Biography
The quartet Electric Looking Glass, established in Los Angeles during 2018, channels an intense fixation on the precise instant in 1967 when beat groups embraced psychedelia, drawing both sonic and visual cues from the Hollies, the Monkees, and the Left Banke.
Arash Mafi, who serves as organist and leads the local psych trio Pansies, launched a temporary retail spot in Echo Park during 2017 to sell his own vintage-inspired apparel designs; this venture drew numerous fellow devotees of 1960s culture. There he encountered Johnny Toomey, formerly the drummer for the Southern California punk outfit the Stitches in the 1990s, and the pair soon hatched ideas for forming a fresh ensemble. Toomey had just concluded time with L.A.'s the Turns, whose retro flavor also marked guitarist Danny Winebarger, another recruit for the endeavor. Brent Randall, a Canadian tunesmith previously active under the Gentle Brent moniker and alongside the Pinecones, crossed paths with Toomey early the next year, rounding out Electric Looking Glass. Their first performance took place in August 2018, after which they crammed Mafi's collection of analog gear into Toomey's basement to begin tracking.
Hypnotic Bridge issued the group's opening double-A-sided 7-inch in May 2019, showcasing Winebarger's vocals on "Death of a Season" with Randall handling the B-side "Someday Soon." Mafi took the lead on the Kinks-inspired "Dream a Dream," released in January 2020, underscoring the collective nature of the Electric Looking Glass experience. Two additional singles arrived in early 2021—"Purple, Red, Blue, Green & Yellow" and "Rosie in the Rain," the latter featuring a riff reminiscent of Dave Davies paired with a Graham Nash-esque vocal line—setting the stage for the April 2021 debut LP Somewhere Flowers Grow. Issued via Canada's We Are Busy Bodies and helmed in production and mixing by Mafi alongside Randall, the record was followed in February 2022 by another single, Mafi's "Don't Miss the Ride," which echoes the style of the Band. Randall and Toomey subsequently focused on their bedroom pop venture Vanity Mirror.
Arash Mafi, who serves as organist and leads the local psych trio Pansies, launched a temporary retail spot in Echo Park during 2017 to sell his own vintage-inspired apparel designs; this venture drew numerous fellow devotees of 1960s culture. There he encountered Johnny Toomey, formerly the drummer for the Southern California punk outfit the Stitches in the 1990s, and the pair soon hatched ideas for forming a fresh ensemble. Toomey had just concluded time with L.A.'s the Turns, whose retro flavor also marked guitarist Danny Winebarger, another recruit for the endeavor. Brent Randall, a Canadian tunesmith previously active under the Gentle Brent moniker and alongside the Pinecones, crossed paths with Toomey early the next year, rounding out Electric Looking Glass. Their first performance took place in August 2018, after which they crammed Mafi's collection of analog gear into Toomey's basement to begin tracking.
Hypnotic Bridge issued the group's opening double-A-sided 7-inch in May 2019, showcasing Winebarger's vocals on "Death of a Season" with Randall handling the B-side "Someday Soon." Mafi took the lead on the Kinks-inspired "Dream a Dream," released in January 2020, underscoring the collective nature of the Electric Looking Glass experience. Two additional singles arrived in early 2021—"Purple, Red, Blue, Green & Yellow" and "Rosie in the Rain," the latter featuring a riff reminiscent of Dave Davies paired with a Graham Nash-esque vocal line—setting the stage for the April 2021 debut LP Somewhere Flowers Grow. Issued via Canada's We Are Busy Bodies and helmed in production and mixing by Mafi alongside Randall, the record was followed in February 2022 by another single, Mafi's "Don't Miss the Ride," which echoes the style of the Band. Randall and Toomey subsequently focused on their bedroom pop venture Vanity Mirror.
Albums
Singles
