The Witchy Djypsies’ On Finding Their Sound, Touring WA, and Chasing the Festival Dream

A jubilant and bustling cinematic explosion of gypsy ska and western hues arrive 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. 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. Joana Lavole gives Hi Fi Way more insight to the inner workings of this band.

Congratulations on the new single! You must be pretty stoked with how it turned out?
Yes, we are. It’s been a while, we had that one tucked away in our bag of magic tricks. It’s always good to see a song finally born online. Now that it’s out, we can move on to something else.

As an independent band, is it tough balancing creativity with work, life and everything else?
Absolutely. You’ve nailed it. We started out as travellers, busking, no structured work life, no taxes. We had so much time to create. But as the band grew professionally, it became more of a business. Life changed, people had babies. Music takes longer to get out now, but we take our time with recordings and give them our best. This track was recorded two years ago, and we’ve evolved since then as people and musicians. There are always thoughts like “I wish we’d added the new outro,” but honestly, I’m really happy with this one.

Do you ever pinch yourself seeing the band grow and get more attention?
We’re in constant awe, really. Just being able to do this weird thing we call music, and to be recognised for it, is magic. Making people dance is one of the best feelings of being alive. Live performance is amazing. The more fun we have as a group, the more fun the audience has. We joke about still doing the bopping songs when we’re old, knees tired, needing intermissions mid-gig, but we’ll never stop.

What’s the story behind the new single? Is there a message you’re trying to get across?
The last two tracks we’ve released have been inspired by mental health. It’s a big topic, being alive on this planet can be overwhelming. There was one quiet night, around 2am, I was outside chain-smoking cigarettes. It was silent outside, but inside my head it was like a drum line of chaotic thoughts. I wanted to capture that in a song, something people could relate to. We gave it a western feel, like you’re on horseback watching your thoughts spiral. It needed to sound layered, intricate, overwhelming, but still powerful.

How do you describe your sound? There are clearly a lot of influences.
Yeah, we had to create our own genre name, we couldn’t fit into any boxes. We come from really different backgrounds, and we wanted to celebrate that in the music. We wanted to offer something people haven’t heard before,something that makes them say “What is this? I want more.” We started with gypsy influences, covering French classics and swing, especially inspired by Django Reinhardt. Then came ska, we love the bopping energy from bands like Madness. Ska gigs give us joy, and that’s what we want our music to do: bring joy, power, and movement. Lately we’ve brought in heavier sounds, electric guitar, punchy brass, big drums, a touch of punk. I’ve started yelling more on the mic. So now we’re leaning into gypsy punk ska, or Gypsy Ska Punk, whatever you want to call it. We even throw in a bit of tango or nova.

So how did the band come together? It sounds like quite a journey.
Oh man, it is. I was on the East Coast when I first arrived in Australia. I ended up at a bush doof in Menzies Map through a friend, and that’s where I met Sam, our guitarist. He brought me back to his community in Witchcliffe. That’s where the name Witchy Djypsies comes from. One day I was jamming quietly on my guitar, not expecting anything, I’d never been in a band before. Sam and our former accordion player, Roma, saw me and said, “Let’s try something.” We were all French, just picking fruit in the mornings and jamming in the afternoons. We started with French jazz and took it to the streets, busking at Coles, Woolies, markets. People loved it. We got offered a wedding gig at a winery after only four days busking. When we finished, we looked at each other and knew we were onto something.

From there, we met Dennis (now our bass player) at a festival. We really needed a bassist, and he was perfect. We moved to Perth, added some French musicians, and built a bigger format with accordion and extra guitar, but those players had to leave due to visas and life plans. Then came Chris (our baritone sax player), James (our drummer, he’s Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts trained with a jazz soul), and finally Leo. We saw Leo at a gig when we desperately needed a second guitarist before a tour. He had incredible sliding guitar skills and we asked him, “What are you doing next week? Want to come on a six-week tour up north?” And he did. Since then, the crew’s been solid. No one wants to leave. It was a long journey to build this six-piece, but the musicians who’ve played with us along the way helped shape our sound, and we’re so grateful for that.

