From Basement DIY to Sonic Pioneers: The Frankie and the Witch Fingers Journey
Frankie and the Witch Fingers have built a reputation as one of the most electrifying bands in modern psych-rock, fusing garage grit with expansive, mind-bending soundscapes. From their early days in Bloomington’s DIY basement scene to their evolution into a genre-blurring powerhouse, the band has never stopped pushing boundaries. Over the years, their music has absorbed elements of krautrock, funk, and experimental textures, all while maintaining the raw energy that made them a force to begin with.
With a new album on the horizon, we caught up with the band to talk about their journey—from basement shows to recording at legendary studios, the impact of lineup changes, and what fans can expect next. Read on as Dylan Sizemore, Josh Menashe, Nikki Pickle, Nick Aguilar, and the newest addition, Jon Modaff, share insights into their creative process, influences, and the ever-evolving sonic world of Frankie and the Witch Fingers.
1. Frankie and the Witch Fingers began in Bloomington’s basement show scene. How did that DIY environment shape your sound and approach to music in the early days?
Dylan Sizemore – Bloomington was a great place to cut your teeth. I think it was just people in a small town making shit and throwing house shows for no other reason than to have fun. I didn’t really know what I was doing at all, but I knew I liked it, and other people didn’t really care if you didn’t know anything because they were figuring it out too. Most of the time, we were rolling/speeding our faces off anyway, so there was always a bit of chaos happening. Some people definitely had it figured out more than others, so you kind of learned from them. When I met Glenn and Josh, they showed me their recording process and brought me into that world. There was a lot of that – sharing resources, passing around whatever knowledge you had, and figuring it out along the way.
Josh Menashe – It was everything! Back then we were so excited to have anywhere to play, and basement shows had a certain energy that is hard to match. The approach back then was to get people’s attention and get people moving by being as loud and energetic as possible. I think a lot of those characteristics shaped our sound to this day.
Nikki Pickle – No matter what happens for the band in the future, I know we will always have a DIY mindset. The band started out playing in basements, and that self-propelled ethos has never changed. Making art with your friends is where it started and it’s written into the core of the band.
2.Over the years, your music has expanded from garage rock and surf music to incorporating psychedelic, krautrock, and funk influences. What drives these sonic shifts, and how do you decide the direction for each new album?
Nick Aguilar – I think it’s safe to say that we all collectively don’t try to overthink what direction we’re going in and wait for whatever feels right. All of us are constantly listening to a lot of different kinds of music, so I think whenever we get together to write, those influences come out and when we find a feeling that works the best, we roll with it.
Nikki Pickle – I think we tend to make the music that we would want to listen to. So, each shift in genre that we end up messing around with, ends up channeling aspects of whatever genre we are listening to at that time. We have conversations here and there about things we would like to explore next in our songwriting, but mainly we are just jamming and writing whatever type of music turns us on at that time.
3.You’ve worked with various engineers, such as Zachary James and Kevin Mills, and even recorded at Studio 666. How do these collaborations influence the final product of your music, and what has been the most memorable recording session?
Josh Menashe – We’ve had the luxury of switching up studios for each of our last 5 albums and every time is a unique rewarding experience. Anytime you collaborate with another artist or engineer, something really special happens. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts for sure. Most recently we were lucky enough to work with the amazing Maryam Qudus up at Tiny Telephone Studios in Oakland. She really did a great job of capturing out natural sound while also weirding it up a bunch, which is exactly what we wanted!
4. Moving from Bloomington to Los Angeles marked a significant chapter for the band. What challenges and opportunities came with that transition, and how has the city influenced your music and creative process?
Josh Menashe – It was like moving from a pond to a giant ocean. There was definitely a transitional period. We went from living in affordable houses where we could play anytime, to needing a practice space and commuting to rehearse. That process sort of forced us to lock in a bit more. We were fortunate enough to link up with Lance Barresi and Permanent Records who released our first 4 albums and that opened up a ton of doors. We really owe a lot to Lance!
5. With Nikki Pickle and Nick Aguilar joining in recent years, how has the dynamic of the band changed? Can you share any insights about your next album and what fans can expect in 2025 and beyond?
Dylan Sizemore – Pickle definitely brings a lot of funk and stank to the bass department – that’s her jam. She’s also trained in a lot of different mediums and has a sharp eye for design, so she’s helped us make a lot of really interesting art and merch. She’s super business-savvy too and has helped us keep things organized and headed in the right direction as we grow. Nick is a beast behind the kit and kind of an Energizer Bunny cut from the punk world. He somehow manages to juggle a million things at once without half-assing any of it, and that energy and drive has been a life-force for sure. He’s also a straight-up music archivist and has turned us all on to some killer records.
We just added Jon Modaff to the family too. He toured with us on drums a few years ago, but now he’s holding it down on keys and whatever else he gets his hands on. He’s a mad scientist multi-instrumentalist with a ton of experience making all kinds of different compositions, so I’m really excited to write more music with him. He’s also the chillest, most thoughtful little Zen Buddha of a dude, and having that kind of energy around is always a joy.
The next record is coming out soon. We spent pretty much all of last year working on it, and even before that, we were writing – so it’s been a big project. It’s damn exciting to finally have it coming out. I can say there’s a lot of synths and weird, trashy textures on this one, and to me, it feels more punky and wiry. We’ll be announcing real soon, so keep your eyes peeled!
