Lichočar /lɪxoʧar/ is a Czech witch folk band from the South Moravian city of Brno. Back in 2018, this strange name popped into the head of one of us, and three friends decided to find out who or what could be called Lichočar. Was it a demon? A treacherous sprite? A spirit? We weren’t sure. So, the stories of Lichočar began to take shape – in the written word as well as in melody.

Today, we know a little bit more about the fishy character. We know that they are a demon of misfortune, a shadow nestled in the heart of Europe. And we know that they have not one, but Three Mothers – a trinity being once worshipped all over the Old Continent in some form. And once upon a time, even the misfortune demon was going by another name and had nothing to do with bad luck. But you know what they say: Life happens.

Over the years, the band has grown to seven creatures who create and perform together. Alongside guitar, octave mandolin, recorders, and cello, lesser-known instruments such as the Indian shruti box, Celtic harp, Irish bodhrán drum, Turkish davul drum, shamanic drum, kalimba, didgeridoo, jew’s harp, or even DIY instruments appear in our musical arsenal. We’re also known for using female polyphonic singing in numerous European languages or dialects as we draw inspiration from folk songs and old tellings from different corners of Europe. Through improvisation, though, we create our own story and new music. The result is a soundscape balancing folk and alternative as well as gentle melodies with harsh rawness, combining elements of Norse dark folk, Slavic pagan folk, tribal music, ambient and other genres with traditional folk from various European regions.

In 2022, we released our debut eponymous album related to our upcoming novella about Lichočar – also known as the wickman in some corners –⁠ whose tale we create and tell. A few singles including two soundtrack pieces for Vigor the game trailers followed and in late 2024, we also released the long-anticipated storytelling addendum to our debut album, the EP Tři matičky (Three Mothers), which was partially recorded in a cave. Together with the debut album, the EP was also released physically, as a single physical record. Additionally, several music videos were released in 2024, most recently for the songs Cmavá noc (A Dark Night) and Tohdi nebuło neba (There was no sky back then).

As for the live acts, Lichočar has played on local festivals and events like Medieval Night (Prague, Brno), Pagan Nights (Prague), Midsummer Tunes (Mácha Lake), Lughnasad (Brno), Danse Macabre (Brno) alongside the musicians and bands such as Vesna (CZ), PLANTEC (FR), LYRRE (PL), NEMUER (CZ), Weljar (PL), Tempus (CZ), Valar (SK), Pavel Čadek (CZ) and others.

Lichočar isn’t just music. It’s a story, a world, and a mood you can immerse yourself in.