Los Angeles psych-punks Frankie and the Witch Fingers have been steadily building a reputation as one of the most electrifying live acts on the planet, this year evolving into a five-piece. With synthesizers and other mystery gadgets their new album Trash Classic is a full-tilt homage to the wild energy of early ‘80s new wave, repurposed through a modern lens of crypto scams and algorithmic overload.

Sharp guitars and sputtering synths meet in a frenzy of tight retro grooves, with lyrical themes that are gratifyingly punk, and the band’s embrace of modular keyboards is a triumph, with vibrant textures crackling with manic energy. The liner notes of the album detail which synths appear on which song with photographs, embracing a range of analog hardware over modern digital polish.

If chaos is the new normal, then Frankie and the Witch Fingers have chosen to transform the overload of the 2020s into infectious satirical dance music. With an unmissable UK tour on the way, we caught up with the band to find out more about their latest release:

The title Trash Classic, is it a nod to the old-school gear on the record?

Pickle –
Not really, it’s more of a societal commentary. We write about what we know, and what we see around us daily is that we are being suffocated by capitalism and mass-overconsumption. Everything is designed to break so that you'll buy more, more, more… There are influencers online tapping their nails on plastic trying to implant subliminal messages in you that you need to buy more single-use plastic garbage. The album title is more of a commentary on the fact that we are drowning in trash, and our society is trash, so the best thing we can do is try to find the beauty in it. Let’s sit atop our plastic avalanche and celebrate together.

Josh –
That wasn't our intention, but I like that. Most of our gear is kind of trash anyway.

Dylan –
Nick and Josh actually came up with the title while we were tracking at Tiny Telephone. We were just throwing around name ideas between takes in the control room. But now that you mention it, we were surrounded by a ton of old-school gear, so it probably seeped into their thinking for sure.

I remember being really excited when they landed on that title. To me, it really fit what we were already doing. It tied together a lot of the lyrical themes we had going and also it brought up a ton of new ideas of where we could go with things sonically and visually. One of those “oh that’s definitely it because I’m very excited by it” ideas.

What inspired the move to include so many synths?

Josh –
Over the last few years I’ve sort of gravitated away from guitars and towards the synths. Synthesizers are fun as hell. The frequency spectrum is way wider, you always stumble into new sonic territories. In the past we’ve sprinkled them throughout the record, this time around we wanted to bring them to the forefront. That’s not to say I’ve lost my love for guitars, just that now we are in an open relationship.

Dylan –
It kind of fell into place naturally. Josh has been getting more and more into synths since the pandemic. He borrowed a friend’s MOOG Grandmother and dove into it by recording a lovely synth instrumental record under the name Dopplerkind called Bleep Bloop. We’d been sprinkling synths onto our records for a while since even before then, mostly as background textures. Josh was playing the Grandmother live for a few years. After Data Doom we were craving a fresh palette. We were listening to a lot of new wave, synth punk, and even some early industrial stuff and I think we were excited by the idea of making a record where synths are front and center.

On top of that, we’d been itching to write something that required a fifth member to cover keys and other parts. That’s how our buddy Jon Modaff came in. We’ve always loved making music with him, but our schedules hadn’t lined up in a while. Now he’s a permanent fifth member, ripping all the synth lines live and other instruments too. Having him around has opened up a world of possibilities for future records, synths and beyond.

Pickle –
We love to experiment! We’re always trying to change things up and add new fun textures and find different things that inspire us. Adding synths was an exciting way to branch out and do something different and new. Plus, it just sounds freaking cool.

Can you talk about what makes this analog kit so special? Have you got any favourite pieces of kit?

Dylan –
Old gear has quirks and personality that you don’t get today. On this record, I really loved this Mini Moog Model D they had at Tiny Telephone, it got a lot of use. To me, it sounded rich and alive compared to the newer Subsequent Moog. Like some antique machine waking up. They both worked well as different textures. But I just got a kick out of hearing that thing in action. There’s also a connection to the past. Those early Gary Numan and Devo synths sounded like homemade alien tech. I think that’s what excites me when I listen to music these days. When the sounds feel like they come from another planet. Usually analog gear is a good way to make sure that happens.

