When indie-punk duo Witch Weather decided to channel their favorite 80s goth music into their self-titled album, they didn’t realize that songs old and new would fit the vibe.

Lead vocalist and guitarist Kaitlynn Autumn began writing and recording music in her basement in 2013, and songs dating back to 2016 have made the final cut for the album.

They released the single “Hazy” earlier this year, saying that it took about a year of sitting on it and thinking about it before one day deciding that a demo needed to be recorded at that very moment.

“Normally songs do take us a decent bit of thought, but that one even more so than the others,” Autumn said. “Finding the structure for this song was really challenging and figuring out quite exactly what we wanted to do.”

The end result was both rewarding and relieving. Not only did they struggle perfecting it, but the band itself was in the process of changing from a trio to a duo. Bassist Juliann Frances said that it had put them in a slump, but once they saw the vision of where they wanted the band to go, it was a confidence booster.

“It wasn’t until we were literally in the studio that we finally heard what the song actually sounds like, which was a rewarding moment for everybody involved,” Frances said.

Another song that took its time getting to the end result was “Trying”, the first song off their self-titled album. It was originally written long before the formation of Witch Weather, and the plan was always to have the song be the lead single for an album. It almost made it on two other projects, one of which ended in corrupted files and the other which was mostly scrapped. Their want for the single was consistent, however, and it finally found its permanent home.

Their first EP, New Moon, centered around the singular story of one night through the eyes of a coven of witches. It was the definition of a quarantine EP: written over Google Drive, sending files back and forth from their homes. This time around, they wanted to focus less on a storyline.

“Rather than going for this story theme, I feel like we went more for a sound and a vibe than anything else,” Frances said. “A lot of it is very existentialist, and it’s the angriest we’ve ever been. It’s just this feeling that people can connect with.”

“Listening through the whole thing, front to back, feels very cathartic to me,” Autumn added. “It’s all very emotional. I think by the end of the album, by the time you get through it, it feels like you went on a whole little journey, which feels a little bit cliche to say, but that’s how I feel about it.”

They are unbelievably proud of what they have been able to accomplish with this album, and speak excitedly about several songs that they are excited for fans to hear. Frances is excited for “Don’t Need”, a song they released earlier this year but was reimagined for the album.

“It’s probably the angriest one,” she said. “We’re both screaming our voices to death, and 10/10 do not recommend, but it sounds cool. I think that’s going to be a fun one for people.”

“Trying” was also reimagined for the album, and they feel like it is finally in a place where they have done it justice. They also agree that “Goth Beach Party” is one they are most excited for fans to hear, although they could name every song and give a reason for why they love it.

Witch Weather found songs that made them the happiest, challenged them creatively and gave them a chance to shine. Now they give these songs to the world, with the intention of connecting with others as much as these songs connected with them.