Big thanks to Paul DesCombaz from Mean Magic answering some questions about the band and the new album Mean Magic ii. I love the driving sounds and the thoughtful lyrics.
Please tell us about Mean Magic. Who is in the band? How did you get together?
The band consists of Emily Ruiz (drums, vocs), Tony Mogelson (guitar, vocs), Mike Brady (bass, vocs) and Paul Descombaz (Guitar, vocs).
Mike and I (Paul) started the band back in 2012 for something to do. I don’t think we ever intended to play live. It was just a reason to get together and record some music. We did end up playing one “show” on Radio K’s “Off the Record”.
Then, like most bands I started, I pushed it to the side after a year or so.
But I liked the batch of songs we recorded, so I decided to release them on vinyl for the 10 year anniversary as a vanity project. And making that decision inspired me to re-start the band. I hoped we could get Emily and Tony on board and, by golly, they agreed.
I’m incredibly lucky to be making music with such amazing and talented people.
We’ve been playing together now for about two years.
Mean Magic II was recorded thirteen years after the original batch of songs that make up our first record.
City at Night is one of my favorite songs on the album, Mean Magic II. The beginning drew me in with the pace and drive. When you write songs, which comes first the sound or the lyrics? Do you have a specific process?
Thank you!
I’m a plunker and a shower writer. Melodies pop up and I rush to record them before they fade away. I hum a lot of tunes and lyric fragments on my notes app. Lyrics come in fits and starts. Often my placeholder lyrics stick around long enough to become the forever lyrics.
I can go months without picking up guitar. I am not much of a player, so I rely heavily on the cowboy chords. It’s the other folks in the band who turn them into real songs. Without them I am nothing.
There seems to be an undercurrent of futility or predetermination in the songs – from Stupid Dreams to being “stuck out here in space” in Broken Eyes to “everybody’s going to leave this town” (event if they’re coming to your place) in Love Will come Easy. How much of that is tongue in cheek, wisdom of experience or Minnesotans expectations?
I try to sneak a little bit of hope into each tune, though I’m not always successful. My lyrics tend to reflect my worldview. Everything is ultimately meaningless, but, hey, let’s be kind to each other anyway.
The exceptions to the predetermination songs seem to be Something’s Changed, and maybe Night Visions. And what’s changed in those songs seems to be love. So maybe this is the most positive album about love?
Something’s Changed is a most definitely a pure, unadulterated love song with not one scintilla of irony or cynicism. It was written for the best person I know.
Night Visions is the second of two dream anxiety songs on the record. I think it’s a love song, but I’m not entirely sure.
Please tell us about the upcoming vinyl release for Mean Magic II.
We’re working with local record wizards Outta Wax. We’re pressing 100. It should be out sometime this summer. But if anyone wants to listen now, it’s available in all the usual places.
Thanks so much for the great questions, and giving us this opportunity.
Mostly Minnesota 