Nick –
I’ve been using this drum kit for about 8 years now. It’s a Ludwig Classic Maple. Having it wrapped green (shout out @concert_coin) to match the theme of Trash Classic has been icing on the cake. It’s a very dynamic sounding kit, and it’s never let me down. It’s great for live gigs and recording. I love my snare drum the most, although it’s not a Ludwig - it’s a brass Tama Starclassic snare that I’ve had for about 12 years now. It’s powerful as all hell, like a nuclear bomb.

What’s the core concept(s) tying the record together?

Josh –
Societal decay, the disposable nature of seemingly everything these days.

Pickle –
The core themes are about technology, capitalism, apocalypse, and struggle, but there’s an optimism infused into it if you listen hard enough.

Dylan –
There’s a bunch of textures and weird little artifacts we intentionally littered throughout the record. We spent countless hours experimenting and manipulating sounds to add in once the basic tracks were recorded and the bones of the songs were there. During the first sessions, Maryam Qudus, who engineered and produced with us, was always running a few mics through something wild like an Eventide effects rack or this weird soviet looking metal box. Half the time, she did this covertly and we wouldn’t know what she was doing, but we ended up with these insane tracks of drums or other instruments smashed, delayed, or just fucked up in some way. During the mixing process, we wanted to add as much of those jarring textures wherever they would fit. We were aiming for a sort of trashy pop-up book of sounds. Little surprises that jump out every time you listen. Some of them definitely require repeat spins to catch.

You’ve been through some lineup changes in the past few years, can you tell us what your new members have brought into the fold?

Dylan –
For sure, I mean I don’t really see them as new members, because we’ve spent so much time together on the road already, and everyone is a vital part of what makes the band work. Like for example, Jon, who’s technically the newest. He doesn’t feel new because we’ve been friends and playing together for so long now and I can’t imagine doing this without him, we’ve been plotting together on what the next record should be like and getting excited to write together in this new capacity. Pickle had been helping us behind the scenes for years before officially joining the band. Once she hopped in, we got way more organized. She’s put a ton of effort into the visual side of things and also she’s shaped the band’s sound with her rock solid style of bass playing. Nick’s the same in a different way, he’s organized and he keeps us motivated, young, and scrappy. His drumming has definitely influenced our sound the most. I think we took a pretty sharp couple of turns once he joined, which has been fun. Nick has turned me on to tons of new music because he’s basically a walking encyclopedia. Everyone brings their own important strengths to the overall organism of the band, past members included, and I think that is what has kept Josh and I inspired all these years.

Pickle –
I joined the band in 2020 and Nick joined in 2021, then we added Jon towards the end of last year in 2024. It may seem like it’s a new lineup, but I feel like I’ve been here since the beginning. I was supporting the band from side-stage since 2015, so I don’t feel so new :-) Nick definitely brought a lot of young, vital energy to the band and I think it comes across in our sound. Jon was like the final piece of the puzzle and he had already played with us on drums back in 2021 for a tour, so it was easy to want to bring him back. He’s a very talented multi-instrumentalist and I think he really rounds out the sound. I can’t wait to write a record together and see how we all coagulate in that setting together.

How collaborative is the songwriting? There’s a real tightness to the grooves, are the songs jammed together over time?

Pickle –
Songwriting is very collaborative and everyone gets a chance to add ideas to the mix. There’s always a lot of jamming and crafting that happens together as we write. It’s a long, but fun process.

Dylan –
Yea, it’s very collaborative. We have a pretty varied process when it comes to writing as far as where an idea starts, but there’s always a point in which we jam on an idea over and over and over together. And then we’ll usually record it, talk about it, and then jam it out even more until we’re either really excited about it or want to throw it in the garbage.

