All Them Witches

All Them Witches are a Nashville, United States group active since 2012. The line-up includes Christian Powers, Allan Van Cleave, Ben McLeod, Charles Michael Parks, Jr., and Robby Staebler. They work across blues, blues rock, desert rock, jam band, psychedelic and psychedelic rock, and are also described as drawing on stoner rock, garage rock, stoner metal and progressive space rock.

Style and influences

The band build a DIY sound around bluesy, neo-psychedelic rock, with elements of doom, folk, space rock and hard riffing. Their music is linked to influences from Dr. John and Mississippi blues musician Junior Kimbrough through to Black Sabbath and progressive metal. They are also described as moving between bluesy riffs, folk tales, spacey psychedelia, mystic folk and doomy ambience.

Origin of the name

Their name comes from the book of witchcraft All of Them Witches, which appears in the 1968 film Rosemary’s Baby.

Releases and development

The band form in 2012 and quickly release their debut album, Our Mother Electricity, which features a heavy mix of stoner rock guitars and bass, Rhodes and forceful rhythmic drumming. Their 2013 follow-up Lightning At The Door brings a more mysterious groove and atmosphere and includes the track When God Comes Back, which becomes one of their best-known songs.

In 2015 they release a live album that includes a cover of Albert King’s Born Under A Bad Sign. Their third studio album, Dying Surfer Meets His Maker, follows and includes the opener Call Me Star and the closing piece Blood And Sand/Milk And Endless Waters. A 2016 live release recorded in Brussels features older songs and a cover of Abner Jay’s My Middle Name Is The Blues.

Sleeping Through The War, released in 2017, is produced by Dave Cobb and is noted for a more spacious, atmospheric sound. In 2018, the self-titled ATW appears as the band’s first release without a keyboard player after Jonathan Draper leaves. The album moves between groovy stoner riffs and blues influence, and ends with Rob’s Dream.

Nothing As The Ideal is recorded at Abbey Road Studios and is described as their heaviest album to that point, while still including softer songs such as Everest and Rats in Ruin. The single 1X1 has a related sound. The group also announce the departure of founding drummer Robby Staebler in 2024.

Membership changes

Allan Van Cleave appears as keyboardist and violinist and leaves around the time of the 2016 live release, with Jonathan Draper replacing him on keyboards. Ben McLeod is credited on guitar and formerly vocals, while Charles Michael Parks, Jr. handles vocals, bass and guitar. Robby Staebler is credited as drummer and founding member.