3 Feet High & Rising: Magnolia Park Share "Serious" Music Video & Heart Eater EP Featuring Derek Sanders, Chad Tepper & Christo Bowman (Epitaph Records)
Magnolia Park consists of lead vocalist Joshua Roberts, guitarists Tristan Torres & Freddie Criales, bassist Jared Kay, drummer Joe "Steezy" Horsham, and keyboardist Vincent Ernst. Since forming in just 2019, Magnolia Park has consciously pioneered inclusivity in the Punk world. They are dedicated to spreading the message of #PopPunkInColor to ensure that the genre is one where people of all backgrounds are represented both on and off stage. The Heart Eater EP was recorded in LA in a "whirlwind week," according to the band, with the help of producers Matt Malpass, Andrew Wade, and Andy Karpovck. Rooted in Pop-punk sensibilities while staying true to their unique styles, Magnolia Park often effortlessly incorporate elements of Hip-Hop, Emo, and Alternative Pop into their eclectic mix of sounds.
In their Heart Eater era, the band finds themselves favoring production bursting with alluring synths and Tik-Tok dance-worthy Trap beats, layered over the guitar riffs and sing-a-long melodies that have propelled them into an ongoing upward trajectory. During the writing process, Joshua, Tristan, Freddie, Jared, Joe & Vincent were fueled by the whimsical, carefree worlds of Studio Ghibli, consuming a steady diet of Japanese animated Fantasy films Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, and Princess Mononoke. Drawing inspiration from the fun and colorful aesthetics, it is reflected in the whimsical, otherworldly soundscapes that can be heard in Heart Eater. While conceptually influenced by light and airy anime, the lyrical motifs found throughout Heart Eater peek into the everyday issues that we face and how it affects us mentally.
Utilizing lines such as "gotta choose between gas or food" or "don't need your love, you're my drug make the dose bigger," Magnolia Park explores the darker realities of life while adding an optimistic spin and uplifting melodies to contrast those less-than ideal situations. The four contained tracks are an upbeat whirlwind of Alt-leaning Pop-punk, including the recent single "Tokyo" featuring Bad Suns' vocalist Christo Bowman, which propelled them in an Alt-pop direction. Coinciding with the release of their Heart Eater EP, Magnolia Park shared Alt-pop banger "Serious" wherein both the track and visual both take cues from the 90's and 2000's. The music video follows the band as they clown around with each other, pulling pranks and other hi-jinx in a sitcom-style format.
It's a great representation of the band's chemistry and shines a light on all six bandmates' unique personalities. They, also, recently shared the video for stand-out track "Feel Something" boasting another prolific collaboration with Mayday Parade frontman Derek Sanders. Guitarist Tristan Torres sheds some light on the making-of the track: "the inspiration behind "Feel Something" is about wanting to live in the moment and the desire to be present. The recording process was super-fast. [Freddie Criales] came up with the chorus and we finished the instrumental and verses together in a couple of hours. We got lucky enough to make friends with Derek from Mayday Parade and he hopped on the track. The music video was insane—we asked some of our fans (family) to come out and dress as our character Baku. We had so much fun jumping around and hanging out with everyone."
Magnolia Park is prepping for a string of upcoming shows starting this summer, including Sad Summer Fest and Leg #2 of Sum 41 & Simple Plan's The Blame Canada US Tour starting on July 29th. Magnolia Park will join A Day to Remember, The Used & Movements this fall as part of the Just Some More Shows US Tour MMXXII. When asked what they want fans to take away from the EP, Magnolia Park reminds us that "even though we are getting older, we shouldn't take ourselves so seriously and we should always remember to have fun and enjoy life." Additionally, they encourage us to "surround ourselves with people who love us the most." Magnolia Park's Heart Eater EP is now available on digital streaming platforms, via Epitaph Records.
