We Kill Cowboys have cemented their place in the industry this year, with a string of impressive live shows and their highly anticipated new album Back From The Dead soon on the way. Continuing with this show of force, their latest single “Burn the Witch” is a fuzz-meets-hard-rock track underpinned by a powerful and unapologetic message.
The song’s narrative taps into this story of the Salem Witch Trials, where women were accused of and executed for witchcraft. By witchcraft they of course meant behaviour deemed unacceptable for women at the time. Reclaiming the dark side of womanhood, We Kill Cowboys revisit this sad point in our history with care and resilience.
Vocalist Alex Muller explains, “It’s about embracing the power within, finding acceptance in one’s femininity, trusting one’s intuition, and breaking generational cycles. Letting out the rage.”
That rage is unleashed with drummer Andrew Middelkoop’s guttural scream near the track’s end—a thrilling, cathartic surprise that drives home the song’s energy.
Accompanied by a gothic-themed video, Alex, clad in black, channels dark feminine energy as haunting black and brown tones amplify the track’s tonal ambience. The imagery perfectly encapsulates the traits women have historically been crucified for—intuition, strength and rags.
Alex sums it up: “The challenges women have faced since the beginning of time, being victimised, ostracised, and literally burnt alive. The song isn’t only expressing these challenges from a societal or physical perspective, but also an emotional, personal and spiritual perspective.”
This sentiment makes for a compelling and memorable song that reminds women to stand in their power, no matter what it looks like.
