Falsely Accused harness the rage of the road on the revved-up ‘Witches’
New England alternative trio cruise down a gritty highway of desert rock heaviness with a new single out now!
NOW PLAYING: Listen to ‘Witches’ on Spotify
Falsely Accused set to release a new EP in January 2025
BOSTON, Mass. [October 18, 2024] – It’s happened to all of us, at one point or another, and we rarely see it coming. One minute we’re driving down a familiar roadway, making our way through the day, with all of life’s responsibilities and distractions swirling overhead; the next minute, we’re suddenly engaged with a lunatic in a car nearby, instantly caught in a road rage incident that can get violent at any moment. Maybe we accidentally cut that person off, or were not driving as fast as they’d like. The reason always soon fades into the chilling reality of the situation. And as they say, you never know who is behind the wheel of that other car – or what they’re about to do next.
For Falsely Accused, getting caught in a tense and confrontational road rage incident on an otherwise calm and unassuming day is at the core of the New England alternative rock band’s revved-up new single, “Witches,” out Friday, October 18. The gritty desert rock track follows last month’s blistering post-grunge single “A Drink Before the War,” and both songs will be featured on the trio’s forthcoming EP, set for release in January of next year.
Normally, releasing a single called “Witches” in October would allude to some spooky, Halloween-related themes. But for bassist and vocalist Matt Tavano, the origin story of these “Witches” is rooted in something far more scary – where a sense of dread from an impending physical confrontation is augmented by the fact that most of the general public is becoming increasingly unhinged.
“‘Witches’ is about a road rage incident I was involved in a couple years ago that quickly escalated into a roadside robbery,” Tavano admits. “As the scenario was playing out it seemed like violence was going to be unavoidable. But with a little luck, everyone went home in one piece, even the bad guys. It was, as they say, a wicked nail biter.”
Tavano won’t get too deep into the specifics beyond that. But one part of the tense ordeal stuck with him so much, he took it to the band – rounded out by Mike Azzolino on drums, percussion, and backup vocals; and Mark Young on guitar and backup vocals – and soon the seeds for what would become “Witches” were planted.
Things quickly shifted into overdrive.
“After cooling off a bit, I wrote down the words ‘I’ll see you in hell’ in the notebook where I keep lyric ideas,” he adds. “This really is the anchor point of the song. Then, I called Mark and asked if he could come up with a riff that sounded something like fire and brimstone. I was in that kind of mood, and I knew I could count on him. Once the music started coming together, the rest of the words followed quickly. With the music, we wanted to convey the intensity of being involved in a life or death situation.”
Where the explosive “A Drink Before the War” leaned into the Falsely Accused’s newfound heaviness, raising the volume on a post-grunge sound while steering away from the bluesy swamp rock muck heard on their 2021 debut album Compression, “Witches” finds a middle ground between the two eras. Both are linked by the power-riff for the emerging rock trio, which formed just before the pandemic as Young completed the lineup after Tavano and Azzolino were looking for a fresh start after a previous project faded out.
The hypnotic grind of “Witches” paves the way for a psychedelic effect on the listener, almost delivering an out-of-body experience, bringing the scene to a roadside drama as the tension drags forward with a sharp precision that belies its stoner rock crush. It’s bluesy, but also oddly forceful as it calmly accelerates over a succinct three-minute runtime.
Written and performed by Falsely Accused, “Witches” was recorded and engineered by Steve Aliperta at Kennedy Studios in Burlington, Massachusetts, and mastered by Dominik Honold at Protonaut Studios in Erkelenz, Germany.
“It's a good example of the blending of influences that we all bring to the table, and how we are not trying to be tied down to one particular sound,” Tavano notes. “When we took these songs into the studio our goal was to make them sound huge. We really wanted to fill space with this new sound we were creating.”
