Biography
In early 2011, Sam McGarrigle of Brighton, England, then just 20, started capturing lo-fi fuzz pop material under the Gross Magic name. Early online demos quickly attracted widespread attention, earning praise for positioning Gross Magic as the strongest extension of the lo-fi revival and '90s indie nostalgia that Wavves and Yuck had advanced only a few years before. Initial Gross Magic songwriting stayed rooted in bedroom pop, prompting consistent comparisons to Nirvana, Beck's Mellow Gold era, and most frequently a four-track rendering of Electric Light Orchestra's orchestral radio pop. Once live shows and touring became available, McGarrigle brought in three longtime friends to assemble a performing version of the band. The five-song EP Teen Jamz appeared on Sounds of Sweet Nothing in August 2011 and was licensed by Fat Possum the following October. The group maintained nonstop road dates in support of the release through year's end and beyond.
Albums