The Magic Gang

Jack Kaye, Kristian Smith, Gus Taylor and Paeris Giles were each pursuing careers as musicians when they came together in 2013 to form The Magic Gang. Bonding over a shared love of alternative acts as well as The Beach Boys, the group established an idiosyncratic approach to their pop-leaning rock songs. They moved in together in a house in Brighton where they spent four years honing their chemistry, hosting parties where they gained valuable live experience, and become members of a music scene that would serve as the genesis for a number of bands including Birdskulls and Dream Wife. They also released 3 EPs during this period before signing with Yala! Records, headed by former Macabees guitarist Felix White, and issuing their self-titled debut LP in 2018. Laden with Beach Boys style harmonies, the album devoted one side to upbeat rockers like “Getting Along” while the other was given to more philosophical ruminations such as “How Can I Compete”. In 2020 they issued a single for “Take Back the Track” that featured a savvy video that addressed the COVID pandemic by showing the band members practicing via video conference and having their work disturbed by an anonymous internet troll.

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