mags wait music video new album say things that matter
[Photo by: Dylan Peterson]

M.A.G.S. celebrates ‘Say Things That Matter’ drop with “Wait” video—watch

L.A.-based M.A.G.S. has finally released his debut album, Say Things That Matter, via Take This To Heart Records and ONErpm. The album is a collection of 14 indie-rock-inspired tracks that glide seamlessly through genre, featuring everything from fuzzy guitar riffs to lo-fi beats accompanying the artist’s magnetic vocals.

To celebrate the release, M.A.G.S.,aka Buffalo, New York, -native Elliott Douglas, has also released a boisterous new music video for the single “Wait.” AltPress is bringing you the premiere of the new visual!

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The video is a DIY kid’s dream, full of moshing, house-plant attending and smoking with that universally recognizable look of despondency. There’s even a contemporary dance interlude that accompanies the track’s breakdown, allowing viewers a chance to catch their breath before scream-singing along with the song. 

In a press release, M.A.G.S. spoke about the years-long process of creating “Wait” from a 2019 demo.

“I made the first demo for ‘Wait’ in August 2019,” he says. “It was the song that started the whole album process. I remember sending it to [my manager] and saying, ‘This song is definitely going to be a single.’ I had an old demo from back in 2016 that had this killer chorus, but the rest of the song was kind of whatever, so I repurposed the chorus in a new idea I was working on. 

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“This song definitely went through a few eras, where I was trying to figure out how to recreate the vibe I had established in the demo,” M.A.G.S. continues. “I have this thing where I will make a new song and then listen to it constantly, sometimes for years, before it’s time to record it for real, and I end up fighting with myself trying to recreate the magic of the original. [I’d] dealt with this issue a few times up till then, so I tried my best to give the song a chance to evolve. I recorded three different versions before I found the one with the right energy. This song is one of my personal favorites because it hits at the spirit of what I want to accomplish as an artist. Part of what brings us all together is acknowledging our flaws and relating to each other through them.”

M.A.G.S. first stepped onto the scene in 2015 with the release of his debut EP, Cellophane. He then dropped his self-titled LP two years later, as well as the Lost Tapes EP in 2020. 

In addition to “Wait,” M.A.G.S. also dropped “Choked Out,” “Smile,” “Beg, “Metaphors” and “Sunrise” prior to Say Things That Matter.

Watch the video for “Wait” below.

Say Things That Matter tracklisting: 

1. “Intro”
2. “Smile”
3. “Wait”
4. “Choked Out”
5. “Golden”
6. “Interlude”
7. “BeachLove”
8. “Beg”
9. “Metaphors”
10. “Bike”
11. “Staircase”
12. “Nostalgia”
13. “Forever”
14. “Sunrise”

M.A.G.S. live performances: 

This fall, M.A.G.S. will be supporting the Happy Fits on their What Could Be Better tour alongside Phoneboy and Snarls. You can purchase tickets here.

10/24 – Baltimore MD @ Metro Gallery^
10/25 – State College, PA @ Stage West^
10/26 – Pittsburg, PA @ Thunderbird Music Hall & Café^
10/28 – Columbus, OH @ Ace Of Cups^
10/29 – Indianapolis, IN @ Hoosier Dome^
10/30 – Cleveland, OH @ Mahall’s^
11/02 – Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground*
11/03 – Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom*
11/04 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry* (SOLD OUT)
11/06 – Boston, MA @ Middle East Downstairs*
11/07 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom* (SOLD OUT)
11/09 – Columbus, OH @ The Basement* (SOLD OUT)
11/10 – Ferndale, MI @ Loving Touch*
11/11 – Chicago, IL @ Subterranean*
11/12 – Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen* (SOLD OUT)
11/13 – Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry* (SOLD OUT)
11/15 – Des Moines, IA @ XBK*
11/16 – St. Louis, MO @ Blueberry Hill Duck Room*
11/18 – Kansas City, MO @ Records Bar*
11/19 – Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater*
11/20 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex*

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11/22 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile Showroom*
11/23 –  Portland, OR @ Holocene*
11/26 – Berkley, CA @ Cornerstone*
11/27 – Los Angeles, CA @ Teragram Ballroom*
11/28 – Los Angeles, CA @ Moroccan Lounge*
11/30 – San Diego, CA @ Voodoo Room*
12/01 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar*
12/03 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada*
12/04 – Austin, TX @ Empire Control Room*
12/05 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall*
12/07 – Tampa, FL @ Crowbar*
12/08 – West Palm Beach, FL @ Respectables*
12/10 – Orlando, FL @ Soundbar*
12/11 – Atlanta, GA @ The Loft*
12/12 – Nashville, TN @ High Watt*
12/14 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506*
12/15 – Washington, DC @ Songbyrd* (SOLD OUT)

^ with Phoneboy
* with Snarls