While “DIY or die” is just a corny slogan for some, Inner City Witches applies a punk ethos to every aspect of being in a band. From booking their own shows in basements around St. Louis to organizing regional tours through distant cities such as Chicago and Atlanta, this power trio performs its genre-bending post-hardcore songs with palpable passion and a sense of urgency. On October 10, Inner City Witches will celebrate their second studio album, The Law is Not in Heaven, with a big release show at Off Broadway alongside friends and like-minded musical artists.
“Being in a punk band, you maybe want to write something political to the best of your ability, but I think I’m a better storyteller than I am a preacher or something,” says Addison Wicks, guitarist, singer, and founding member of Inner City Witches. “I feel like this new album, after five years, yes this is what I wanted to write.”
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Five years ago was a weird time for everyone. As the world learned more about COVID-19 and concerts were put on hold, Wicks had just wrapped up his senior year of high school and, in his own words, “desperately wanted to start a band.” Between the first practice—where the group broke the ice by jamming Nirvana’s “Scentless Apprentice”—to playing at the Lemp Brewery for a frantic room full of folks who were just returning to shows after lockdown, Inner City Witches spent the better part of a year sculpting a distinct sound before performing live.
“We wanted to play shows a lot, but we had to get on people’s radar. That was hard, so we would just book our own house shows. When the bands that we asked to play our shows started playing at proper venues, they would then invite us along,” says Allan Stacy, bassist and audio engineer, who also mixes most of Inner City Witches’ recordings.
The trio went from DIY basement shows in University City to opening for Protomartyr at Off Broadway, and became very technically sound as they played a wide range of concert venues along the way. Released in February 2022, debut EP Collection offers a raw blueprint of Inner City Witches’ early approach to songwriting. The band followed up this initial drop only eight months later with Noir, a full-length album and self-proclaimed “experiment through the punk genre” that can be explored across 12 catchy-yet-chaotic tracks.
“Noir was the first time we had a definition. [Wicks] really learned how to sonically create one cohesive project. He’s really good at making songs that feel like part of a larger whole while also being really good by themselves. It’s been cool to watch the journey unfold and to play the basslines to that,” Stacy says.
Filled with propulsive beats by drummer Aaron Moore, Noir offers a set of songs that seamlessly blend visceral punk elements with a hyperactive and hypnotic sense of rhythm. While the band considers the album to be a major milestone, Wicks and company started exploring new ideas for the next project almost immediately—especially in regard to audio production.
“The new album is entirely DIY but still sounds good because [Stacy] was going to school at Webster University for audio engineering. We learned how to record a studio album by ourselves, just us and our friends helping us do it.” Wicks says.
Since Moore was living in Nashville at the time, Inner City Witches had to strategically map out long recording sessions that were few and far between. Despite all the variables involved, the new album sounds remarkably cohesive, which is even more surprising because the band changed drummers partway through tracking. The songs are split between Moore and the latest addition to the band, percussionist and rhythmic powerhouse Simon Avrushenko.
“We had to map out a consistent way of recording the album with very little help. We had to think about things like what type of mic we are going to use, and how far that mic is from an amp—just figuring out a workflow that works for us,” Wicks says.
From filling up their camera rolls with mic placements and board settings to heated conversations on Discord about subtle vocal effects, the band was fully immersed in the minutiae of songwriting and sound design.
“The studios were only available after 9 or 10 p.m. so we would stay up super late just finishing the songs bit by bit. I enjoyed the premise of taking [Wicks’] vision, and trying to portray it from a scientific perspective. The process allowed us to hone in on what we want people to hear,” Stacy says.
The Law is Not in Heaven is a concept album that traces the origin of a fictional tyrant to one of two possible ends. That’s right, there’s a bad ending and what Wicks refers to as a “better ending,” where the subject of the story reflects on the choices he made throughout the journey. The band also recorded five songs that didn’t quite fit with the themes of the new record, and those tracks were released back in April as a separate EP titled HOOF!
“I guess that’s a strange way to do things. Usually the b-sides come out after the album, but we decided to do that because I just wanted to get music out so bad,” Wicks says.
The Law is Not in Heaven was developed in a patient and gradual process with help from Spencer Soracco, Charlie Harly, and Mikail Deondre Sarich—friends of the band who also happen to be audio engineers. The cover design and additional collages were put together by the duo of Catherine and Tyler Hare, two visual artists whose textural sensibilities pair well with Inner City Witches’ dark and intricate aesthetic. The new album is a true communal effort with a close-knit crew of creatives at the center.
“Because I worked on my degree over all that time, it was genuinely a learning experience on all fronts. How much our process refined over those two years is night and day, and it’s really cool to have an album that reflects my journey in education and also as a musician,” Stacy says.
The new release marks a banner year for Inner City Witches, who have stayed busy in 2025 releasing music and performing packed shows all around the region. The trio plans to maintain its momentum with future tours.
The Friday, October 10, release party at Off Broadway also features performances by the Chandelier Swing, Buck Fever, and Shareholder.
