Bonnie Bloomgarden on “Basic Witch” and Death Valley Girls’ New Sound

Transmission 430: Interview with Death Valley Girls

In the aftermath of California’s Eaton Fire, which destroyed vocalist Bonnie Bloomgarden’s home in Altadena, and following the death of her dog Tommy, Death Valley Girls recorded their latest album, Welcome to Earth (released October 9 via Suicide Squeeze).

Title: Welcome to Earth
Artist: Death Valley Girls
Release Date: 2026-10-09
Genres: Garage Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Space Rock
Label: Suicide Squeeze
Description: Death Valley Girls talk new album Welcome to Earth, out Oct 9 on Suicide Squeeze Records. Bonnie Bloomgarden on fire loss, grief, and "Basic Witch".

The album expands the core group—drummer Bailey Chapman, guitarist Laena Myers, bassist Alana Amram, saxophonist Sarah Safaie, and the late keyboardist Gregg Foreman—with an ensemble that includes 23 guest vocalists, a local children’s choir, jazz singer Gretchen Parlato, and recurring collaborator Laura “The Kid” Kelsey. On the single “Basic Witch,” accompanied by a video directed by Henry Mortenson and featuring Exene Cervenka of X, Bloomgarden addresses the mechanics of personal accountability, discarding cycles of external blame in favor of internal boundaries.

To read more about the band, check out our previous interview with Bonnie Bloomgarden. You can also watch the official video on our channel dedicated to alternative music videos.

Featured image: © Sheva Kafai

What made you know it was time to turn the fire into an album?

Hi!! I actually can only write once a lesson is learned, I can’t write during the pain. I’m only inspired when I’ve found something healing that I can share. That exact moment was three days after my dog Tommy died, she sent me a message through a flower! The flower telepathically communicated to me that “love isn’t something you do, it’s not a feeling. Love is a place that exists eternally! Kind of like heaven, where we are together forever, and that our experience here on earth is brief. And that when we “feel” love it’s just us remembering that we are in this other dimension! I was deeply inspired to share this message and get back to work :)

How did the idea that human separation is just an “illusion” become the central focus of Welcome to Earth?

I had several animal communication sessions with Tommy, and Amy Wild over the years. Tommy did not recover after the fire and she really wanted me to be ok with her leaving her body. We had a session where she communicated that her wish was for people to stop viewing death as an ending, and see it as part of a much larger journey that we are eternally on together. Once I understood that, embraced that, and had time to recover from the initial shock of losing her, it was my mission to share her message!

You’ve said this album couldn’t exist without your current lineup. How did your group alchemy drive the album’s expansive scale?

Everyone of these humans Bailey Chapman, Sarah Safaie, Laena Myers, Alana Amram, Teddy Waggy, Gregg Foreman, Mark Rains, and all the others that came to sing are so uniquely talented, and deeply also cared about sharing the messages from the animals and plants, and to pay homage to their animals that have passed, it is so special and sounds so epic!

With 23 guest singers, a children’s choir, and Gretchen Parlato, how did you coordinate such a massive communal effort?

My favorite sound in the world is unison and hang vocal singing. It’s not something you can find everyday, it’s mainly only in world, tribal, religious, or folk music. There is something so hypnotic about tons of vocals singing together. It is my favorite!!! The kids were coordinated by a sweet mom who asked Altadena kids that lost their school or home. I’m so lucky my friends The Kid, Gretchen Parlato, Shannon Lay, Little Ghost, Lael Neale, Seth Bogart, and Laena and Hannah were available to sing too! All these voices are epic !!

“Basic Witch” deals with moving past assigning blame. What was the turning point that made you realize blame was keeping you stuck?

Actually I was mad at someone and I said “they’ve been making me do this for years” and that statement stopped me in my tracks!! I was like, eww, what?? No one makes you do anything, that is really icky. I realized assigning blame keeps you in a loop, there is nothing to learn from making one person the “bad guy.” When you learn what you contribute, what you are accountable for you will be set free! No one can make you do anything !! (This of course does not apply to all situations, but most likely the majority:)

What did Laura “The Kid” Kelsey and Little Ghost bring to the record?

The Kid is one of my favorite artists and musicians of all time. The true DVG sound is her singing with me. I am so lucky she was able to be in this record! And her son lil Casper was there running around while she was singing, he’s one of my best friends! Little Ghost is my everything!! She makes all my dreams possible :) without her the record would have no art! We would have no art! She can do everything !!

Did living through the Eaton Fire shift your political or ecological perspective?

Oh very much so!! I don’t wanna bum anyone out, but before the fire I had a beautifully curated life filled with vintage one of a kind objects found all over the world, that were fretted over and created by artists, who cared about design. Now I own mass produced garbage that is expensive and made of toxic materials and will break and disintegrate and destroy the planet. All I can say is stop buying new shit, there is enough shit in the world already.

Where do you see Death Valley Girls going next?

Jamaica !!!

Photos courtesy of © Death Valley Girls

Matteo Damiani

Matteo Damiani is an Italian photographer and author. Curator of the sites Retrofuturista.com; weirditaly.com; china-underground.com and others