Ones to Watch: High Magic

Recent stars of PULSE, High Magic are Arkansas duo Wade Ogle and Nate Higgins. If you haven’t caught that edition, where were you? Actually, it doesn’t matter where you were, you’re here now. Anyhow, the pair are prone to delivering a real goth infused pscyhedelia, which boasts a cult-load of mysticism to boot.

In my mind’s ear they call to mind elements of Nick Cave and Bowie, but lavished in psych and atmospherics – equal parts trippy and melancholic. Their newest release Elemental is dark, dramatic, and just plain awesome. For a twosome they don’t have pack a noise punch. Anyhow, I caught up with singer/guitarist/keyboard-player/loopist Wade Ogle for a quick Q&A. Enjoy the results below; honest, open, and great fun.

First and foremost, hello, how are you? And who am I talking to?

Hey there, I’m Wade Ogle. For the moment, all is well. Thanks.

Though we covered you in a recent Pulse feature, what would you say High Magic is all about in your own words?

I don’t know that I even know what High Magic is all about. It has a foundation but, beyond that, it’s ever evolving. I spent a lot of years developing a really dynamic, heady psych sound and later, I spent a great deal of time trying to simply write good folk songs. High Magic is a combination of those things I suppose.

What would be some of your biggest musical influences and inspirations? I drew a comparison to Nick Cave and even David Bowie when writing about you, would you consider these as influences or was I off the mark?

No, you’re right. When I was a teenager, The Doors were the first band that really moved me. I just instantly related to it much more than say the Stones, Led Zeppelin or the Beatles. Their sound, the songs, the poetic mysticism and excess. They just sounded like they meant it. Much later, while DJ’ing a college radio show, I heard Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ “Tender Prey” record and again, I just instantly thought “this is it”. Then, I heard Leonard Cohen’s “Songs From A Room” and it made everything I’d heard before seem irrelevant. From there, Scott Walker…who is probably my favorite male singer and someone I greatly respect as an artist.  So, I think I just have a natural disposition for liking sad and angry songs and melancholy singers. With High Magic, there’s that influence coupled with my love of Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Swans, Low etc. That stuff that goes to a really elevated place without regard to how long it takes or whether there’s any traditional structure to it.

You released Elemental earlier this year, how have you found the reaction to it?

There’s been some really nice things said. Mostly in the UK. Anytime I release anything, people well far away from me pick up on it. Here, not as much. We self-released it without any kind of publicity or promotion budget. Little releases like ours tend to fade from public view fairly quickly.

As a two piece, how do you manage to pull your sound off live? Do you get other musicians involved?

We’ve arrived at being a two-piece because Nate (drums, backing vocals) and I were always the last two standing. We made honest effort to be a four-piece, a trio etc. In fact, the Elemental ep is a trio recording. Shortly after, we parted with that bass player and realized we were better off musically and personally as a two-piece. Nate and I are close. There’s a friendship and trust there. Both of us understand we’re trying to hit that really magical moment. The shamanic thing. Not everyone gets that, allows themselves to go there or is even interested in that feeling. So, we took a bit of time to sort of sonically restructure as a duo. When we play live, there’s always a “mouth agape” thing from people who can’t believe it’s just the two of us…and he plays standing. It’s unusual. I use a looper to play big sympathetic drones and a chromatic foot-pedal to add Wurlitzer electric piano-like keyboard parts. But, it’s all live. I’m not triggering passages or changes. The heart of it is absolutely the voices, guitar and drums. It’s an intense experience. However, I don’t expect it to remain a duo.

Speaking of live, are you touring at the moment? Any plans for getting far and wide?

Not at the moment. We toured a fair amount regionally this past spring and summer. It’s great fun and you feel like, for once,  you’re doing what you’re meant to do. But, at our level, there’s no money in it…and sometimes, I mean zero money. We both have responsibilities beyond ourselves. So, unless our public profile skyrockets after this Q&A, we’ll likely record this winter and continue to play locally and regionally.

How’s the music scene where you are in Arkansas? Any bands/musicians we need to get a move on and check out?

Scene seems like an odd word to describe it. I’m pre-internet so that’s probably why I feel that way. Everything is so wide open and instantly accessible now that I don’t think what I’d consider a scene even exists anymore. That said, there’s a small but vicious group of people who are interested in new music, art, films etc. and everyone is pretty good to each other. Pagiins, Doctor Nod, Ten High, LLinda, Peace Of The Sea, SW/MM/NG…really, there’s a boatload of really great bands here.

Other than the band, what other big passions drive you?

Nothing really. I mean, I have things I get obsessed with, consume and then it ends. Playing, writing, performing and listening to music…those are the only things that have stayed with me.

If you had a particularly cultured pet vulture, what would you call it?

I’m imagining this in my head and all I can really see is Serge Gainsbourg in vulture form sitting on a perch to my right with a look of disdain because he’s surrounded by the less than stellar. But, he’s good enough to not say anything because, a friend is a friend. So…Serge it is.