NOISEY 031: THE BEWITCHED HANDS

France’s radio quotas require that thirty-five percent of music on young stations be sung in French. Unhampered, countless French indie rockers press on proudly in broken, illogical English. The Bewitched Hands don’t have that problem. They’ve mastered the English language, as well as a particularly anthemic blend of indie rock.

This six-piece, which originated in Reims, has been playing together since 2006. The members had been friends for years playing in multiple projects, but ever since they inaugurated the Bewitched Hands they haven’t been content to hunker down within the city limits. They’ve moved beyond the Champagne province to tour the US and UK. They’re directly informed by the Pixies, Arcade Fire, and Supergrass, and they’re a living lesson to French acts looking to get noticed by the world at large.

But that’s not to say they’ve abandoned Reims. They’re still around as much as they can be, playing out with friends in the Shoes and Libelul. We went to see a hometown show at the 106, and ended up discussing the burgeoning local scene and the stroke of luck that brought them together.