EMQ’s With MAGANA
Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with American Indie-Synth Rock artist MAGANA. Huge thanks to Jeni Magana for taking part.
What is your name, what do you play and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?
My name is Jeni, and this is my solo project. I started a band when I moved to Brooklyn, and found that I loved playing with other people. Unfortunately, we all had other jobs and schedules didn’t always line up. It was really difficult to find time with everyone, and so I ultimately chose to start a solo project. That way I could be self-sufficient when I needed to, but also still be able to play shows with my super talented and lovely friends.
How did you come up with your band name?
It’s my last name. I was looking for a band name that would encompass me, and really I think what better than my last name for that? Also I particularly like my name, and think it’s a shame that it doesn’t get used more often.
What Country / Region are you from and what is the Metal / Rock scene like there?
I hail from Bakersfield, CA which is home to a lot of Nu-Metal as well as Country Music. It’s a weird mix of genres, for sure. I grew up going to Jerry’s Pizza, which a lot of people have played while passing through from LA or SF. I played some shows there in recent years and I really think the scene is alive and well, still, which is pretty cool.
What is your latest release?
My newest release is an album called “Teeth” and is out March 25th.
Who have been your greatest influences?
For this record, I pulled a lot of influence from Bon Iver. I think it’s so cool how unafraid they seem of experimenting.
What first got you into music?
During my summers in Bakersfield, my family ran a fruit stand. There was one off of each major freeway (5 and 99) and pretty much nothing else around. But there was a church and the pastor’s wife played piano. She let me come learn how to play in exchange for some fruit. Otherwise, I was already singing and making things up all the time. I definitely came to music wanting to make it before I even had the notion that there was an endless amount to listen to. That came later, when I got a few cassette tapes and eventually a CD player.
If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?
I love collaborating with my friend Emily. She’s my dream musical partner, and we formed a band named Pen Pin. We have some singles out, too.
If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?
I’d like to make my own festival where we all played stripped down sets in the most beautiful parts of libraries and bookstores around the world.
What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?
I don’t think I’ve ever received a gift from a fan. Ahem.
If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?
I love you and you’re doing great just being a human. You’re human-ing and that’s all we need from you right now.
If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?
Beethoven. He’s a rockstar in my heart. And I want to see if he was a jerk or not.
What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?
It fills a piece of my soul, and soothes out the jagged edges. It’s endless in the ways that you can relate to music. It connects people. I hate the long drives of the tour. I hate driving in general, actually. And there is so much driving related to being a musician.
If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
Oof. It’s difficult to choose one thing. I suppose if I could find some way to sweep out prejudice from the industry, that would be a job well done.
Name one of your all-time favourite albums?
“Bury The Hatchet” – The Cranberries. This album has brought me through high school well into my adult years and it will never get old.
What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CD’s or Downloads?
Maybe it’s just the era I grew up in, but I’m pretty anti-CD. I love the physical presence of both cassettes and vinyl but I almost exclusively listen to downloaded music. So, I choose those three.
What’s the best gig that you have played to date?
One that stands out to me is a house show I played in my hometown a few years back. I love house shows, and I want them all to be like this one. Nothing crazy happened, but it was such a warm community and I really felt like we connected in that way I was mentioning earlier. It just feels right.
If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?
I’m a photographer as well, and I really love it. I think if I wasn’t doing music I’d be putting a lot more time into that.
Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?
Four of my friends and Taylor Swift. I have some friends that are huge fans of hers and I think they’d love to get some alone time with her. Also she seems like she would be nice about it and maybe not a lot of celebrities would?
What’s next for the band?
I’m going in all sorts of directions right now. I want to play some shows, full band and also solo. I want to work on more ambient music and also scoring. I also want to revisit some of the songs that didn’t make it onto this record and maybe make an EP or another full length out of those. I’m still actively writing as well. I need to steal more time somehow, and get it all done.
What Social Media / Website links do you use to get your music out to people?
I’m mostly on http://instagram.com/maganarama
Otherwise I point people to my bandcamp https://maganarama.bandcamp.com/
Time for a very British question now. As an alternative to the humble sandwich, is the correct name for a round piece of bread common in the UK either a Bap, a Barm (or Barm Cake), a Batch, a Bun, a Cob, a Muffin, a Roll or a Tea Cake?
I literally have never heard of any of these. Are these all one thing? Am I missing out on something delicious?? In New York you could order a sandwich on a roll….is that the same thing?
Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Thank you! I would like to give a tiny shout out to a few people. Jonathan Smith interpreted my weird drum tracks and replaced them with better real drums. And then mixed the record. Michael DiSanto sifted through all my demos and chose the songs for the album, as well as sequenced and mastered them. Marie Kim and Jenna Moynihan put some beautiful string parts in there. And Jamie Halliday is helping me with the release. They also gave me encouragement like 8 years ago when I needed it the most.