Purple Witch of Culver is a unique meeting of forces by Sarah Safaie and Evan Taylor, the Echo Park-based duo exploring a diverse cross-section of music and poetry.
Interview conducted October 27, 2020
By Dan Locke
Purple Witch of Culver, the duo of singer and saxophonist Sarah Safaie and multi-instrumentalist Evan Taylor, have a piece that had me thinking back to the lofts and clubs of New York. It’s called “Trig” and is a poetic tune addressing the turbulent state of the world and the notion that we need to come together.
Sarah- You were raised on Bebop and straight-ahead jazz before the obsession with Parliament-Funkadelic Kicked in. What is your upbringing? How did you discover music?
I grew up listening to my mom’s cassette tapes, many of which she had ripped from her vinyl collection from the 70’s and 80’s– Blondie, DEVO, The Beatles, Brian Eno, Talking Heads, NIN, Nirvana. All the good stuff. I basically discovered music by listening to her Walkman; my parents could get me to do activities and go places by letting me listen to it. E.g., I would go walk around the lake if I could listen to ‘Sgt Pepper’s’. My Casio keyboard also had all the programmed classics such as “House of the Rising Sun”, “Greensleeves”, etc. I would dance and play along to them. Then I did a Broadway revue as a 7-year-old and that was the beginning of my music career– at least until I picked up saxophone at age 9.
How did you start to write music?
I’ve been writing since I was a teenager– it was one of my outlets along with playing my saxophone. The past few years I started to spend more time at the St. Mark’s Poetry Project, which was highly influential and essentially spearheaded my dive into more experimental writing. Going to readings and absorbing as much as I could, the poets there began to infiltrate my thinking and my way of speech. Moving to Los Angeles it seemed that everything I had been absorbing finally found a space, an outlet to materialize.
How did you get your first sax?
My mom and I found my first alto at a music pawn shop in my hometown. I guess we figured it was sort of a gamble, so we started with a really bottom of the barrel horn– a Vito. My second saxophone was significantly better, a student model Yamaha that she bought me my second year of playing.
How was the NYC School of Jazz?
The New School for Jazz was a trip. I met so many amazing musicians and teachers at the conservatory. In my first semester I played in a ton of ensembles, most notably the Mingus Ensemble which was a dream come true for me as an 18-year-old. My time at the New School helped me get my theoretical chops up and ready for the scene which is not forgiving.
What was your first performance at like?
My first performance via the New School for Jazz was at Nuyorican Poet’s Cafe in the Lower East Side with Bobby Sanabria’s Afro-Cuban orchestra. That was within the first month of my time in New York. I had a solo and I was so scared but I think it all came together considering that it was my first performance in NYC.
What makes a good songwriter?
Innovative & unapologetic truth tellers make the best songwriters in my opinion.
How did you get involved with ST. Mark’s Church Poetry Project in the East Village?
My first time going to the St. Mark’s Church Poetry Project was via a Patti Smith Lenny Kaye show in 2011. I was a young college kid. I remember waiting in line in the cold for a couple of hours to see them for free. I then returned to the church around 2017 via some poetry friends who spent a lot of time there.
What was the first time seeing Bootsy Collins like?
Bootsy wasn’t touring with Parliament Funkadelic at the time when I saw them play… However, my collaborator Evan has performed with Bootsy and seen countless of his shows, thanks to his Bernie Worrelll connection.
How was it to move to LA on the onset of the Covid-19 virus?
It was a little bizarre– I played many shows in February with various bands from NYC that I was in town with. Then March hit and SXSW was cancelled, along with everything else that had been on the roster for the year. Those first few months of pandemic I really enjoyed going on long runs in the neighborhood; the air here was unprecedentedly good since few people were driving.
How did you form your band?
Evan and I didn’t originally intend upon starting a band; it started as an experimental collaboration which helped us realize that we have major musical chemistry. During the process of making our first song we realized that this was a project we needed to pursue together.
