Sunshine. Movement. Energy. These are all words that come to mind when considering California alt-folk trio Magic Giant, whose celebratory, food-for-the-soul brand of music bears undeniably hopeful optimism and spreads light and love to willing ears.
Last time we spoke with the band, they were recording songs in their bomb-shelter-turned studio affectionately referred to as “The Bunker.” “Since then, we built a mobile recording studio and went around the country recording in some really beautiful places,” says frontman Austin Bisnow. The new album In The Wind, is set for release on May 19th via Washington Square/Razor & Tie.
“Last summer, we were scheduled to play at these amazing festivals like Wanderlust and Electric Forest in Michigan. Instead of booking club dates in between, we decided to book recording sessions out in nature. We bought a shuttle bus and Zang modified it and put solar panels on it. On our down time, we made a record,” adds Bisnow. “We recorded at some really unorthodox locations, like inside a redwood tree in Avenue of the Giants. We were in a tunnel and got some great reverb in Snoqualmie Pass, Washington.” “We ran all the gear and the microphones, everything we used for recording off of those solar panels,” explains band guitarist and resident cellist Zang. “It affected the sound of the album; there’s a certain vibe, that freewheelin’ spirit is all over this record.”
Recording on the road had a huge impact on the record, which is beautifully displayed in tracks like album single “Jade,” recorded in the redwood tree and at Hidden Lake in Powder Mountain, Utah, and which features chirping birds in the song’s introduction. However, the album’s sonic landscape was not the only aspect affected by making music on the road. “For ‘Jade,’ we were actually writing songs as we were touring, and some of the people we met along the way became part of the song. it was really cool,” Bisnow recalls. “There’s a beautiful story this girl told us—her best friend passed away when she was 18, and her name was Jade—we sang the song at one of the festivals she was at this summer, and she told us she felt like her friend was with her when we played it,” says Zang. “We knew we had to call that song ‘Jade.’ We were still finishing the bridge an other final parts of the song, and it kind of became about her, about her friend. It was all a really satisfying experience.”
Magic Giant will be tearing up the highways soon to support the release of In The Wind, appearing at venues and festivals across North America. “We’re really happy with the album,” concludes Bisnow. “We’re ready to share it.”
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In the Wind 2017 Tour Dates:
April 24 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
May 12 – San Francisco, CA @ Popscene at Rickshaw Stop
May 13 – Santa Cruz, CA @ The Crepe Place
May 19 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Constellation Room
May 20 – San Diego CA @ The Casbah
May 27 – St. Petersburg, FL @ 97x BBQ at Vinoy Park
June 3 – Denver, CO @ Sun Drenched Festival
June 4 – Wichita, KS @ Wichita Riverfest
June 6 – Kansas City, MO @ The Riot Room
June 7 – St. Louis, MO @ The Duck Room at Blueberry Hill
June 11 – Cleveland, OH @ LaureLive Festival
June 13 – Columbus, OH @ The Basement
June 17 – Dover, DE @ Firefly Festival
June 20 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
June 21 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s
June 22 – Washington, DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel
June 27 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Wonder Bar
June 28 – Boston, MA @ The Red Room at Cafe 939
June 30 & July 1 – Pembroke, ON @ Emerge Festival
July 15 & 16 – Grass Valley, CA @ California WorldFest
July 21 – Vancouver, BC @ The Fox Cabaret
July 22 – Seattle, WA @ Capitol Hill Block Party
July 23 – Portland, OR @ Lola’s Room
July 25 – Napa, CA @ Silo’s
July 29 – Toronto, ON @ WayHome Music and Arts Festival
August 18 – Pullman, WA @ National Lentil Festival
October 6 & 7 – Moapa, NV @ RiSE Festival
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