Biography
Magic Castles weave luminous vocal blends, ethereal guitar washes, and mellow keyboard sustains into imaginative narratives that unfold across a serene, countryside-tinged psychedelic landscape. Early independent releases drew the attention of fellow traveler Anton Newcombe, who welcomed the ensemble to his A Recordings roster. The resulting material fused vintage influences with crisp contemporary production values, evident on Sky Sounds from 2014 and Sun Reign from 2021.
The ensemble originated in Minneapolis during 2006 when singer and guitarist Jason Edmonds expanded his solo home recordings by enlisting singer and guitarist Jeremiah Doering, bassist Paul Fuglestad, drummer Brendan McInerney, and Kait Sergenian. Their inaugural performance occurred at a private birthday celebration that same year, followed by initial tracking sessions the next summer and the independent debut The Lore of Mysticore in June 2008. Keyboardist and singer Noah Skogerboe had joined by then to enrich the arrangements, while Matt Van Genderen assumed drumming duties in place of McInerney. This lineup issued both the sophomore album Dreams of Dreams and the limited cassette Sounds of the Forest in 2009.
The pivotal opportunity arrived in autumn 2010 when “Ballad of the Golden Bird” reached Anton Newcombe, prompting the Brian Jonestown Massacre founder to issue the band’s subsequent album on A Recordings. That self-titled collection, drawn largely from prior material, served as an extended introduction and revived out-of-print favorites upon its March 2012 release. A dedicated third studio effort, Sky Sounds, followed in late 2014, with Starflower appearing the next year and featuring Edmonds on most instruments alongside guitarist Doering, drummer Scott Weller, and vocalist Emily Utne.
Following Starflower’s release, Edmonds placed the project on semi-hiatus amid ongoing lineup instability and growing family priorities. He persisted with home-studio work until a severe car accident caused critical injuries. During recovery he resumed the existing sessions, completing the sixth Magic Castles album in early 2020. Incorporating guitar contributions from Doering and a rendition of Danny & the Counts’ introspective garage ballad “Ode to the Wind,” Sun Reign emerged on A Recordings in May 2021.
The ensemble originated in Minneapolis during 2006 when singer and guitarist Jason Edmonds expanded his solo home recordings by enlisting singer and guitarist Jeremiah Doering, bassist Paul Fuglestad, drummer Brendan McInerney, and Kait Sergenian. Their inaugural performance occurred at a private birthday celebration that same year, followed by initial tracking sessions the next summer and the independent debut The Lore of Mysticore in June 2008. Keyboardist and singer Noah Skogerboe had joined by then to enrich the arrangements, while Matt Van Genderen assumed drumming duties in place of McInerney. This lineup issued both the sophomore album Dreams of Dreams and the limited cassette Sounds of the Forest in 2009.
The pivotal opportunity arrived in autumn 2010 when “Ballad of the Golden Bird” reached Anton Newcombe, prompting the Brian Jonestown Massacre founder to issue the band’s subsequent album on A Recordings. That self-titled collection, drawn largely from prior material, served as an extended introduction and revived out-of-print favorites upon its March 2012 release. A dedicated third studio effort, Sky Sounds, followed in late 2014, with Starflower appearing the next year and featuring Edmonds on most instruments alongside guitarist Doering, drummer Scott Weller, and vocalist Emily Utne.
Following Starflower’s release, Edmonds placed the project on semi-hiatus amid ongoing lineup instability and growing family priorities. He persisted with home-studio work until a severe car accident caused critical injuries. During recovery he resumed the existing sessions, completing the sixth Magic Castles album in early 2020. Incorporating guitar contributions from Doering and a rendition of Danny & the Counts’ introspective garage ballad “Ode to the Wind,” Sun Reign emerged on A Recordings in May 2021.
Albums
Singles
