MAGIC FIG

Crossover Prog • United States

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Magic Fig biography
MAGIC FIG is a San Francisco-based psych-pop-prog group which was formed in 2023 and features five musicians from the Bay Area's thriving indie pop scene. The band includes members of several renowned local psych and garage bands, including THE UMBRELLAS, HEALING POTPOURRI, ALMOND JOY and WHITNEY'S PLAYLAND.

Guitarist Muzzy MOSKOWITZ (ALMOND JOY, FROOGIE'S GROOVIES, COLOR GREEN), keyboardist Jon CHANEY (HEALING POTPOURRI) and bassist Matthew FERRARA (THE UMBRELLAS) all had a shared love of fuzz organ, BACH and PINK FLOYD, and as a result of the isolation imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, they recognised the need for collaboration and a communal approach to be adopted in the creation any new music.

MAGIC FIG's line-up was completed by the addition of Taylor GIFFIN (HEALING POTPOURRI, PALOMAS) on drums and Inna SHOWALTER (WHITNEY'S PLAYLAND, BLADES OF JOY) on vocals. Before Inna had joined the band, it was simply called 'FIG' and most of the music for their self-titled debut album had already been written. The finished product was finally recorded in 2023 at Santo Studio in Oakland, CA, and was produced by Joel ROBINOW of ONCE AND FUTURE BAND and HOWLIN RAIN, eventually being released on May 17, 2024 via Silver Current Records.

Keyboardist Jon CHANEY wasn't as heavily into prog as Muzzy and Matthew when the three of them originally got together as 'FIG', his main musical interest being Krautrock, and Inna SHOWALTER initially came from a choral background before becoming predominantly a shoegaze fan, citing COCTEAU TWINS as one of her favourite bands. However, her vocal style has been more closely compared to Trish KEENAN of the electronic band BROADCAST than Liz FRASER of COCTEAU TWINS.

MAGIC FIG's self-titled debut mini-album consists of just six songs, and runs to a shade under twenty eight and a half minutes, with vocalist Inna SHOWALTER describing it as "progressive psychedelic pop", whilst also mentioning Canterbury Scene as one of its major influences. Guitarist Muzzy MOSKOWITZ describes the music as "organ-led stuff that's a little bit jazzy and pastoral". The album certainly demonstrates a deliberate departure by the band from the more recent wave of Bay Area indie pop, and instead harks back to the 1960s style of San Francisco psychedelic rock.

The band's music is often compared to that of 1970s Canterbury Scene bands such as SOFT MACHINE, CARAVAN and EGG, as well as a number of latter day bands, inclu...MAGIC FIG is a San Francisco-based psych-pop-prog group which was formed in 2023 and features five musicians from the Bay Area's thriving indie pop scene. The band includes members of several renowned local psych and garage bands, including THE UMBRELLAS, HEALING POTPOURRI, ALMOND JOY and WHITNEY'S PLAYLAND.

Guitarist Muzzy MOSKOWITZ (ALMOND JOY, FROOGIE'S GROOVIES, COLOR GREEN), keyboardist Jon CHANEY (HEALING POTPOURRI) and bassist Matthew FERRARA (THE UMBRELLAS) all had a shared love of fuzz organ, BACH and PINK FLOYD, and as a result of the isolation imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, they recognised the need for collaboration and a communal approach to be adopted in the creation any new music.

MAGIC FIG's line-up was completed by the addition of Taylor GIFFIN (HEALING POTPOURRI, PALOMAS) on drums and Inna SHOWALTER (WHITNEY'S PLAYLAND, BLADES OF JOY) on vocals. Before Inna had joined the band, it was simply called 'FIG' and most of the music for their self-titled debut album had already been written. The finished product was finally recorded in 2023 at Santo Studio in Oakland, CA, and was produced by Joel ROBINOW of ONCE AND FUTURE BAND and HOWLIN RAIN, eventually being released on May 17, 2024 via Silver Current Records.

Keyboardist Jon CHANEY wasn't as heavily into prog as Muzzy and Matthew when the three of them originally got together as 'FIG', his main musical interest being Krautrock, and Inna SHOWALTER initially came from a choral background before becoming predominantly a shoegaze fan, citing COCTEAU TWINS as one of her favourite bands. However, her vocal style has been more closely compared to Trish KEENAN of the electronic band BROADCAST than Liz FRASER of COCTEAU TWINS.

MAGIC FIG's self-titled debut mini-album consists of just six songs, and runs to a shade under twenty eight and a half minutes, with vocalist Inna SHOWALTER describing it as "progressive psychedelic pop", whilst also mentioning Canterbury Scene as one of its major influences. Guitarist Muzzy MOSKOWITZ describes the music as "organ-led stuff that's a little bit jazzy and pastoral". The album certainly demonstrates a deliberate departure by the band from the more recent wave of Bay Area indie pop, and instead harks back to the 1960s style of San Francisco psychedelic rock.

The band's music is often compared to that of 1970s Canterbury Scene bands such as SOFT MACHINE, CARAVAN and EGG, as well as a number of latter day bands, including Vancouver-based indie rock band THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS and the Brooklyn-based outfit THE ESSEX GREEN. Fans of bands such as JELLYFISH and 'Seeds Of Love' era TEARS FOR FEARS will also find plenty to enjoy here.

MAGIC FIG already have songs prepared for album number two, which could be ready sometime within the next twelve months. Inna SHOWALTER has taken over the role of the band's lyricist for these new songs, explaining that they will be based on her own personal experiences re-interpreted from a magical and mystical perspective, along with plenty of fairy-tale influences.read more