How did you get the band’s name Purple Witch Culver?
Purple witch is a concept/identity that goes pretty far back for me. Halloween 2014 was the inception of it all, and every subsequent year I dressed as some iteration of a purple witch. Evan and I were pondering a band name and I threw out “purple witch”. He happens to be a Wizard of Oz historian and mentioned that it was filmed in Culver City (near where we live in Los Angeles). We then decided (within about 5 minutes) that our band name was to be Purple Witch of Culver because we both relate to the symbolism and motif of the witch– the good witch, that is, in the film.
How would you define the sound of your group?
We always try to search for and incorporate some timeless element, but then again timelessness is relative.
What was the title of your first original song? Did you record it?
“Trig” is the title of our first song. The rhythmic foundation was laid by a drums and percussion ensemble, recorded by engineer Spencer Guerra. Producer, Evan Taylor, layered the rest of the instrumental foundation; I played baritone sax and wrote and delivered the poetry.
You just released Eulogy for a Sunbeam. Tell me about it?
“Eulogy for a Sunbeam” is a colorful track– very stream of consciousness and very indicative of our musical influences. I dedicated it to a friend who passed a few years ago, Carolyn Bush. She was a great poet and truth seeker and the lyrics sort of emulate the concepts we discussed in our brief time together as friends. It’s been described as an ‘ending credits to your life’ kind of song and I totally dig. I hope it helps people experience an emotion that might be otherwise difficult to access– a certain special combo of euphoria/heartbreak.
How long before you release the LP?
We’re releasing an EP in early 2021 and an LP soon after!
How do you stay healthy while performing?
Yoga, Kombucha, sleep, healthy eating. most of all good vibes with our team; making sure everyone’s needs are met
Sarah- What is Sarahbellummm?
Sarahbellummm is a handle I came up with around 2013 when I was finishing my Master’s degree in Psychology. I ran a study related to music cognition and cognitive neuroscience, and I of course found the cerebellum, intriguing for its function and the potential pun involved.
What are you feeling about streaming music?
It’s really disheartening what artists make per stream; however, the middle class of artists rely on streaming platforms to stay relevant even if they aren’t making money. There needs to be reform in streaming and copyright infringement laws for free streaming platforms. I think we all learned our lesson after touring has been halted and we haven’t advocated for compensation from the platforms in which our intellectual property is enjoyed for free.
Digital vs. vinyl?
Vinyl all the way, if you can swing it. You can’t beat the warmth of vinyl; though it is expensive for a startup band. Evan [Taylor of Loantaka Records] insists his artists have vinyl available. However, he (and I) has been vinyl fanatics since before the craze. I foresee a vinyl release in early 2021 but for now we’re releasing monthly digital singles.
What are your feelings about the social uprising going on in the United States?
We are all for the uprising; the song “Trig” definitely touches upon this. A lot of my poetry in summer 2020 was inspired by the uprising and the Black Lives Matter movement, and we stand by our comrades 100%.
What is the mental health situation of the United State? How can the public help the doctors and nurses on the front line?
The mental health situation is abysmal. Our home based studio is near Skid Row, which for those who don’t know is an epicenter of homelessness. Many of these people are suffering from an untreated mental illness which prevents them from advancing and thriving. Unfortunately, we’re in a position where only those with means can seek proper treatment.
The public can help by wearing their masks. The upsurge in Covid-19 infections out here is quite alarming and I hope people start to abide by the basic guidelines; our industry depends on it.
Do you think kids should go back to school?
I think kids definitely require a certain amount of socialization for their proper development; however, at this time it seems very unwise to put them, the teachers, and their families at risk.
In Canada, they just released a new Covid-19 vaccine school children, which get rid of the invasive nasal swab and instead ask kids to gargle and spit. Now this is for children only. Should, this also be given to adults?
If the Covid-19 test is effective across peer-reviewed studies I support it.
