‘Take Back The Track’ the new track from The Magic Gang, uses the current situation as a strength rather than a limitation.
The four members unite on video for an online rehearsal, during which the only distraction appears to be the attention of drummer Paeris Giles’ cat. But they’re joined by the mysterious presence of User1234 who threatens, “I’m going to destroy your rehearsal.” And from there, things get stranger still…
The inventive video was directed by Georgina Cammalleri, who was nominated for a UK Music Video Award for her work on Swim Deep’s ‘To Feel Good’. The challenge of working remotely meant that the band also had to act as the crew. For example, bassist Gus Taylor doubled up as gaffer and production designer by setting up his own lighting to capture the right look.
“I knew I wanted to create a narrative for it that would play out entirely on one of the band member’s computer screens,” says Cammalleri. “Directing remotely was intense. The smallest of details had to be thought through. Because of the internet lag, we’d rely on the pace of the track to time their responses. This meant that every move was considered and timed to the second so that it’d all sync up with the rest of the band, as they were all shot separately.”
The ‘Take Back The Track’ video represents The Magic Gang’s second inventive creative project during the current crisis. It follows their recent Love Songs initiative, in which they wrote and recorded homemade songs for fans separated by lockdown.
‘Take Back The Track’ previews The Magic Gang’s eagerly anticipated second album ‘Death of the Party’, which will be released on August 21st. It was recorded in Atlanta with the Grammy-winning producer Ben H. Allen (Deerhunter, Animal Collective, Gnarls Barkley).
The quartet approached the album with two objectives in mind. They aimed to broaden the scope of their harmony-rich, melodically focused pop with elements of Northern Soul, disco, power pop and post-punk. And inspired by Lou Reed, Alex Turner and especially Jonathan Richman they wanted to take a more observational lyrical approach.
The single is the second song to preview the album after ‘Think’. It immediately made an impact at Radio 1 as it premiered as Annie Mac’s Hottest Record in the World, while Jack Saunders subsequently named it as Tune of the Week. To date, it has been playlisted for four weeks at Radio 1. Further radio play also came from Matt Wilkinson at Beats 1 and John Kennedy at Radio X.
‘Take Back The Track’, ‘Think’ and ‘What Have You Got To Lose’ are all provided as instant downloads for fans who pre-order the album here.
Please see the band’s official website for the latest updates on future live shows The Magic Gang
