The Maguas ask us to release them in their track, “Release Me,” I think we’ll immortalize their words here. See what they have to say!
First off, What’s up with your name? Is there a story behind it?
[Erik]: The short story is that it’s based on a character from the book/movie “The Last of the Mohicans.” The long story is how it ended up as our band name. So when we first started, Erik had sent a text to 6 other people. One of those people didn’t stay in the band, but is a good friend of ours. He has a large family and his father and all his uncles would call themselves the Maguas when they were kids. Our friend was always playing music with us, and his uncle would always ask when he’s going to start a band called “The Maguas.” Well, we started the band, named it The Maguas, and stuck with it even after we ended up with our current lineup. It’s unique, and it’s nice to have that tie to friends and family. Plus, it’s fun watching people try to pronounce it!
Tell us about your musical past, would you tell us about your early years?
[Daulton]: Most of us have been playing in bands together in some form or fashion since we were in grade school. Erik and I started playing covers in about 6th grade and soon we had everyone there to play our favorite songs and basically just hang out regularly. Fun fact, the first song Erik and I ever jammed together was The Trooper by Iron Maiden. We constantly talked about starting a band that we would take seriously and eventually that vision turned into the Maguas in its current form.
[Erik]: Daulton covered a lot of it. Otherwise, my whole family consists of musicians. I played the piano quite a bit when I was very young, then stopped taking lessons around 9 or 10. Then I started in band in 5th grade on Trumpet and stuck with it through high school. I mostly played the drums and tuba starting in high school, and eventually I started singing. I took lessons with Luke, and we were into all the choir competitions. Then I slowly started learning the guitar, eventually playing a lot of cover gigs with Jenks. That’s when I rekindled my singing and the start of my interest in singing in a band and writing original music.
[Matt]: Personally, I grew up with really no musicians in my family, besides my uncle who played in a local North East Pennsylvania cover band. The main person that pushed me into playing guitar was Daulton, who encouraged me to buy one for christmas in 7th grade, and set me up with his guitar teacher, John Yzkannin, who we both took lessons off for several years. My main inspiration behind what got me excited into learning guitar and songwriting stemmed from the early rock bands of the 2000s, in particular a band called Breaking Benjamin. I was so amazed growing up that Breaking Ben was from the same area as we were from, and they soon became my favorite band growing up throughout middle school and highschool.
[Luke]: My interest in music started very young with my father. He would constantly sing around the house and on car trips which encouraged me to do the same. I grew up singing Frankie Valli and eventually started taking voice lessons. I’ve always had a naturally high voice, so I picked up the bass guitar heading into high school. I wanted to add some low notes to the mix and was also incredibly inspired by Geddy Lee.
How would you describe your sound?
[Daulton]: I tend to describe us as an alternative emo band. We have so many influences from all over the musical spectrum that we tend to float between genres depending on the song, but as long as we enjoy the music we write, then it falls into the Maguas sound and collectively that sound comes out to an alternative emo sound.
[Erik]: Sometimes major, sometimes minor, always sad.
Which artists have the biggest influence on your sound?
[Brandon]: A lot of bands that have inspired me throughout the years include Mayday Parade, Knuckle Puck, The Wonder Years, Wvnder, BMTH, Movements – with newer bands like Holding Absence, Bad Omens, & Pentimento really breathing new light into what inspires me as a musician as of late.
[Erik]: I’m inspired quite a bit by genres like deathcore and djent and I was very into dubstep when I was younger. I would say I’m always going after that “heaviness” or that physical feeling you get when a certain part of a song hits.
[Matt]: I’m inspired by so many walks of music, but the main bands that got me into playing guitar, and rock music in general, were many of the mainstream rock and metal bands of the 2000s. To name a few, My Chemical Romance, Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace, Killswitch Engage, Fall Out Boy, HIM, and Trivium. However, over the years, I find myself listening to all types of genres of music.
What’s the last song you listened to?
[Brandon]: Old Friends Like Lost Teeth – The Wonder Years
[Daulton]: Jesus, Etc. – Wilco
[Erik]: Shawinigan – Rarity
[Matt]: I Hate This House – Church Girls
[Luke]: Crickets Throw Their Voice – Basement
What’s your source for hearing new music?
[Brandon]: I personally curate a bunch of Spotify playlists and accept submissions from bands all over the world. Between their submissions and playlist like ‘Discover Weekly,’ I find Spotify to be my best source of discovering new music currently!
[Erik]: Brandon’s playlists
[Matt]: Personally, its release radar and discover weekly playlists on spotify. Such great playlists for finding awesome new music.
Who is your dream producer?
[Brandon]: I am such a huge fan of Will Yip’s discography – I would be honored at an opportunity to work with him on future projects for The Maguas! Another producer who has caught my attention in recent years is Sam Guaiana – his work with our friends in Dear Youth has been stellar and it would be awesome to have the chance to work with Sam, as well.
[Erik]: Will Yip. Every time I hear an album I love, he seems to be there. He’s just legendary in the circle of bands that inspire me most.
[Matt]: There’s so many amazing producers out there, but there’s one guy that has to be my number #1: Howard Benson. He’s been responsible for so many records that I grew up listening to, and it would be a dream to work with him. Would also be a dream to work with Will Yip and Sam Guaiana. They have been cranking out some of my favorite albums and songs of the more recent years.
If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?
[Brandon]: I would love to hear a collaboration with an emo legend like Buddy Nielsen (Senses Fail) or Shane Told (Silverstein) – imagining Erik and Shane on track together really piques my interest! Although I’d also be open to exploring collaborations with artists in other genres, even metalcore vocalists like Jake Luhrns (August Burns Red) or Andy Cizek (Makari, Monuments).
