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Together the members of Austin based hip-hop collective Magna Carda (Megz Kelli, Dougie Do, Eric Nikolaides, Derek Van Wagner) are bringing some extra heat to Austin. With fresh flows, blues and neo-soul influences this four-piece is definitely one to watch. Their latest single “Banger Jones” brings melodic vibes that….well bang and melt like butter. GroundSounds recently chopped it up with founding member Dougie Do to find out about the bands latest projects, musical inspirations and more, check out the exclusive interview below.
For those just discovering Magna Carda, how did you guys form the band and start making music?
Well Megz and myself started making music with just us two around late 2011 at St.Edward’s University. We did a battle of the bands show together and thought it’d be dope to team up to create mixtape (Creature Creative) after. Our first project got us some traction so we kept going! After Megz and I figured out each other’s creative process off-stage, we knew improving on-stage was really the next step. So by 2013, we had slowly formed a band (now Derek Van Wagner, Eric Nikolaides, Mike Gonzales). It was a bit shaky at first, but once we figured out how to mesh it all up, it was all gravy.
What made you guys decide on the name Magna Carda?
Once Megz and I started actively pursuing leads on musicians we had from other friends, we noticed some bands had one person with all the creative control and that was it. Megz thought of the name, but it was loosely based off the actual Magna Carta in that we didn’t want the band to be something where one person has all the power/creative input. Once the name was thought of, we changed the ‘T’ to a ‘D’ to make it a little catchy.
So, no joke, we have had “Banger Jones” on repeat, can us about the writing and creative process involved with this track?
Appreciate it! We actually had the “Banger Jones” song all ready to go for about 4 months, except we thought it was missing a sound I couldn’t quite capture with the sounds I had at the time. We sent it over to our bassist (Derek Van Wagner) and he sent back a super dope bass line that fit right in. We don’t really have a set process in stone of how we write/create the songs, but this one came out on point.
Can you tell us about filming the music video for “Banger Jones,” what was this day like?
It was a pretty cold/rainy day, but luckily it was indoors/shot in a warehouse! We weren’t too sure what time we’d be able to open the warehouse, so everyone was pretty much on stand-by mode for the whole day. Our homies Juan and Kareem (Nova Wolf Productions) came to us with the dope idea and wah-lah! Turned out great.
Neo-soul, jazz, old school hip-hop and blues have clearly influenced your music, what attracts you guys to this sound?
I think all of us just growing up on certain genres attracted us to a certain sound. When we all pretty much came to the table for the first time, we all brought a piece of what we grew up on (hip-hop/jazz, neo-soul, funk, blues), which is why you can hear the different influences more on certain songs than others.
With a vision that has no limits, where are you guys headed?
Hopefully around the world soon! We love Austin, but we think it’s time for other cities to hear our sounds. We have the west coast lined up at the end of April so we’re excited for our first outing and to see how receptive the coast is to us. I hear super dope stories though.
What do you guys enjoy most about Austin?
The weather’s usually great which makes for a dope gig. Most of the food is on point too. I’d say the community of musicians/artists is one definitely as well. It’s really just a laid back city (for now), highly recommend visiting if you haven’t.
Could you tell us about the inspiration for “Juice?”
Megz had always said “I got the juice” every now and then in one-off conversations, it had never been actual lyrics before that. I sent over a draft one night and the hook “I got the stella…” came to Megz first. The rest just turned into like a self-freeing song. Megz said she didn’t really think too much about it and just let the words flow and that’s what came out!
What are you thoughts on Austin’s overall music scene?
It’s a dope scene, super saturated with certain genres, but it’s a dope scene. I think the overall competitiveness across the scene is on the up and up, which is a good thing. Lots of musicians, but there’s definitely some hidden gems out here. It’s a positive/loving community overall though.
What do you guys enjoy most about performing live? What goes through your mind when you’re on stage?
I think the rush of energy you get that’s created from vibing off the other guys/Megz along with the crowd. You can’t really explain the adrenaline you get from performing, but it’s there. Watching the crowds reactions to songs and seeing which songs they kind of treat as a ‘soundtrack to my life’. It’s a beautiful thang. Nothing’s really going through your mind except that you feel like you’re in your own world. It’s kind of like if you think too much, you’ll mess up or forget where you are. You just have to feel it!
Is there an album or EP on the way? What is next for Magna Carda?
Yeah! A band EP is in the works currently, along with some new tunes/singles getting arranged to put out. Hopefully more touring/festivals as well. There’s also another project being released that Megz and I are currently working on that’s more geared towards film so we’re excited for that. Can’t wait to see what 2015 has in-store for us, Magna coming to a city near you!
