nice. Just that part is big, not even the payment or the crowd, just playing outside.
The Hard Hitting Questions
Who did the logo with the horse? I was curious about that.
(The horse logo in question)
Addison: Tyler Hare. He's been our art guy for like a year now.
Allan: He did our most recent EP artwork and the two singles preceding it. He also does posters for us and stickers. He's a great guy!
Addison: Very good guy. He's a very smart dude too! Super fucking smart.
Allan: We've just been working with him for a while, he came up with that logo. It was a poster he was making of the city and he had our logo and he used the Apotheosis statue, which I thought was genius! Because the last song on our first album is “Apotheosis”. Turned the little guy into a witch- I just can't believe we didn't think of it sooner.
I really like it. I like seeing it.
Do you guys do any witchcraft outside of this?
Allan: No.
Addison: But we've gotten DMs from people who think we do.
Allan: There have been rumors for sure. Nothing confirmed. You’ll occasionally see us on the middle of 44 just standing there, and then we disappear instantly.
Addison: Whatever LeBron does, we do it too.
Simon: Well, hold on, hold on. I disagree with that, personally.
Addison: Whatever LeBron does, we do?
Allan: It's going to be really hard to keep up with what LeBron is doing…
Addison: We're talking about Bron, dude!
Allan: It's hard to keep up with what Bron’s doing and then emulate it immediately!
Addison: Well, if you can’t do it, then get out of the fucking band!
Allan: (laughing)Whoa! Okay, fine, I’ll emulate the Bron!
Simon: “Emulate the Bron”- next song title.
I’m contractually obligated to ask this. Would you rather-
Addison: Who the fuck contracted you to ask this question?
(laughing) I’m lying!
Allan: Are you ok? Blink three times if you’re ok..
No, it’s good. They’re paying me… nothing. So, would you rather have a hamster that looks like a rock or a rock that looks like a hamster?
Addison: Rock looks like a hamster.
Allan: Rock that looks like a hamster.
Simon: Hamster that looks like a rock.
Allan: So you want- he's got, like, a granite finish-
Simon: Yep.
Allan: (laughing) He’s round!
Simon: You know Geodude, from Pokémon?
Allan: Ohhh shit, true.
Addison: Wait, what makes it a hamster then?
It's like if you held it out in front of you, you wouldn't be able to tell that it was a hamster.
Allan: So he can morph?
It's just like a weird optical illusion. Once it gets close enough, you’re like, “Oh, ok, that’s a hamster”.
Addison: The idea is if you have a rock that looks like a hamster, you throw it on the ground in front of people and be like, “Oh, just kidding dude, that's a fucking rock”. You like shoot it or something and you're like, “Ah, that was a fucking rock, guys, chill”.
That's a good rationalization.
Addison: Yeah, because you can't- if it looks like a rock, but still is a hamster, you can't abuse it.
Simon: You can't put it in a sock and throw it around.
Addison: Yeah, exactly.
Mouse or squirrel, if you had to choose?
Addison: Squirrel. Oh, wait, I love mice…
Simon: Pet or barbeque?
Um, I guess that’s up to you.
Simon: Pet. I’m going to go with pet, and then answer… squirrel!
Allan: I’ve got a soft spot for Stuart Little. That's mice for me.
Simon: Actually, I rescind my answer, I hate squirrels, because one time I had to house sit and there was a flying squirrel and it bit the shit out of me. So, mouse.
Addison: Yeah, you gotta keep an eye on them if they’re airborne.
Simon: Yeah, I think that's a general rule for anything.
Do you guys have a favorite animal?
Addison: The sloth.
Simon: This is genuine and it sounds like a joke answer: hammerhead shark.
Allan: Red pandas.
Do you have any closing thoughts or things you want to say?
Addison: Kids our age are-
Simon: Kids our age?
Addison: Yeah, kids our age are all just like, “BLEHHHH”. And like, can we seriously just talk about the economic and political state of the world right now? (context)
Allan: BROOOOO!
Simon: That's deep right there. That’s deep.
Is that the end?
Addison: That’s it.
Simon: And keep going to shows, everyone who’s listening (reading)!
Thank you Inner City Witches, I love you guys. I’m super glad to be back in the St. Louis music scene meeting all these cool people and experiencing all this great music! Stay tuned for another big article next weekend, and seriously check out these guys’ music.
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