Nick –
I would say that the songwriting is like a building block process. Someone comes up with a little thing - a riff, drum pattern, bassline, and we usually just build from there. Sometimes Dylan or Josh come to practice with almost full-fleshed out ideas, but they almost always change. Nothing ever seems perfect right away.

Pickle –
Songwriting is very collaborative and everyone gets a chance to add ideas to the mix. There’s always a lot of jamming and crafting that happens together as we write. It’s a long, but fun process.

What’s the deal with this very specific shade of green that’s taken over your world lately?

Pickle –
Oh you mean, TRA$H CLAS$C™ BIOHAZARD GRE€N? Haha, I just made that up? All our artwork is masterminded by the great Jordan Warren. I think he must have pulled it from the toxic ooze dumped in the River Thames in London.

Dylan –
The color palette for the record came together pretty early on in the writing process. We were thinking about the look of things without really having a set plan, and from there it just mushroomed. Bringing more of that toxic look to the stage has been rad, and it was a real team effort. Our friends JT and Allison wrapped Nick’s drums in green and made all the graphics for our amp grills and kick drum heads. Aja, who used to tour with us, hooked us up with the neon green cables we’re using. Visually, I love it because it kind of solidifies the idea that we’re all one organism on stage, which is a huge part of our ethos as a band. It also gives me a warm fuzzy nostalgia for the slime and ooze of my childhood.

With more touring on the way, what can people expect from a Frankie and the Witch Fingers live show?

Nick –
Controlled chaos.

Dylan –
A lot of chaos, a lot of sweat. I keep chipping my teeth stage diving so maybe some teeth shards as well.

Pickle –
I hope people are ready to move their asses. We are here to dance! If you’re not moving, we will probably have to poke you with a fork to make sure you’re awake! It’s either dance or fork, that’s the rule!

Jon –
People can definitely expect a healthy salt and peppering of both old material and new. You can expect the regulatory amount of motivation for skull crushing with a side of rump shaking.

Josh –
We will show you our songs.

Do you have any favourite venues or festivals you’ve played in the UK in the past?

Jon –
As for venues, I’ve always enjoyed playing The Cluny in Newcastle. There always seems to be this mysterious and aged vibe that comes with Newcastle and especially the whole zone surrounding The Cluny. The venue itself, particularly the lower-ground section, is amazing. As for fests I’d have to say that Wide Awake was up there for me. It’s a name I’ve recognized over the years and have always seen so many bands and artists I admire play.

Dylan –
We played Wide Awake and that was pretty sick. A bunch of our friend’s bands played, so we got to goof around with our buds in Wine Lips and Psychedelic Porn Crumpets who both played top notch sets. We just played Bristol for the first time at a killer spot called Strange Brew and despite being sick as a damn dog that was a killer sold out show. We’ve got a lot of friends across the UK, so we’re always itching to come back and see everyone.

Pickle –
We had a really fun time at Wide Awake Festival. And we really always have a blast in London. I’m pretty pumped to get back there soon!

Nick –
Oslo in the Hackney district was incredible. I also love playing at the skatepark in Manchester - it’s always a wild crowd there. Flying Duck in Glasgow is always a treat as well.

Josh –
I really enjoy the Brudenell Social Club. Delicious pies. Although, I do not recommend eating one within an hour of your set time, you’ll feel stapled to the stage.

What is the ultimate goal of Frankie and the Witch Fingers?

Dylan –
Total World Domination. No, I mean fun? I think we all want to have fun and we want the people who pay money to come hangout with us or listen to us to have fun too. I’m speaking personally of course, but I think everyone in the band is pretty into fun. So yea, let’s go with fun as the ultimate goal.

Pickle –
I think the ultimate goal of the band is to rock so incredibly hard that we all spontaneously combust together on stage. We attempt this every time. I think it’d be a great send-off and actually kind of romantic if we all perish together in the throes of a rock-gasm. I can’t really think of a better way to go.

Nick –
Definitely to take over the world.