Getting to Know… TurboWitch | Interview

In the 478^th Q&A in our Getting to Know… series, we get the inside scoop from the intriguing international band, TurboWitch. 

“We don’t care about music genres, labels; we do not know any boundaries.” Noted, TurboWitch! They add, “Merlin (‘Merlin’ Mark Llewellyn) and the other magical creatures, witches, wizards, and lizards in this coven put together all styles we like in order to create a unique blend of something wild and free.” Intriguing to the nth degree! We get the inside scoop on the Turbo Witch’s genesis, goals, musical influences, and current and future musical endeavors. So, without further ado, let’s jump right into Getting to Know… TurboWitch: Interview No. 478!

For those who may not be familiar with you, what would you say makes TurboWitch distinct or unique? How do you rock the audience’s socks off?

We don’t care about music genres, labels; we do not know any boundaries. Merlin and the other magical creatures, witches, wizards, and lizards in this coven put together all styles we like in order to create a unique blend of something wild and free. There has been so much schism already, we bring them pieces back together with lots of rock, grunge, goth, a bit of soul, blues, bossa nova, and whatever we like.  It’s free, it is different, it combines them all to bring all back together. This is the spellbook of the TurboWitch.

Okay, let’s explore some juicy backstories. How did TurboWitch form, and what were some of your goals or visions early?

Merlin and his TurboWitch never had a definite starting point. It is more of a road young Merlin knew he was headed towards. A key moment was his move to a London music college and the music scene there. That’s when he came up with the band name ‘TurboWitch’ and the TurboWitches made their first steps in the local London scene. The first steps saw many different musicians join and leave, as often is the case for a young band, but over time, the right Witches found the Turbo, sharing a mutual goal.

The initial vision was a bit big-headed – bring back good music. More defined and less arrogant (sorry about the arrogant tone in our first years): gorgeous melodies and groovy rhythms, and the best of different styles combined because we still believe that combining different styles has been a recipe proven & tested for many legendary bands.

When Merlin had lessons in modern music history, which meant watching videos, in one interview from back in the 80s, an early producer of Metallica called them a “second Led Zeppelin” because “they would just take anything they liked from any kind of music and smack it together into something wild and heavy, which is what Led Zeppelin had done before.” The producer named this the “Led Zeppelin” principle … and finally, Merlin’s mystical quest was over: put everything together you like, creating something wild, don’t worry about genres and labels. This was the vision. As well as becoming rich and famous LOL.

Let’s talk more about goals.  Have your goals or your perspectives changed since first starting? What do your aspirations or goals look like now?

The idea has stayed the same, basically. Our horizons may have widened musically, but this has remained our magic spell book. Merlin drew further inspiration from Motörhead gigs: lining up in the rain every November, waiting for the doors to open, he noticed how many different groups were united at a Motörhead gig: rockers, punks, metalheads, old, young, male, female, people from many different countries – all united. This sense of unity was inspiring, and in this modern era of music schism, it would mean the world to us if we could unite people, if we could perform in front of an audience from different music genres united.

Everybody is influenced by somebody else. Who would you consider some of your biggest musical influences, and how are they influential?

Merlin grew up with all sorts of music. When he picked up the guitar, this went totally wild: Merlin tried really hard to get all his influences on board, but with blues today, Black Sabbath tomorrow, and some bossa nova on Friday, this was easier said than done.  Time for some name-dropping: he started off with blues and rock, then hard rock. We are talking about Hendrix, Led Zep, Aerosmith, Guns N’ Roses. Then he got hooked on grunge, goth anyway, both are a must! (RIP Pete Steele, we love you forever). Also, he can’t keep his fingers off the heavy stuff and the more melodic types of metal, any genre as long as it is melodious. He has always been a sucker for sweet melodies, so you will find him listening to soul, Motown, or 80s pop, too. This all, in addition to his classical training. And these are just the main influences. Music is freedom of expression; anything goes. Alice in Chains has always been on the playlist, but since their comeback, Jerry Cantrell has become more and more influential.

Ah, the fun stuff.  What’s your craziest tour story or the wackiest thing that’s happened during a performance?  Feel free to be creative.

In November 2023, we toured in Japan, Merlin wearing a kilt on stage. With all the stress and healthy Japanese food, he lost a bit of weight, so suddenly, the kilt would start slipping on stage. On two gigs, the last two songs, he didn’t dare move much to avoid becoming the next social media meme. A self-organized tour in Japan is always a bit wacky, isn’t it? It is great that we managed to pull that off, but that was wacky, rewardingly wacky. To add to the wackiness, Merlin even tried to learn some Japanese beforehand. Any word helped.

To this point in your career, what would you describe as your favorite song you’ve recorded or performed live? What makes that song special?

Every track has a personal story, but Merlin is fond of  “Homeless Heart” in particular. The bluesy riff came during the warm-up jam during a band rehearsal. This came at a time when he was threatened by homelessness in London, stuck in a toxic relationship, and knew his life had to go in a new direction – but where/what/how? Everything went wrong, his mood had hit rock bottom, and he knew this could easily get worse. Every note comes straight from the heart. In this song, from a darker part of the heart, deeper inside.

Is there anything else awesome, cool, or left-of-center we should know about TurboWitch? Secret talents or surprising tidbits?

Merlin has two passions: music (surprise) and languages. He grew up with two languages but has been trying to learn a few more. Results are mixed, but. It. Is. Fun!

What is TurboWitch currently working on or promoting that you can share? We love secrets, but there’s no pressure. 

No pressure at all! We are in the middle of recording tracks for the next EP and preparing a tour in Nov ’25 or Winter ‘25/’26.

Thank you so much for sharing and taking the time to answer these questions, and best of luck moving forward. 

Your questions are much appreciated! Diolch yn fawr (‘Thank you’ in Welsh)