Better To... Podcast with D. M. Needom
The Better To Podcast is a place where we'll discuss what was the inspiration for their perspective projects and how it all came about. Sometimes, we’ll take a deeper dive into that moment that placed them on the creative path. On the podcast, we honor achievements, discuss new projects, and reflect on life lessons and the beginnings of the creative journey.
Better To... Podcast with D. M. Needom
Cascades - Magic Wands
This week on the podcast, I sit down with Dexy and Chris to discuss their latest release, their musical journey and more.
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Dark dreampop duo Magic Wands will release a new album entitled Cascades via Metropolis Records. It includes their current single, "Time To Dream,"as well as the previously issued "Hide," "Armour," "Moonshadow," and "Across The Water."
“Cascades was born from a fascination with how the past lingers inside us and explores transformation and the spaces where timelines blur into one,” the band explains. Shaped by the spirit of centuries-old poetry, gothic romance, and myth, the album pulses with post-punk and dream-pop sounds, shot through with lingering shadows of the old world, bridging the sound of their 2012 debut album Aloha Moon with more recent releases.
Formed in 2008 in Nashville by vocalists/guitarists Dexy and Chris Valentine but now based in Los Angeles, Magic Wands are known for a shimmering, dreamy sound that melds elements of shoegaze, dreampop, postpunk, and goth. Their music utilzes heavily-textured guitars, synth drones, and ethereal vocals to conjure an otherworldly atmosphere, plus song lyrics that are emotionally engaging.
The duo has built a loyal fanbase over the course of five studio albums to date, the most recent of which was Switch (2023). Songs from it were subsequently remixed by guest artists and released as Switched later that same year.
Magic Wands is a partnership built on alchemy of dark dreampop, goth-tinged postpunk, and a touch of cosmic romance.
Shaped by the duo’s signature cinematic atmosphere and celestial hooks, they hint at an album that explores transformation, reflection, and the pull of distant horizons.
Magic Wands make music like portals, each record a doorway into a different century, a different sky. Over a decade since Aloha Moon, their magic is only growing stronger.
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