There’s no denying that their name – inspired by a Danish fairy tale – suggests there may be a dark side to Esben and the Witch, and perhaps there is; after all, there are enough musical undercurrents (and a hint of topical gloom) on debut album Violet Cries that evoke the original spirit of goth, even if the genre is one the band adamantly refuses to be filed under.

On the other hand their music also possesses – and rather predominantly too – this enticing quality that seems to draw the listener into what at first feels like a big empty, only to be engulfed by sheet upon sheet of exquisite shimmering sounds that gradually fill out the ether.

On top of it all, there is the voice of Rachel Davies – brittle yet unbreakable – a vital ingredient in Esben’s musical composition that eludes precise description, and indeed, categorisation. Imagine, if you will, Juju-era Siouxsie Sioux fronting Slowdive, all sprinkled with a dash of 4AD’s This Mortal Coil magic dust, and you’ll get a vague idea of the musical terrain that Esben and the Witch’s sound evokes.

Of course, there is more to the band than that, as I found out in this interview with guitarist Thomas Fisher. Esben and the Witch will be playing in Malta on Saturday, the second night of the Nil By Mouth Sessions. Carrie Haber and The Areola Treat will also be performing on the night. Tickets cost €12 per day or €18 for a block ticket, and are available from Coach and Horses, Msida, V-Gen in Paceville, or online.

Interview with Thomas Fisher

Your music has been described as both indie rock and gothic rock – neither of which is precise, but neither are they too far off the mark. Given that you’re averse to the word ‘classify’, how would you describe Esben and the Witch’s music in view of the references thrown your way?

I would describe our music as being atmospheric, enveloping and visceral. These are the aims, at least. We try to achieve this through a mixture of electronic and live beats, synth tones, words and guitars.

It isn’t so much that I’m averse to things being classified; I just don’t really like to classify our music, particularly in such a broad sense as gothic rock, for example. People can describe the music however they see fit, depending on their tastes.

Violet Cries tends to be rather more effective in a personal listening environment, as opposed to blasting out of the speakers. Your live performances, on the other hand, transform the music into something more engulfing than the album. How do these two facets of your music – both deeply engaging in their own way – relate to the actual songs?

The tracks on Violet Cries were all constructed quite meticulously in the studio – and when I say studio I mean Daniel (Copeman’s) bedroom – and are comprised of many layers of sounds. It would have been impossible to recreate some of these things live without resorting to a backing track, which is something we don’t really believe in.

So when it came to learning how to play the tracks live, we found they naturally became less dense but heavier. That was something we embraced with the live show; for me a guitar that was intended to sound brutal on record can truly sound brutal in the context of a live show.

It’s exciting, so the onstage transformations are entirely natural. I prefer to see artists experiment with the sounds live rather than just running through immaculate replications of their record. I just don’t find that as interesting.

The set will be designed to undulate through moments of frenzied noise, driving percussion and fragility. That’s the plan

You made it as BBC’s Sound of 2011, Q’s Next Big Thing and you got fantastic reviews for Violet Cries all round. Did all these accolades take you by surprise and did it all put you under any pressure when it came to writing your second album?

Being mentioned in polls like that was a little surprising and pretty weird. I avoid reading reviews and taking too much from this kind of thing; it doesn’t seem healthy to me to be too aware of this stuff. The last thing I’d want is to feel any external pressure or influence, so between the three of us we try to shield ourselves and the music from this.

How does the new material connect with, segue or veer from Violet Cries?

The second record came very naturally to us. We made three trips out into the Sussex countryside and stayed in various cottages to write the record. I’m sure there are some similarities to Violet Cries, it’s the same three people after all, but to me it feels very different as a whole.

I think we are better technically now; we understand better what we want to achieve and how to do it, so I think the new record is more focused and confident as a result. It is almost finished; we are making the final tweaks and are hoping it’ll be released early next year.

The music tracks you post on your Facebook page are quite interesting, with recent posts including Black Sabbath, Arvo Part and Grizzly Bear. Is this diversity in taste something you share and to what extent do you feel it seeps into your own music?

I think that, generally, the three of us have relatively similar tastes. The songs you mention were posted by Rachel so I’d say they represent a fair reflection of what she’s been listening to of late. I have recently been listening to a lot of Earth, Barn Owl and Tangerine Dream whereas Daniel has been more into electronic stuff like Actress and The Invisible. I think all the stuff we like seeps in to the music we make in some way or other, even if it just has some effect on the way we approach our instruments.

Your website projects a cinematic feel, featuring several photos and illustrations that range from interesting to downright weird. How important is this visual aspect in completing what Esben and the Witch are about?

The visual element is very important to us. We are trying to create a world that people can become immersed in. We carefully control all the things that surround the music, so we are at the helm of all video concepts, artwork, accompanying photographs and the website.

For me, it’s about trying to create a place where the music can sit among imagery that inspired it.

A final word ahead of your performance in Malta.

I’m very excited to be playing in Malta. We will be performing tracks from our new record alongside new incarnations of some of our older ones. The set will be designed to undulate through moments of frenzied noise, driving percussion and fragility. That’s the plan.

www.esbenandthewitch.co.uk