[Erik]: Chris Cornell. He was someone who just always amazed me with his talent.
[Matt]: Brendan Yates of the hardcore band Turnstile. Their new album “Love Connection” was my favorite album of the past years, and I think he has such an original and unique vision in terms of songwriting and video direction.
[Luke]: I’d love to collaborate with Dallas Green. City and Colour has always been a massive influence for me.
What led you to music, and what motivates you to keep making it?
[Brandon]: My grandfather was a drummer – he really inspired me to take up drumming at a young age. From there I fell in love with every aspect of being in a band – from touring to writing, staging to planning to even just setting up a fun merch table! It’s all become a part of me in ways few understand. I believe what truly motivates me to continue writing is the idea that our music can have a profound effect on someone’s life and if we can even be that light for one single person, then all of this was worth it.
[Erik]: My dad was a drummer in a lot of bands when I was growing up, so I was always around the band life and with my interest in music, it felt at home. It’s what I love and it’s pretty easy to do when it’s with your best friends. I love writing, I love playing shows, I love going into the studio… I just can’t imagine not trying to do this thing.
[Matt]: I am first and foremost, a music lover. I consume so much music, and it’s a big part of my everyday life. I guess what keeps me writing new songs is that I feel like I have a lot to contribute to the musical world, and particularly the genre of rock and hardrock. I have a lot I want to say through my music, and the feeling is amazing when we’re able to write a song that connects and means so much to other people on an emotional level.
Tell us about the songwriting process. How does it all come together?
[Brandon]: I would say our writing process truly varies from person to person in our band, which I feel helps keep things fresh and interesting as we craft our records. I’m very much someone who likes to focus more on melody, lyrics, and ambience so I will often come up with a concept in tandem with lyrics and craft a demo with Jenks in his home studio prior to sharing it with the rest of the band. I often find that this process helps me share my truest vision for the song with the band and allows for them to get a feel of what type of vibe I am going for in the concept. From there, we will typically work together with Nik to bring out the best parts of those songs and create a killer finished product!
[Matt]: For me, there’s so many different approaches I have used to write songs, and there’s really no one way that works better than others. One of my favorite methods of writing is getting together with Brandon, he always comes prepared with amazing ideas, and thought out parts in terms of lyrics, melodies, structure, and a general idea to the sound we want to achieve. The main take away for me when it comes to songwriting, is the more songs you write, the better. Everyday, I try to come up with at least 1 song idea. Sometimes these songs are only general ideas, and sometimes they turn into something fully complete from start to finish. Not all these songs and ideas are great, but I find the more you write, the better the odds you have to bank a variety of songs that are really something special for the next album / albums.
How do you connect with your audience? What is the easiest way for them to connect with you?
[Brandon]: I get so much joy in conversing with our fans – whether it be in the comments section of one of our Youtube videos, or just hanging out at the merch table after a show! We are always paying attention to our comments and inboxes – if a fan is looking to reach out, we’re only a DM away!
►Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheMaguas
►Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/THEMAGUAS
►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themaguas
►YouTube: The Maguas – YouTube
►Spotify: Spotify – The Maguas
What’s next for you?
[Brandon]: 2023 is looking to be a monumental year for The Maguas. We have been working relentlessly behind the scenes on all kinds of new material and are finally gearing up to share some of those items with you all shortly! Our hope is to hit 2023 with loads of new music, shows, content, and more! We’re definitely exploring some new avenues on how we’d like to present this new era, and we are so excited for what’s to come!
[Matt]: I want to play as many shows as we can in 2023, and put out some of the best songs we have written to date.
Anything else you’d like to add or let us know about?
[Brandon]: Thank you for taking the time to interview us and check out our music! Your support means the world to us!
Bio:
An emo-leaning, alternative rock outfit based in Scranton, PA, The Maguas are Erik Miller (Vocals), Matthew Jenkins (Lead Guitar), Daulton Rissinger (Rhythm Guitar), Luke Prusinski (Bass), and Brandon Ossont (Drums).
Established in 2018, the band released their debut EP, Good Beer, the following year. The six-track, self-produced record was a demonstration of their unique writing capabilities, boasting songs crafted by each member prior to their coalescence. The notable exception, however, was “Funeral.” This closing track drew on a collaborative effort in an anthemic display of their aggressive pop-punk power, which soon accentuated performances alongside the likes of Forever Came Calling, Assuming We Survive, and We Were Sharks.
Partnering with manager Erick Droegmoeller of Word Is Bond, Inc. and producer Nik Bruzzese (Man Overboard, The Wonder Years), The Maguas began developing their sophomore release in early 2020. One Of Us Is Lying dropped later that year, quickly gaining significant traction within the scene and receiving recognition from an array of outlets including The Popko Project, Count Your Bruises Magazine, and Alternative Press.
Once again working with Bruzzese, the band set forth on their third iteration in 2021, which eventually culminated in Evergreen. The EP, which dropped December 17th, garnered over 100k streams in its first month, attracting listeners across emo generations with its novel-but-nostalgic sound and dark, vulnerable lyrical themes.
Ahead of the release, The Maguas embarked on their first U.S. run, touring alongside Dear Youth and Outatime!, and earned features from publications such as chorus.fm, Volatile Weekly, and Bass Musician Magazine. Additional performances saw them sharing the stage with Secondhand Serenade, The Dangerous Summer, SayWeCanFly, The Spill Canvas, Rain City Drive, and Kulick—among other notable alternative artists.
Charging full steam ahead in 2023, The Maguas are now recording for a winter release alongside Bruzzese at The Gradwell House. Their debut full-length album is also in the works and anticipated for 2024.
