The Magic Gang

Last updated

The Magic Gang
The Magic Gang supporting Wolf Alice at The Junction (17103491631).jpg
The Magic Gang performing in 2015
Background information
Origin Brighton, England
Genres Indie rock, indie pop
Years active2013–2024 (on hiatus)
LabelsWarner, YALA! Records, Telharmonium
MembersJack Kaye
Angus Taylor
Kristian Smith
Paeris Giles

The Magic Gang are an English indie rock band formed in Brighton in 2013. The band consists of Jack Kaye and Kristian Smith who are vocalists and guitarists, bassist Angus Taylor, and drummer Paeris Giles. [1] Songs from the band have been described as having elements of power pop [2] and indie pop, [3] and the group's vocal harmonies have been compared to those of the Beach Boys. [4] [5]

Contents

History

The band members are originally from Bournemouth. [6] Kaye and Smith met each other at Brockenhurst College. They moved in together with Taylor and Giles in Brighton after meeting them while studying at BIMM University. [6] [7]

The band released their first EP, The Magic Gang, on 8 January 2016 on the record label Teleharmonium Records. [3] They released their second EP, The Second EP From, on 23 September 2016 [8] and their third, EP Three on 24 March 2017. [9] EP Three was the first ever release on YALA! Records, a record label that had recently been founded by Felix White, guitarist from The Maccabees. [10]

In 2018, the band released their debut album The Magic Gang. The album reached number 12 on the UK Albums Chart and received a score of 71 on Metacritic which indicates "generally favorable reviews". Outlets who gave positive reviews of the album include NME, The Line of Best Fit, DIY Magazine, and The Guardian. [11] The band was also nominated for the "Best New Artist" award at the 2018 NME Awards. [12]

In March 2020, the band were meant to embark on a UK tour with Blossoms but the tour only commenced in August 2021 after it was postponed as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. [13]

The band released their second album, Death of the Party, in August 2020. [13]

In January 2024, the Magic Gang announced that they would be going on an indefinite hiatus, allowing them to spend some time exploring their own creative pursuits.

Band members

Discography

Studio albums

Extended plays

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teenage Fanclub</span> Scottish alternative rock band

Teenage Fanclub are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in Glasgow in 1989. The group were founded by Norman Blake, Raymond McGinley and Gerard Love, all of whom shared lead vocals and songwriting duties until Love's departure in 2018. As of 2023, the band's lineup consists of Blake, McGinley, Francis Macdonald, Dave McGowan and Euros Childs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bloc Party</span> English indie rock band

Bloc Party are an English rock band that was formed in London in 1999 by co-founders Kele Okereke and Russell Lissack. They are joined in the band's current iteration by Louise Bartle and bassist Harry Deacon. Their brand of music, whilst rooted in rock, retains elements of other genres such as electronica and house music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Wombats</span> English indie rock band

The Wombats are an English indie rock band formed in Liverpool in 2003, consisting of Matthew Murphy, Tord Øverland Knudsen, and Dan Haggis. They have artist services deals with AWAL and Warner Music Australia. They have sold over 1 million albums worldwide. They created several EPs before releasing their first full album, Girls, Boys and Marsupials (2006), which was released only in Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Maccabees (band)</span> Indie rock band

The Maccabees were an English indie rock band, formed in 2004 in London. They released four albums: Colour It In in 2007, followed by Wall of Arms in 2009, Given to the Wild which was released on 9 January 2012 and their last album Marks to Prove It released on 31 July 2015. The band announced that they decided to disband in August 2016, with farewell gigs in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Felix White</span> British musician

Felix Andrew Odell White is a British musician, best known as the guitarist of the British indie rock band The Maccabees and 86TVs. He is also co-presenter on the cricket podcast Tailenders alongside Greg James, James Anderson and Matt Horan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swim Deep</span> British indie rock band

Swim Deep are a British indie pop band formed in Birmingham, England. The band currently consists of Austin Williams (vocals), Cavan McCarthy (bass), James Balmont (keyboards), Robbie Wood (guitar), and Thomas Fiquet (drums).

<i>Facedown</i> (EP) 2012 EP by the 1975

Facedown is the debut extended play (EP) by English band the 1975. It was released on 6 August 2012 by Dirty Hit and Interscope. The band produced the EP alongside Jamie Ellis and Ian Grimble. An art rock, indie pop and ambient pop record, it incorporates a diverse range of sounds including indie rock, electronica, dance-pop, gothic and emo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hippo Campus</span> American indie rock band

Hippo Campus is an American indie rock band from Saint Paul, Minnesota. Their musical inclinations appear to be firmly rooted in the UK, drawing inspiration from notable artists such as Little Comets and King Krule. They are signed to Psychic Hotline in the United States and Transgressive Records in the United Kingdom. The band has performed at South by Southwest, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Summerfest and Reading and Leeds Festivals, as well as on Conan. Hippo Campus were named one of NPR Music's favorite new artists of 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Big Moon</span> English rock band

The Big Moon are a British indie rock band, formed in 2014 in London by frontwoman Juliette Jackson. Their debut album, Love in the 4th Dimension, was released on 6 April 2017, containing a number of tracks previously released on their EP The Road. The album was shortlisted for the prestigious Mercury Prize in 2017. They are signed to Fiction Records and have toured internationally. They supported Pixies on their 2019 UK tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sundara Karma</span> British rock band

