Magic City Hippies

Miami, Florida natives Magic City Hippies, who previously performed as the Robby Hunter Band, craft an easygoing fusion of hip-hop, funk, pop, and beach-bum soul that they label “indie funk” and that recalls G Love & Special Sauce, Maroon 5, and Jack Johnson. The group issued its first recording under the new name, the Hippie Castle EP, in 2015, followed by the full-length Modern Animal in 2019 and the sophomore album Water Your Garden in 2022.

Singer/songwriter Hunter anchored the project from the start, logging formative time as a street performer and in loop-based solo sets. Dissatisfied with the demands of performing alone, he brought aboard drummer Pat Howard and bassist John Coughlin, forming the Robby Hunter Band. As the local trio’s song list and live schedule expanded, so did its following; by 2015 the lineup had grown to five members and adopted the Magic City Hippies name, borrowed from the Robby Hunter Band’s 2013 LP. The July 2015 release of Hippie Castle constituted the ensemble’s first effort under the revised identity.

In the ensuing years the musicians independently put out several original tracks, among them the 2016 single “Heart Wants” and the 2018 track “Franny,” which later appeared on Modern Animal. Another pair of singles, “Queen” and “High Beams,” surfaced in 2021 before the arrival of Water Your Garden the following year.