#SXSW: TAKE A RIDE WITH MAGIC GIANT

March 20, 2017

5:41 pm

SXSW can be a tense time of year for industry folks, as artists, label reps, management, party promoters, and members of the press are packed into downtown Austin, completely over-scheduled with little-to-no time for food or sleep. So when a group comes along who appears to be loving life and soaking in the experience with gleeful enthusiasm, they are memorable to say the least.

LADYGUNN’s first meeting of the week was with Magic Giant, the jovial three-piece band who in less than a year converted their tour bus into a solar-powered mobile studio, recorded their debut album In The Wind between shows on the road (album to be released on May 19^th by Razor & Tie), and accumulated millions of streams, as well as a #4 hit on Spotify’s US Viral 50. Magic Giant was the perfect band to kick off SXSW for us. Within ten minutes they had snagged a scooter, committed a dog-napping, and were headed full speed into oncoming traffic in a busy intersection. Why not? With a track record like theirs, what’s the point of putting on the brakes?

Band name?
Magic Giant.

Where is your band based?
Two of us are from the east coast, one from LA, but we are based in LA now.

How would you describe your sound?
We have drums that move you and rock you to your core. Huge drums, but then we also introduce the folky instruments, and acoustic wooden instruments, so there’s this combination of big drums and then a harmonica, and a fiddle, and a banjo playing along.

Any specific lyrical motifs?
Optimism. Yeah. Triumph of the human will.

Who inspires you musically?
It’s pretty cool, because we have a broad inspiration. We all came from different backgrounds…
Zang: I’m inspired by Julian Casablancas from the Strokes, and Ray LaMontagne, among many other artists.
Z: Cowboy Jack Clement, probably some of the old murder ballads, country stuff, yeah.
Austin: And, yeah, Bruce Springsteen, for his longevity and Queen for his epic records.
…Yeah, so all those things combined really create a strange sound.

Who outside of the realm of music inspires you? Artists? Philosophers? Filmmakers? Writers?
Wes Anderson for our imagery, and as far as our aesthetic. Edward Norton, the actor. Recently Marc Maron.

Who are you most excited to see at SXSW?
Well, the Wu Tang Clan is reuniting. Also excited about Grandmaster Flash because he’s—like– history.

If you could change one thing about the world right now what would you change?
(Laughing) We said we wouldn’t talk about this outside of… we made a promise to ourselves…hmm. If there’s only one thing we could change about the world? Besides Hillary? I mean, other than Hillary being elected? If everyone rounded up their grocery bill and gave it to people who were hungry that would be amazing. More nature, less pollution. If we all could get hit with free sun energy that is happening every day. And love each other. Be at peace and harmony. That’s one thing. The big thing.