We had the privilege of speaking with Witch N, the talented vocalist, bassist, and violin player of ERNTE, a Swiss Black Metal band. In our conversation, Witch N illuminated us with her unique musical perspective, providing insights into ERNTE’s music and their latest release. Moreover, she recounted an empowering encounter where she confronted and overcame sexism. Read this interview to learn more about ERNTE and Witch N.
Hello! I’m happy to be chatting with you. How are you doing?
Hi, I am doing fine! Thank you for your interest in ERNTE and in my person. Nice to talk to you.
Anytime! Last month you released your new album “Albsegen”. How are you feeling about the way it was received by your fans?
It is now exactly a month that “Albsegen” has been released, and we are more than happy about the big support and great reception of our second album so far. We gained a lot more listeners and supporters since the debut album “Geist und Hexerei” – at this point thank you to everyone who bought our music so far!
That’s great. How would you describe ERNTE’s approach and style of Black Metal to someone who hasn’t heard you before?
It is at the same time very traditional and original Black Metal mostly in mid-tempo with a lot of blasts and hatefully sick vocals. We are true worshippers of the 90s wave but we do like breaking new ground as well.
What are some ideas and concepts that you were able to talk about in “Albsegen” that people would relate to?
ERNTE captures real-world hate and frustration while calling back to a distant past with an invoking of old energies and spirits.
In order to get to know you better and from a different point of view, how about playing an imagination game? I will set a scenario in an alternate universe with new rules and see how you’d react to the different situations. Ready?
Ok, let’s try this.
In a universe where you are the queen of a country, what would be the first law you’d make?
End patriarchy and capitalism.
In a universe where humans can choose either to be able to teleport from one place to another or travel back and forth in time, which superpower would you pick?
Definitely the second option, I always wanted to be able to travel in time.
In a universe where you’re the statue of liberty, what object would you be holding instead of a torch?
Frankly speaking, I like the torch, because I like fire. But maybe a crescent to symbolize the rising female power?
In a universe where money does not exist, but instead, people pay for things by making other people laugh, how rich would you be considered?
Not the richest but neither the poorest person. I am not an especially funny person to be honest…
In a universe where the senses of taste and hearing are mixed up together, what food would you imagine your music would taste like?
Hm… very interesting but difficult question… I would say ERNTE would taste spicy.
Makes sense because I love spicy food. In a universe where a theme song plays whenever you wake up announcing the start of your day, what would your song be?
Bathory: Enter the eternal fire
Thank you for playing! I hope you enjoyed this!
We live in an era where social media has become essential for musicians to reach fans and promote their music. In your opinion, what are the cons and pros of social media having all that power in the music industry?
The most important pro is for sure that you can reach so many people all over the world in a very short time, and they can listen to your songs and contact you whenever they want. But: capitalism isn’t far away, and by now it has become a big business with pay-for-promotion shit which I deeply despise. In my opinion, the cons are more numerous in our digital world, such as ridiculously low earnings with digital music, no or not enough control over author copyrights, and no more sense for the value of true art and their physical existence.
Have you ever faced any kind of sexism in your professional or personal life? How would you deal with sexist behaviour and what advice would you give young people worldwide who face any kind of discrimination?
Oh yes I do – as probably every woman you would ask. Even if it was masked as a joke, it’s so needless and stupid. The worst thing was a guy who threw me out of a band because I was pregnant. He said, “as a mother you will not go on stage anyway, so it’s the best thing you leave now”. What the fuck? Today I am a mother of 2 children and still have 2 bands and regularly play live – so what do we learn from this? Just continue your chosen path and prove them all wrong!
Thank you for sharing this inspiring experience and thank you for giving us this interview. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Just be true to yourself and don’t ever damage your natural environment – nature will take her revenge, and it will be relentless!
Being a feminist has been normalized as an irregularity through our patriarchal society, so I'd rather be called a "decent human" than a "feminist man". I breathe Metal and Rock and have a screwed-up sense of humour.