Falsely Accused are also filling spaces – and relaying stories – with the artwork that accompanies each single from the forthcoming EP. The “A Drink Before the War” single artwork boldly showed a shot glass filled with Woodford Reserve bourbon, snapped by Tavano at The Elephant Room in Austin, Texas; here, the art for “Witches” revs up closer to home – as the song’s theme implies.
It depicts Young’s 1966 Corvette Stingray, and sound effects from the car’s use on the highway add to the song’s built-in drama.
“When we wrote Compression, Mark told us he had a sound clip of his Stingray that he wanted to incorporate somewhere,” Tavano says. “We couldn't find a place for it then, but when we put together the concept for ‘Witches’ – a road trip turned violent – we knew we had the perfect spot for it. Footsteps on broken glass, the car door slamming shut, the Corvette engine revving and driving away, adds the perfect element of foreboding to what is one of the darkest songs on the record.”
Falsely Accused is:
Mike Azzolino: Drums, percussion, and backup vocals
Matt Tavano: Bass and lead vocals
Mark Young: Guitar and backup vocals
‘Witches’ production credits:
Written and performed by Falsely Accused
Recorded and Engineered by Steve Aliperta at Kennedy Studios in Burlington, MA
Mastered by Dominik Honold at Protonaut Studios in Erkelenz, Germany
‘Witches’ single artwork:
Artwork by Matt Tavano
Falsely Accused short bio:
Falsely Accused is an emerging alternative rock band in the Boston and greater New England area. The trio’s evolving style encompasses the energy of classic and modern rock and roll bands from Jimi Hendrix to The Black Keys, with a cultivated sound that is richly unique and entirely their own. Falsely Accused cite influences that range from early swamp blues and the edgier genres of hard rock to the life and lessons that surround them each and every day. The power trio consists of Mike Azzolino on drums and percussion and backup vocals; Matt Tavano on bass and lead vocals; and Mark Young on guitars and backup vocals. Debut album Compression arrived in 2021, followed by a holiday single the following year. A new single titled “A Drink Before the War” is due out in September 2024, followed by “Witches” the following month and a new EP in January 2025.
Media praise for Falsely Accused:
“‘A Drink Before the War’ acts as an anthem for those who face life’s battles alongside a partner… The song opens with a lo-fi riff and the crackle of vinyl, creating a calm before unleashing a powerful wall of sound. This buildup mirrors the theme of preparing for battle.” _New Noise Magazine
“A full glass of heavy, soulful alt-rock.” _The Whole Kameese
“‘A Drink Before the War’ sounds like that period in the mid 90's where grunge was starting to fade out but the music was still heavy. This is alt-rock inspired by grunge but starting to move on from the trappings of the genre. It’s like a less metal version of bands like Helmet and Quicksand, and the heavier side of a band like Hum. ‘A Drink Before the War’ is about as solid of a rock song as you’re going to get, and yes... it would make a great drinking song.” _If It’s Too Loud
“...at the very least you’ll end up with a new favorite song and band for 2024… [‘A Drink Before the War’ is] a mix of Alkaline Trio, Face To Face, and Sugar all at once but still uniquely Falsely Accused through and through.” _Rock And Roll Fables
“...a journey through the history of Fuzz-powered riff-Rock.” _Static Dive
“Falsely Accused is much more on the real gritty side of the heavy rock sound… Black Keys & such… a lil’ Zeppelin sprinkled in… some Queens, some Kyuss…that kinda vibe. For a debut, [Compression] is all-out spectacular…these guys are onto something significant with their band, sound, and style.” _Sleeping Bag Studios
“A single that acts as a transformative piece on the album, ‘Stay Gold’ is a brilliant shift from the caustic sounds of ‘Hellbound’ and ‘The Messenger’, delivering in their place a more expressive alt-rock and neo-blues sound. It’s a gorgeous piece of modern artistry, offering a unique glimpse into the band’s timeless inspirations, while also showcasing their own brilliant talents.” _Broken 8 Records
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