V Premiere: Glass Battles’ New Track Give us all the Witchy Vibes

Glass Battles just released a new track from his forthcoming album.

If this summer has you feeling like you might explode over the next gram of a happy-hour-turned-beach day-turned-full-on-topical-vacation, then there’s a chance you fall into the goth-punk category. There’s an even better chance that you’re itching for something a little more… witchy. Allow L.A.-based musician Glass Battles to fill that void.

Glass Battles, the brainchild of singer-songwriter and producer Sean Augustine, just released the third single off his upcoming album, GLITCHCRAFT. The album is broken into four so-called “identities,” The Tempter, The Empath, The Protector and The Witch. Glass Battles’ new single, “Septilizine”, falls into the last.

The genre-bending artist has had some fun promoting The Witch archetype on his Instagram. “I was inspired to take the typically gothic, black-clothing and industrial clichés of what people usually associate with the witch archetype and flip on its head with something inspired by Swedish Midsommar, an otherwise lovely, sunlit festival that stems from centuries of ties to Nordic-pagan rituals,” the artist said in a statement. “Like if an Abercrombie ad was actually more sinister than what you see around Halloween.” This ingenuity isn’t exclusive to his promotion. It’s present in the music, as well.

Just 17 seconds into “Septilizine,” the suspense of a hauntingly seductive orchestra is broken by Glass Battles’ vocals. What follows is an Evanescence-esque sound. Augustine has coined his sound “spooky pop,” a sonic embodiment of his fascination with ghost stories, UFOs and the occult.

The track is everything a ’90s punk kid could ever want—bass so loud it’s scratchy, full-bodied, theatrical vocals and an infectious beat. It’s even more impressive considering the artist’s self-made background. He mastered his craft on the free 30-day trial periods of various production programs. We’ve all been there, but very few of us with such success. Glass Battles has now played at SXSW festival for four consecutive years, after booking his first slot by pretending to be his own manager on a cold-call to the festival.

Listen to the “Septilizine” below.

Discover More