-
10 Questions with ... Magic Giant
September 5, 2017
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. -
BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/magicgiant Twitter: @magicgiant Instagram:@magicgiant YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/magicgiantmusic
Magic Giant is made up of Austin Bisnow (lead vocals), Zambricki Li (banjo, violin, harmonica) and Zang (acoustic guitar, cello). The band released their self titled EP "Magic Giant" in 2015 and their studio album "In the Wind" in May of 2017. They are best known for their Top 30 Billboard Alternative hit "Set On Fire".
1. How would you describe all that has happened over the past year for you and your music? What were some of the highlights?
Zang: Last year was all about building. From our internal team to our outside community, we were building our foundation. Some personal highlights were Electric Forest and Wanderlust. We spent most of our tour in these beautiful parts of North America, recording our album and playing these festivals. We're really proud and excited with the album we created.
2. Growing up, did all always want to be musicians? Can you recall the moment you realized that you could really make music together and be a band? How did you all first meet each other?
Zambricki: We were actually all doing music individually before we even met so I guess it was already something we all believed we could do. Austin and I were already friends? when we found Zang. We saw him playing on stage with a mutual friend, looked him up and found videos of him dancing salsa. We were mystified! So we snatched him and we've been best friends since.
3. Was it hard to narrow down a band name? How did you finally decide? What other names were you considering?
It was! There are so many bands putting music online that it's so hard to find a great name that's not taken. We would come up with a name that we liked, and then upon looking it up, see that there would sometimes be multiple bands that had it. Even when we came up with things that we thought were really wacky and couldn't possibly be taken, they were. "Handclap Orchestra"? Taken. "Crayola Forest"? Taken. We had a list with so many names on it! Then Austin saw a Ted Talk he shared with us of the visual artist Peter Tunney describing his mentor as a GIANT. And when he showed a photo of him, he wasn't physically large. We thought that notion was so beautiful that you don't have to be big to be a giant.
4. Please tell us about your debut album, "In the Wind." How excited are you all to finally be putting it out into the world?
Zambricki: We are beyond excited. Its our first album so we got the jitters! Writing the record and being able to play some of these songs on tour makes it so there are a ton of memories attached to both the songs and the process.
5. What was the process of putting this project together? Did anything surprise you about it all?
A lot of this record was done as part of a summer festival tour and we were surprised how we could get a quality recording in unexpected places. Went to a studio in Atlanta after the whole epic journey to gather our thoughts and tracks together. It gave us perspective and helped bring the whole creative process together.
6. Tell us about the shuttle bus that you converted into a solar-powered mobile recording studio? Where did the idea to do this come from? How did you pick and choose all the places that you parked to do the actual recording?
Zambricki: It was fate. We had a summer of festivals in the most picturesque places around the country. We bought a turbo diesel shuttle bus and added solar panels and tricked it out to record. Instead of booking other shows in between the festivals we decided to schedule time in nature to record. Powder Mountain, Utah has a Hidden Lake where we recorded guitar on the song "Jade." We also ended up writing an important part of the song there. While in Crested Butte, Colorado, we found an epic wildflower field like something out of the "Sound Of Music" and we got some really compelling vocals there. In Washington State, there's a three mile tunnel through a mountain in the Snoqualmie Pass and we got some great echoes and reverbs that we sprinkled around the album. We drove the long way from Seattle and found a redwood tree in Humboldt, California that was the size of a recording studio with the perfect reverb.
7. How do you guys keep up the energy night after night? Do you have any silly or interesting rituals while out on the road?
Zambricki: Zang likes to go salsa dancing after the shows. We started meditating together for an Atlanta and we try to get centered for each performance with a collective breath before hand. Having a healthy lifestyle on the road can be challenging, but we make it a priority. It keeps our energy up and allows us to crush shows full force every night.
8. Who are some of your favorite artists? Who would you all love to work with in the future? What would be a dream collaboration?
Zang: We're inspired by a variety of artists like Julian Casablancas, Alex Ebert, and Ray Lamontagne just to name a few. Our dream collaboration would be something like getting together with Queen to write a play. We would've loved to work with Freddie Mercury.
9. At the end of the day, what do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope people take away from your songs?
Zang: One message we resonate with is "Stuff happens; suffering is optional." We believe in the triumph of the human will. We hope that, for just a moment, we can lift someone's mood and create this domino effect of smiling faces.
10. Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers about your music?
Zambricki: Just to come to the show, be yourself, rock out, and make sure you stop by and give us a hug.
Special thanks to Leah Adams-Brungardt who conducted this interview.
-
-