Here We Go Magic is a talented troupe of musical alchemists weaving a delightful web of sounds that please the ear and challenge the mind. To grasp the real magic behind the music, you must first understand their sorcerer, Luke Temple. As Jon Pareles of the New York Times puts it, “Mr. Temple isn’t part of any particular school—not even that all-purpose new songwriters’ catchall, freak-folk—and his private world is fascinating.”
Luke’s humble beginnings of pulling swords from stones began in 2004 as he plucked his guitar in small clubs around New York City. You may recognize his track “Saturday People” from Fall 2007 when it was a strong contender on OurStage. Back then, we were able to catch up with Luke at the CMJ Music Marathon and he wowed us with his captivating sleight of hand:
"What helps with inspiration is being uncomfortable and working with different mediums that your not as comfortable or familiar with," Luke said in the above interview. "I can get really familiar on the guitar and I could write a million sad country ballads. That's my comfort spot; I like to go back there every now and then, but I try to keep myself on my toes."
Luke must have been on his very tippy toes while working on his latest project because he takes us far, far away from his comfort zones. Listening to the tracks from the self-titled debut from Here We Go Magic, you will be hard pressed to find a single thread from a country ballad. Instead as Daytrotter puts it, “It has a feel of the cremated ashes of an old body strewn about the breezes already, dancing over grass blades and ramming into trees, disintegrating into lakes along the way, but generally still traveling as long as there’s room to travel—a contrast to what the words are actually asking, pleading for.”
Check out Here We Go Magic now on OurStage and if you’re in the New York area go see them live on July 3rd at South Street Seaport.
Gentlemen Hall
Domino Saints
Air Traffic Controller
Ferris Wheel