When the band reached its final six-member lineup, what were the early jam sessions like as you started shaping the sound?
So much fun. We play really fast sometimes, that’s kind of our thing and Leo would jump in like, “Whoa!” because the strumming got pretty wild. But everyone who joined later really connected with what we were trying to build. For me, the band has to feel like a family first. That way, we’re connected, jamming together, cheering each other on during solos. It’s not just performing, it’s a shared experience. We can play to three people and still have the best time. That energy is what we try to make visible through our music.

Does that vibe carry through into your songwriting process?
Absolutely. I’m surrounded by absolute geniuses. I might come in with a few lyrics and a melody, even if my English is a bit clunky, I’m French, so it’s not always easy to express what I want. But then Sam will jump in with a chorus idea, Leo’s like “that picking works,” Dennis and Chris offer verses, it’s magic. It’s a collaborative process all the way. We need each other to create these bangers.

Are you working toward an album or focusing on releasing singles for now?
We’ve got about six songs in the bank, but it’s a process, comping, mixing, mastering, so probably another two years before the next album. There’ll be singles in the meantime. We’ve got a baby coming soon in the band, but we’re determined to keep pushing music out. We’d love to play more spots around WA too.

Has the band’s sound evolved much since you started?
Oh, definitely. Our first album, Gypsyland, is up on Spotify, it’s really cute! But it doesn’t have the fat, loud sound we strive for now. We’re a live act, and capturing that energy on an EP is tough. So that’s a big focus. We’ve been doing fast stuff for a while, but we’re also interested in evolving into something smoother. As a vocalist, I’m basically spitting out lyrics, I’d love to explore being a jazz band or even a reggae band someday. We already build breaks into our songs where jazz, blues, and reggae elements sneak in. It’s all about blending whatever makes us happy. We’ve grown a lot musically, and it’s exciting seeing everyone blossom in the band.

Would you like to tour nationally?
We’d love to! WA is amazing, so many great bands and venues. We’ve toured all over here, from Broome to Albany. WA has this magic circuit: drive four hours, boom, next venue. But taking the whole circus on the road nationally is a challenge. The east coast feels like unexplored land for us. So many artists, so many festivals, plus more international acts. We’ve applied to a few, but it’s competitive. I think our band is one you need to see live to get what we’re about. The recordings are great and I’m proud of them, but live is where the magic happens. Our dream is to play a festival, get noticed, and build connections from there.

What’s the plan moving forward? Are you looking to release singles every couple of months, or get some touring happening soon?
Yeah, so myself and Dennis, he’s our bassist, we co-manage the band. He’s about to become a father in August, so things will slow down a bit for us in the lead-up to summer. He needs time to bond with his child, and even though his partner is super supportive, like “go and play, do your thing,” we don’t want to take him away from that. I want him to be able to focus on being a dad, not just the band’s dad. We still want to tour and release more music, but it takes a lot of work. Everyone’s busy with their careers. Personally, it’s been a full-on year, so I haven’t been able to do everything I’d hoped. The dream would be to have a manager who does all the dirty work behind the scenes, but we’re not there yet.

Is there another release planned before the year wraps up?
That’s the hope. We’d love to drop another track before the end of the year. During summer, there are heaps of festivals here, we’ve applied for Woodford, so fingers crossed!

Any plans to hit the eastern states?
Maybe for New Year’s Eve, that would be amazing. Honestly, going to the East Coast has been in our hearts for so long. We want to do Adelaide, Melbourne, head all the way up to Cairns. We even started dreaming about renting a bus and doing a full tour. But with everyone working, it’s hard to go away for too long, and things are expensive. We have big dreams and plenty of goals. But right now, we’re focused on the track we just released, getting it out there and spreading the word. Maybe that opens some new doors.

Interview By Rob Lyon

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