Sundara Karma are an English rock band formed in 2011 in Reading, England. The band consists of lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Oscar Pollock, lead guitarist Ally Baty, bassist Dom Cordell and drummer Haydn Evans. The band's name is derived from Sanskrit words, meaning "Beautiful Karma".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blaenavon (band)</span> English indie rock band

Blaenavon was an English indie rock band based out of Hampshire. The band was composed of Ben Gregory, Frank Wright (bass), Scott Roach (guitars) and Harris McMillan (drums). The band formed in 2013, and released their first album, That's Your Lot in 2017. The album reached number 54 on the UK Albums Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Idles</span> English rock band

Idles are a British rock band formed in Bristol in 2009. The band consists of Adam Devonshire (bass), Joe Talbot (vocals), Mark Bowen (guitar), Lee Kiernan (guitar), and Jon Beavis (drums).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pale Waves</span> British rock band

Pale Waves are an English rock band from Manchester, formed in 2014. It was founded originally as Creek when lead singer and guitarist Heather Baron-Gracie met drummer Ciara Doran while attending university in Manchester. The other members are guitarist Hugo Silvani and bassist Charlie Wood, completing the lineup. Pale Waves's early work is often described as 80s-inspired indie rock or synth-pop; their second and third albums, however, owe more to the pop-punk genre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snail Mail (musician)</span> Solo musical project of Lindsey Jordan

Snail Mail is the American indie rock solo project of guitarist and singer-songwriter Lindsey Erin Jordan. Originally from Ellicott City, Maryland, Jordan first performed as Snail Mail live in 2015 at the age of 15, and attracted attention with the EP Habit in 2016. After signing with Matador Records, Snail Mail released her debut studio album, Lush (2018), to critical acclaim. In 2021, Snail Mail followed up with her second album, Valentine, to further critical recognition.

<i>Dream Wife</i> (album) 2018 studio album by Dream Wife

Dream Wife is the debut studio album by the British punk rock band Dream Wife, released via Lucky Number in January 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Honey (band)</span> British indie rock band

Black Honey is a British four-piece indie rock band formed in Brighton, England in 2014. The band is composed of lead singer and guitarist Izzy Baxter Phillips, guitarist Chris Ostler, bassist Tommy Taylor, and drummer Alex Woodward, who joined the group after the departure of Tom Dewhurst.

<i>Strange Creatures</i> (album) 2019 studio album by Drenge

Strange Creatures is the third studio album by British rock band, Drenge. The album was released on 22 February 2019 through Infectious Records.

<i>Boygenius</i> (EP) 2018 EP by Boygenius

Boygenius is the debut EP by American indie supergroup Boygenius, composed of Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus. It was released on October 26, 2018, by Matador Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yard Act</span> British rock band

Yard Act are a British rock band from Leeds, West Yorkshire, composed of James Smith, Ryan Needham (bass), Sam Shipstone (guitar) and Jay Russell (drums). Their debut album, The Overload, was released on 21 January 2022 and debuted at No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart. They released their second album, Where's My Utopia?, on 1 March 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Island of Love (band)</span> English rock band

Island of Love was an English rock band formed in London in 2019. The first UK signing to United States record label Third Man Records, the band released two EPs alongside their 2023 debut album Island of Love.

References

  1. ↑ Milton, Jamie (23 March 2018). "The Magic Gang Did It Their Way". Vice. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  2. ↑ Clarke, Paul (21 October 2019). "The Magic Gang - Interview". Louder Than War . Retrieved 25 November 2023. ...packed full of their trademark melodic powerpop...
  3. 1 2 Daly, Rhian (9 November 2015). "The Magic Gang Delve Into Shuffling, Sensitive Indie-Pop On The Immediate, Classic-Tinged 'Jasmine'". NME. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  4. ↑ Balmont, James (17 August 2020). "Good Vibrations: The Magic Gang". DIY. Retrieved 25 November 2023. ...call on the stacked acapella harmonies of perma-influences The Beach Boys.
  5. ↑ Picknell, Kyle (27 September 2018). "The Magic Gang have no tricks up their sleeve, just great chorus after great chorus". JOE . Retrieved 25 November 2023. This is Britpop for millennials, Beach Boys harmonies and guitars cut from the same indie cloth as The Maccabees...
  6. 1 2 Conrad, Anna (13 March 2018). "Meet The Magic Gang, the band championing feel-good guitar music". British GQ. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  7. ↑ "The Magic Gang". www.prsformusic.com. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  8. ↑ "The Magic Gang - Only Waiting". DIY. 23 September 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  9. ↑ Richards, Will (24 March 2017). "The Magic Gang - EP Three". DIY. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  10. ↑ "The Magic Gang share new track 'How Can I Compete'". Mystic Sons. 7 February 2017. the first release through the newly-formed Yala! Records, founded by The Maccabees' Felix White
  11. ↑ Blake, Jimmy (25 August 2018). "The Magic Gang: The band ready to 'get bigger and bigger'". BBC. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  12. ↑ Daly, Rhian (7 February 2018). "VO5 NME Awards 2018: Introducing your favourite new acts – the Best New Artist supported by Vans nominees". NME. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  13. 1 2 Lavin, Will (30 August 2021). "The Magic Gang talk "dream" Blossoms tour and reveal plans for new EP". NME. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.