Photo Credit: Mark Beade
RUNNING HIGH ON ADRENALINE
SOUR PILLS FOR SUGAR KIDS
GET YOUR FIX TURN OUT THE LIGHTS
ALL THE FREAKS COME OUT AT NIGHT
Los Angeles outfit Magic Wands, often referring to their sound as “lovewave and dreampop,” is an ethereal duo originally hailing from Nashville. Their latest lo-fi offering, Wash The Tears Away, is a sombre journey into the seedy world of nightlife, escape from harsh reality, and drug abuse, but with an encompassing feeling of optimism.
The accompanying video is a montage of images that capture the mood and vibe of the song. The filming was a spontaneous venture, filmed with a friend late one night as they drove around Los Angeles.
“The song was written and recorded when LA became a ghost town,” says the band. “We ventured out late at night looking for signs of life… both the song and video is about capturing a mood, processing a moment in time. Washing the tears away and letting it go, still having hope for the future.”
Watch the analogue-infused performance video below:
Magic Wands was formed in 2008 by Chris Valentine (guitar, vocals) and Dexy Valentine (guitar, keyboards, vocals), after Chris found a copy of the song Teenage Love on the Myspace page for Dexy’s band, the Dollphins. The two got in touch, and the two began to write music together. The name of the band stemmed from the gift of a magic wand from Chris to Dexy while the two were living on opposite sides of the country.
The Fates smiled upon them, for they went on to make a number of releases over the next decade. Their first single, 2008’s Black Magic, was released on 7″ vinyl by Ark Recordings. In late 2009, the band signed to indie label Bright Antenna and released Magic Love & Dreams with producer John Hill (Santigold/Lykke Li). From there they also put out Alpha Moon in 2012, Jupiter in 2016 (Post-Punk.com album of the month), Abrakadabra in 2018, and Illuminate in 2020.
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*Photo by Mark Beade
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