Exploding In Sound to release Magic Fig’s debut Valerian Tea
San Francisco psych-pop collective Magic Fig are ready to steep us in their debut full-length Valerian Tea, arriving November 21 on Exploding In Sound Records. It’s the quick follow-up to their 2024 self-titled EP, but this time the group have gone even bigger—expanding their palette with swirling synths, Mellotron washes, and guitars that jangle one minute and rip the next.
The first taste comes with the title track, “Valerian Tea,” a Broadcast-esque swirl where Inna Showalter’s vocals float over shifting percussion and kaleidoscopic keys. “Valerian root extract was a popular remedy for anxiety and insomnia in Eastern Europe where I was born,” she says. The track doubles as both a personal reflection and a sonic risk, stitched together with the kind of playful experimentation that makes the band feel like they’re discovering a whole new dimension.
Magic Fig is a stacked lineup featuring Showalter (vocals/mellotron), Jon Chaney (keys), Muzzy Moskowitz (guitar), Matthew Ferrara (bass), and Taylor Giffin (drums)—names you’ll recognize from The Umbrellas, Healing Potpourri, Almond Joy, Whitney’s Playland, and Blades of Joy. Together, they pull from prog trailblazers like Soft Machine and Caravan while flipping those influences into something more vivid and modern. Think rainbow-toned psychedelia sharpened with a little grit and plenty of groove.
With lyrics spinning around memory, myth, and melancholy, Valerian Tea feels less like a debut and more like an invitation—one that’s full of balance, boldness, and the kind of head-trip you’ll want to keep coming back.
The Fire Note is an independent-music website that mixes record-store culture with lively, opinionated music journalism. It publishes: Album reviews and features – Covering indie-rock, punk, folk, experimental music, and underground scenes.
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