The Magic Gang are made up of of Jack Kaye (vocals, guitar), Kristian Smith (vocals, guitar), Angus Taylor (bass), and Paeris Giles (drums).
The Magic Gang are a Brighton based four piece whose sound NME have coined as ‘geek rock’. Having previously supported the likes of Wolf Alice, Swim Deep and Jaws, the band are currently touring with Spring King, and made a stop at Leeds’ very own Wardrobe this week.
I waited around for the interview to a beautiful backdrop; the sweet serenade of the band sound-checking. Their name doesn’t give much away as to what to expect from their music, but both front men Jack and Kristian seem to like that. “We knew we wanted to be called The Something Something’’, they tell me, and “as one of the first few ideas, The Magic Gang just stuck”.
Despite being a young band, their influences are largely rooted in the 50s and 60s, with Kristian noting the influence of ‘traditional pop songs like The Beatles and The Beach Boys’. Music was something the boys bonded over long before the band had formed. Kristian and Jack were studying together at college but became friends over a “mutual love of The Beatles and The Libertines”. Jack admits his music taste was “very narrow” before he met Kristian, but Kristian got him “listening to more music” until the pair began writing songs together. Kristian went on to University in London, but when he moved to Brighton Jack was already living with Angus and Paeris, who he described as “amazing musicians in their own right, writing brilliant songs”. Forming the band with them just felt “natural”.
Although The Magic Gang formed in 2013, this year has been their hype year, especially after the release of two successful EPs and a handful of sold out tour dates. Despite their growing popularity on streaming sites such as Spotify, Kristian credits their success to “ a strong and organic fan base, made up of people who come to see us multiple times”. Nevertheless, they seemed enthusiastic about the exposure their support slots offer, with Jack acknowledging the benefit of “playing to people who have never heard you”, reaching a wider scope of listeners.
The Magic Gang graced The Festival Republic stage of Reading and Leeds with their angelic harmonies this summer, proving themselves in a cold muddy tent as much as on record. As the first time they’d played any major festival, the band seemed enthused by the experience, humbly stating “it’s brilliant we even got to go, let alone play”. Kristian was particularly proud of that performance, as he “went to Reading every year from the ages 16 to 20”. This goes to show the accessibility of the music scene right now; if you have the right ethos, any unwashed teen with matted hair can go from watching to performing.
I couldn’t help but ask whether fans could expect an album anytime soon, to which Jack apologetically answered that “we’re going to do another EP first next year, then an album maybe the year after that”. No fear though, there’s no need to ration until 2017. There’s most definitely no shortage, as Kristian admitted “we’ve got hundreds, hundreds of songs”. Unlike a lot of bands, all four musicians contribute lyrically, which means their catalogue of songs have “all kind of backed up”. Although the group evidently take influence from one another, they’ve demonstrated themselves to be a band that’s also very focused on their fans’ opinions. Jack disclosed that “sometimes we play songs live, and just sack them off depending on the reaction and how it feels.”
The unique thing about The Magic Gang is nobody can quite agree on their genre. In an era when music journalists seem to tag ‘indie’ on the front of every band going, their ambiguity is quite an impressive feat. Whilst their earlier EP contains songs like ‘Jasmine’ and ‘All That I Want Is You’ which blend dominant percussive lines with smooth as honey harmonies, their second EP incorporates what could almost be described as guitar oriented techno, with the likes of ‘Tuning In’. This variation is said by Kristian to stem from the merging of all of their musical influences. The individual members “always change what we’re into or influenced by” he says, but “at the moment it’s getting a little bit more concise”.
When asked if they could choose one song to listen to for the rest of their life, Kristian only took a few seconds. “It has to be ‘God Only Knows’ by The Beach Boys”, he decided, to which Jack laughed and admitted “I was probably going to say that”. With a little more time to mull it over, Jack decided on ‘Waterloo Sunset’ by The Kinks, whilst Paeris chose ‘Flowers Everywhere’ by The Balkans, adding “obviously” as if it was a trick question.
With an impressive knowledge of music past and present, this four piece are an exciting yet accessible addition to a music scene swamped by pop artists. It’s undeniable that we’re going to see more and more of this band in the next couple of years, so it’s better to realise the magic they’re performing has nothing to do with pulling rabbits out of hats sooner rather than later.
Interview by Andrea Loftus