Unfiltered & Unafraid: Dumb Crush Carves Their Path With ‘Witches in the Dark’

Formed in June 2024, Dumb Crush is the latest alt-rock trio pushing back against the predictable polish of modern pop.

United by a shared disdain for the mundane, the trio’s approach feels like a call to break free from the formulaic, to bring grit and edge back to the airwaves. The band comprises Owen Hooper, Liam Colbert, and Elliott Isaac—three tenured musicians with deep roots in the DIY scene who’ve graced stages across North America and Europe. Dumb Crush has quickly carved a niche as a high-energy outfit unafraid to disrupt.

“Witches In The Dark” is their audacious debut, recorded live in one take.

There’s an alt/rock pulse, post-rock depth, and pop polish that gracefully meld into the track. The guitar riffs get sharp, backed by fervent drums and smooth yet gritty vocals that add a textured warmth. It’s catchy in the best way—this is the kind of song you find yourself humming hours later, its hook buried in your brain.

In an industry saturated with formulaic hits, Dumb Crush’s instinctive, off-the-floor approach feels like a refreshing jolt—a reminder of the power of spontaneity and raw talent.

Your debut single, “Witches In The Dark,” was recorded live-off-the-floor. What about that method appealed to you, and how do you think it impacted the final sound of the track?

At first, it seemed like it might be a heavy task to track everything live off the floor, but it ended up being a very freeing and, in the end, pretty efficient way to get the music down. We didn’t get caught in the weeds editing our performances or overdubbing little mistakes. It was also important to us with this project to showcase our music honestly.

What you hear is really what you get, we’re three guys playing our instruments, and that’s what this is full stop.

Hearing the little quirks on the record is also pretty hilarious. Elliott can count on three fingers the notes he missed. Can you find them all? Please don't. He’d actually hate that.

As a band that only formed in June 2024, how did you manage to establish such a cohesive sound so quickly? What was the biggest challenge in bringing the three of your styles together?

We’re still amazed at how quickly this project came together. We first met up for a jam to see if we even vibed as a group in early June, and by the end of that 3-hour stream of consciousness jam, we had demos for six songs. At our second jam, we wrote Witches, and it came together really fast. The demo we recorded that day is pretty much the same as the studio version, just unmixed and recorded with one mic on Liam’s kit pointed at his crotch (sounds great, though).

Sound-wise, there is some common ground between us, and that’s been an extremely fun part of the whole process. We all contribute to everything, but at the same time, we write the part that personally fits us stylistically, if that makes sense.

Owen comes from a super melodic bedroom pop background with Mouth Breather, Elliott has played in dozens of bands ranging from punk to country to R&B over the past 10 years, and Liam is a grooves whiz with his psych project Rise Carmine.

I think having us all be delegated a certain aspect of the tune with limited feedback from other members is what gave us a chance to find each other’s strengths and help support each other’s blind spots.

Given that Dumb Crush is still a new band, what are your hopes or goals for the group’s identity and direction in the next year?

We’ve got new music ready to release next year, including a music video and Canadian tour dates. Stay tuned on our Instagram and TikTok if you like our sound and want to ride the wave with us.

We’ve already sold out our first two shows in Toronto in 2024, so we’re so stoked to get on the road and meet some friends in new towns around Canada. International touring is the dream, but we’re going with this band one step at a time. (But bring us to LA, please.)

Will your future releases carry out the same live-off-the-floor style as “Witches In The Dark” does?

Our next single was recorded live off the floor on the same day as “Witches In The Dark.” The same engineer then mixed it, our main homie Castle Frank. We’re really excited to put that out and get back into the studio to track the rest of our catalog that will someday make up our debut LP.

The band name “Dumb Crush” has a catchy and intriguing feel to it. What’s the story behind the name, and how does it reflect your vision for the group?

I think we’ve all had a Dumb Crush. It’s harmless but also exciting and also often so, so stupid. Why that person? Why did that one character in that one scene of that one show give me butterflies? Why did the way that person said hello to me send me over the edge? What makes Jack Layton so charming?

One fateful summer night, Owen and Elliott went on a self-guided pub crawl in downtown Toronto, looking for inspiration in the bottom of a glass. Against their better judgment, they found it, and more, eventually ending the night at Lucky Shrike (local bar) with 60 or so band names. That one stood out for obvious reasons. Liam needed some convincing but he came around.

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