On their new LP Magic, jamband favorites The Werks transcend their roots while never losing their identity. Poignant songwriting and engaging melody come together on a record that showcases their maturation as a multidimensional group of uniquely creative musicians.

The virtuosic rhythm junkies of The Werks have released four highly acclaimed studio albums over the past ten years - Synapse (2009), The Werks (2012), Mr. Smalls Sessions EP (2014), and Inside a Dream (2015) - performed well over one thousand shows (including launching their own multi-day music festival The Werk Out), and released countless live recordings including last year’s Live at The Werk Out live album. In that time they’ve earned a devoted fan base across the world and reputation as one of the most energetic, compelling, and downright entertaining live acts in the business. They’ve developed a hard won confidence, and a willingness to fearlessly chart new sonic territory on Magic. 

“This is our first truly multi-genre album” says Chris Houser. “Each track has its own unique vibe and sound. We didn’t write these songs to please people, we wrote them because this is what we hear when we turn off the outside and let the creativity flow.” 

The songs on Magic started as sketches the band members crafted independently. Coming together in their sonic dojo The Werkspace, those seeds of groove were nurtured by the group, growing into fully wrought songs through holistic arrangement and organic improvisation. “Our writing is collaborative,” explains Dan Shaw, “but starting with demos written individually gives each band member a chance to leave their fingerprint on a tune.”

The songwriting finished, the band decamped to Sonic Lounge in Grove City, Ohio. There lead engineer and producer Joe Viers (Blues Traveler, Twenty One Pilots) settled down to work with the studio’s legendary Amek/Neve 9098i mixing console. One of only thirteen in the world, Sonic Lounge’s was originally installed in Olympic Studios in London, England, where it served to document the unique creative mojo of Eric Clapton, Pink Floyd, and more.

Joining Viers were assistant engineers and producers Aaron Oakley and B.J. Davis, and the unstoppable horns of Columbus’ own Hoodoo Soul Band - Chris Young (trumpet), Kevin O’Neil (tenor), and Phil Clark (Baritone) – while Kenny Holmes, tour manager and right hand man, was the gaff tape that held it all together.  Finally Columbus native and current Los Angeles, CA resident Brian Lucey (Train, Dr. Dog) mastered the record.

From those sessions emerged a rare jewel of a record; Magic is muse put to tape, a direct download of the creative spark. “This is a recording of the music that’s in our souls” explains Rob Chafin. “In a way, the past decade has been leading to this moment. We play and write together so seamlessly now, we’re able to channel the inspiration in our hearts out into our instruments, and come at this from a pure place.” Together, these visionaries have crafted a record where melodies take flight, dancing and twisting around the sonorous main of the tune itself. By fusing their spirited improvisation to a core of immediately engaging songwriting, The Werks have truly performed a feat of modern musical Magic.

Glass Animals are a Grammy and BRIT-nominated British band whose genre-blending sound and cult-like fandom have made them one of the most exciting acts in global pop. Their third album Dreamland became a cultural multi-platinum selling phenomenon and spawned Heat Waves, the record-breaking single that topped charts worldwide and made history as the first UK band to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in nearly 30 years. Last year, the band released their fourth critically acclaimed album I Love You So F**ing Much, a sci-fi-infused odyssey about love, connection, and what it means to feel real in a surreal world. It arrived alongside a 44-date world tour that included headlining The O2 Arena in London and Madison Square Gardens in New York. Frontman Dave Bayley — also one of pop’s most in-demand producers — writes and produces every song, often with an experimental DIY edge that blurs the lines between music, tech and visual art. This experimental production is particularly evident in the band’s Fresh Fruit series. Bayley uses these standalone singles to bring in guests and collaborators, giving himself space to play with new sounds. Their live shows are euphoric and surreal, driven by a deep connection with fans built through open-source creativity and unexpected digital drops.

Gavin Huling is following