Magic Crawfish came together in October of 2015 at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The core four that started things \u2013 and are still around to this day \u2013 are Nicholas \u2018Nick\u2019 Broussard, Matthew \u2018Rex\u2019 Fanguy, James Nail, and Bailey Lanier.<\/p>\n
The group formed like many other college bands: a few friends practicing in a room to see what would happen.<\/p>\n
All four guys loosely knew each other, but Fanguy recalls a time in which he had no idea who Broussard was.<\/p>\n
\u201cBailey told me, \u2018Hey, we\u2019re making a band, do you want to come and meet? It\u2019s going to be me, you, James, and Nick.\u2019 And up until the moment I opened the door, I thought it was a different Nick he was talking about,\u201d said Fanguy.<\/p>\n
From those early sessions eventually came Magic Crawfish\u2019s debut single \u201cAs of Right Now,\u201d and two years later, their debut album \u201cSecond Friday\u201d. From the jump, the band was full of talent. These releases make it evident how well each individual works together and how much fun is had in the music-making process.<\/p>\n
Friendship is a throughline in everything the band does. Fanguy was friends with Nail and Lanier in some capacity before the band even began \u2013 going back to the eighth grade. They are a tight-knit machine with inside jokes to boot. Broussard remembers one such joke involving the \u201crule of threes\u201d that stems from those pre-band friendships.<\/p>\n
\u201cThree of us always did something. For example, only three of us have hair. \u2018Cause Bailey\u2019s bald. There\u2019s crazy ones, like, three of us have sisters, but three of us are the oldest sibling, and it\u2019s different people,\u201d says Broussard, \u201cBut, I guess, three of us met before the band started.\u201d<\/p>\n
Over the next few years, the band played more into this rule of threes by dropping three loose singles \u201cSolstice\u201d, \u201cAmpers&\u201d and \u201cAll Up!\u201d. Through these tracks the band diversified their sound in new ways.<\/p>\n
If pressed to pin down specific influences, the group points to blues artists Tab Benoit and modern rock bands like Kings of Leon and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. Broussard believes the best thing about their process though is that they do not sound like one or the other. The band\u2019s constantly diverse taste in music bleeds directly into their ever-changing style.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not all listening to the exact same band, like, worshipping the same band. I think that\u2019s what is really cool about it all because we\u2019re all responsible for our own parts,\u201d explains Broussard. \u201cI write my parts, Rex writes his parts mostly, Bailey writes his parts mostly. What\u2019s really cool is that all of our songs are really a mosaic of all the artists that we listen to.\u201d<\/p>\n
At this point one might wonder \u201cwhat is a Magic Crawfish?\u201d<\/p>\n
Broussard credits the name to the bands friend and former manager Blaze. Blaze had heart problems as a child and at one point died during surgery. Luckily, he was revived and the surgery was a success.<\/p>\n
When he turned 18, Blaze got a tattoo on his chest to honor his new heart. According to the band, this realistic heart tattoo with bits of metal in it looks akin to a certain mud-fairing crustacean from a certain distance.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe funny part is that when you look at it from far away, it looks like a crawfish. And so the joke became that a magic crawfish had saved Blaze\u2019s life,\u201d says Broussard.<\/p>\n
Most recently, the band released a new single, \u201cRed Bluff,\u201d at the end of January. The track is their most energetic yet, calling back to pop-punk bands of the late \u201890s and early 2000s.<\/p>\n
The band promises these infectious vibes will continue with their new album due out in June. It is said to be full of \u201cBig Summer Tunes\u201d and a much higher production quality.<\/p>\n
The group also brought on a new member, David Crochet, a classically trained drummer like the rest of the band. Working with their new member and the amazing crew at UP\/DOWN Studios has been a new experience for the band.<\/p>\n
Recording engineer Eric Holt has influenced the band\u2019s approach to their sophomore album immensely. The professional studio setup has allowed for creative experimentation, resulting in songs that may be difficult to fully replicate live.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe were very much open to whatever the engineer had to offer. The second that we started recording the first song there, it blew our minds. The second that he hit play, after we recorded the first one, we were like, \u2018whoa, what the s**t!,\u2019\u201d said Broussard.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2018How much more can we shove in these songs?\u2019\u201d added Fanguy.<\/p>\n
Magic Crawfish hopes to make it to Baton Rouge soon as they say they are working to schedule a show in mid- to late spring. The band is also set to appear at the 40th Anniversary of the Festival International de Louisiane<\/a>, where they have played the last two years.<\/p>\n \u201cWe always play this big after-party downtown, hosted by the Keaty Real Estate firm, and that\u2019s always one of our favorite shows of the year,\u201d shares Broussard. \u201cHuge after-party at this really fancy Airbnb, it\u2019s outside. It\u2019s a good time.\u201d<\/p>\n In the meantime, fans can keep up with Magic Crawfish on the band\u2019s website<\/a> or Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n