Studies are showing that because of COVID-19 many students who were ready for college have decided to hold off because many schools are doing virtual school and changing the same amount for school as they would for on campus classes. Do you think the colleges should give some type of discount to these students?
Times are hard for everyone; if ever there was a time to reassess the amount paid for tuition it is now. It is known in the United States that college tuition has increased exponentially while salaries have not increased since the early ’70s.
What song from the past is in your mind right now? Moreover, what is the meaning that song means to you?
The Blondie album Autoamerican is stuck in my head right now. Funny enough I studied earworms for my master’s thesis. The songs on that album stick around in my mind, on multiple tracks, because of their infectious beats and amazing synth work.
How do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
I think we are definitely going to rethink the safety of public gatherings. We’ve spent a long-time convening care-free: sharing drinks, not washing hands. We will need to figure out how to safely assemble. It’s possible it might never be the same; we’re all feeling the weight of it, the repercussions of not acting faster. As for recorded music, we might encounter a flood of content not unlike ~2008 when everyone got a laptop with recording software. It’s intimidating when you’re an artist releasing new music but it’s an incentive to work harder at your craft. I do have faith that the industry will survive and continue to adapt/evolve, as it always does.
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
My self-quarantine started with a lot of runs around the neighborhood and attempts at baking. These days I mostly play music and write, and attempt to make sense of the political situation at hand.
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
I’ve been going to the beach quite often, like I did when I was a kid growing up in northern California. It helps clear my mind and ground me, opening the way to further inspiration.
95% of people said that they have changed the way they watch television. This includes people who don’t have television and using their computers to do streaming of programs and movies. Which is your favorite streaming channel?
I actually don’t really watch t.v. much these days, but I have a handful of people I subscribe to via YouTube for their talks. Certain spiritual-minded people have really helped me come to terms with the current world situation at hand, in regards to what I can actually do to help.
Many artists are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. In October that is going to change at least on Facebook. Facebook is cracking down on live-streamed shows that include recorded music with new terms of service, preventing artists from using the platform for “commercial or non-personal” purposes, unless they have obtained the relevant licenses.
The updated music guidelines state that users “may not use videos on our products [which include Instagram] to create a music listening experience […] This will includes [Facebook] Live,” and stipulates that such content should be posted for the enjoyment of friends and family only.
How do you think this will change the landscape of Facebook?
I think this is simply ridiculous and cruel on the part of Facebook. I have my issues (many) with Facebook but this one takes the cake. I hope artists come together and boycott the medium, so we can re-obtain our rights to livestream.
How can bands keep their fans if they cannot play live in front of the fans and sell merch to them at the show?
Continuing to innovate and make music that pushes the boundaries. We need bands to make music that suits the haphazard nature of these times, but also engenders the people with a sense of hope to keep going.
Are you going to vote by mail or in person? Did you know that Live Nation Activates Concert Venues as Polling Places and Promotes Voting Engagement among Fans and Employees?
Oh, I didn’t know, that’s awesome they’re doing that! I voted in person just to be sure my ballot was counted. I hope by this point people who do by mail choose to drop off their ballots in person since USPS is a little bit slow these days.
What about Holographic concerts in our living room?
Cool idea! I love it. If I can play a holographic concert in my living room– Abba style– I will feel like I’ve made it in life.
If you can’t do music what would you like to be doing?
I will do music forever, since I’ve worked so hard to get to this point. Simultaneously I wouldn’t mind being the captain of a boat out at sea, but at this point I have no nautical skills.
Anything you would like to say in closing.
I hope that through these turbulent times we, like people, can come together. We need unity, and there is power in numbers. I know we have the ability to catalyze the paradigm shift needed that will enable the changes necessary for us, as a species, to continue to live long term on this planet. May all Earthly beings live and prosper, and may Gaia heal from the wound’s humankind has inflicted upon her. If we come together, we will overcome our corporate overlords.
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