Getting All Mixed Up with Spiral: An Introduction

Rinah Miller & Abby McCabe

Assistant Music Directors

A psychedelic, folky amalgamation of nonsensical fun, Spiral is an indie trio from Austin, Texas, featuring Jade, Magnus, and Andrew, who’ll have you asking, “What was that?” With roots in shoegaze, grunge, and influences from just about everything under the sun, Spiral isn’t concerned about staying within just one genre. Making their debut with the single “Pedro”, Spiral invites listeners to turn on, tune in, and drop out. With sounds inspired by the indie-coming-of-age film “Napoleon Dynamite,” you’ll find yourself unable to resist the awkward, feel-good charm that lies within Spiral’s music. 

We had the opportunity to chat with Spiral and get to know more about their past, their process, and what comes next.  

 Q: How did y’all get together? 

Jade: Around a year and a half ago, I got asked if I wanted to play a house show with a different band at the time. I was organizing shows at this art gallery in Austin, and we did a show every week. That version of Spiral kind of parted ways after a few months of playing shows once a week. Actually, Magnus’s old band used to play some of the shows, and that’s how we reconnected and became friends. This past November, I hadn’t done anything with Spiral in a while, and there was a house party in Kyle with friends that I know from San Marcos. I got asked to play, and while I was trying to find bassists, I immediately thought of Magnus. Andrew came in pretty shortly after that. We met about 3 years ago when he was playing everywhere downtown [Austin], and we actually played in a different band together, just doing a lot of classic rock and indie covers. We’ve known each other and played together for so long that it was an easy decision to bring Andrew in when we needed a drummer.

 Q: What made you decide on Pedro for your first single?

Jade: That song, in my opinion, is just the best song I’ve ever written. All my friends particularly like the song, so I was like, obviously, this is the song. More than anything, all my friends were saying I needed to release it. That was kind of how that decision was made. 

Q: Could you tell us a little bit about the lyrics in Pedro?

Jade: So the lyrics of that song, I had just put together a new guitar because I like to build guitars for fun. To take pieces and swap them out. And I had just put this guitar together, and was doing this kind of writing exercise where you look around, and the things around you are what you kind of work with. A lot of the lyrics are little references. Like lying under mushrooms, talking with little green frogs. I literally had a mushroom plush and a frog plush sitting on the couch. In the second verse, I kind of just kept going and improvising. I had also just watched Napoleon Dynamite the day before, so I guess that was already bouncing around in my head. My whole process is just to throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks. 

Q: So what do you think is next for the band? 

Jade: Next, I think, is an album. We’re just finishing the EP now, and I immediately want us to get in the studio to work on the album. Also, I really want us to play in more places. Right now, we bounce between playing in Austin and San Marcos. I’m hoping to get us to Dallas and San Antonio soon. Specifically, all over Texas. I don’t particularly care about touring the East Coast or anything. I want us to be like a “cool” Texas band.

Q: How would you say that your personal identity, or as a band, translates into the music and how you guys perform? 

Jade: A big part of it, for me, is that I write the songs, so I am constantly drawing from my own lived experiences, and that’s where everything comes from. My identity is all over the music, and just because of the other influences I bring in. I really like EDM music, so I try to write guitar parts that could be in an EDM song. 

Andrew: My main purpose is to support the music that is given to me, so I just create parts that help the song as much as possible. I don’t necessarily consider myself a very creative person, but music is the one thing where I can show people who I am without telling them. It’s fun. 

Magnus: I really play music like it’s chess. I’m all about the patterns and the history that comes before. Actually writing the song and adding to what is written. When I get it, I think of it as a chess opening, of what can I do to support what is already existing without compromising the integrity of the experience.

Be sure to keep up with Spiral on Instagram (@spiralatx) as they continue to break into the Texas music scene and stream “Pedro” on Spotify and Apple Music.