The LA-based indie-folk band Magic Giant have sold out legendary venues ranging from Los Angeles’ Troubadour to Mercury Lounge in New York City, headlined festivals such as RiSE in the Mojave Desert for 14,000 people, and played celebrated events including Rock the Vote. Their latest release, “Set On Fire,” charted at #4 on Spotify’s US Viral 50 and the band has been featured on Spotify’s New Music Tuesday and declared an “Artist on the Verge” by Billboard. These successes almost didn’t happen because the band itself almost didn’t happen.
The folk revival band was first imagined in 2012 when lead singer Austin Bis made a New Year’s resolution to follow his childhood dream and put a band together. New to Los Angeles, Austin asked around in an attempt to find someone who could play banjo, fiddle, and sing harmonies and was quickly introduced to Zambricki, another recent LA transplant. Together they played a handful of shows and though they had a great time, things soon fizzled out. Six months later, the talent-buyer from the Sweetlife Music Festival reached out, unaware that the band was on hiatus, and attempted to book them after seeing one of the band’s rare early performances. Austin and Zambricki couldn’t turn down the offer, and thus the rebirth of the band began. The duo received a thunderous response from the crowd and soon parlayed one festival into two, landing a slot at the inaugural Life Is Beautiful Festival. Soon after, they started weaving mandolins with live horns and drum machines into their sound, and added a crucial piece to the puzzle: Brian “Zangarang” Zaghi on upright bass and guitar. The trio played their first show as the newly minted Magic Giant in March 2014.
The band self-produced its debut EP, which featured notable musicians including Rashawn Ross of Dave Matthews Band and Spencer Ludwig of Capital Cities. The Magic Giant EP was released in March of 2015 to critical acclaim. NPR proclaimed, “This L.A. indie-folk band has a festival anthem on its hands” and the band was brought in for a performance on KEXP hosted by John Richards. Since then, Magic Giant has moved bodies and souls in over thirty cities across North America, building a reputation for its infectious sing-alongs and communal live experiences, blending folk instruments with big drums and dance rhythms. They are currently working on their debut full-length record from their 1940’s bomb-shelter-turned-studio in Silver Lake, California.
Magic Giant is Austin Bis [lead vocals], Zambricki [banjo, mandolin, fiddle] and Brian “Zangarang” Zaghi [upright bass, guitar].
The folk revival band was first imagined in 2012 when lead singer Austin Bis made a New Year’s resolution to follow his childhood dream and put a band together. New to Los Angeles, Austin asked around in an attempt to find someone who could play banjo, fiddle, and sing harmonies and was quickly introduced to Zambricki, another recent LA transplant. Together they played a handful of shows and though they had a great time, things soon fizzled out. Six months later, the talent-buyer from the Sweetlife Music Festival reached out, unaware that the band was on hiatus, and attempted to book them after seeing one of the band’s rare early performances. Austin and Zambricki couldn’t turn down the offer, and thus the rebirth of the band began. The duo received a thunderous response from the crowd and soon parlayed one festival into two, landing a slot at the inaugural Life Is Beautiful Festival. Soon after, they started weaving mandolins with live horns and drum machines into their sound, and added a crucial piece to the puzzle: Brian “Zangarang” Zaghi on upright bass and guitar. The trio played their first show as the newly minted Magic Giant in March 2014.
The band self-produced its debut EP, which featured notable musicians including Rashawn Ross of Dave Matthews Band and Spencer Ludwig of Capital Cities. The Magic Giant EP was released in March of 2015 to critical acclaim. NPR proclaimed, “This L.A. indie-folk band has a festival anthem on its hands” and the band was brought in for a performance on KEXP hosted by John Richards. Since then, Magic Giant has moved bodies and souls in over thirty cities across North America, building a reputation for its infectious sing-alongs and communal live experiences, blending folk instruments with big drums and dance rhythms. They are currently working on their debut full-length record from their 1940’s bomb-shelter-turned-studio in Silver Lake, California.
Magic Giant is Austin Bis [lead vocals], Zambricki [banjo, mandolin, fiddle] and Brian “Zangarang” Zaghi [upright bass, guitar].