Premiere: Fascinator - Live at Magic Mountain

Image credit: Johann Rashid

We’ve been big fans of Johnny Mackay for quite some time now, initially as a member of Aussie indie icons Children Collide, and more recently with his solo project of enchanting psych-pop sounds, Fascinator.

Having just released his third album Lovesongs via Spinning Top Records, we’ve been treated to a beautifully intimate LP that channels 60s vibes through a modern lens and feature sweeping instrumentation on these luscious cuts of psychedelic and indie pop, with hints of folk rock and other elements shining through the engrossing mix.

With the record’s genesis being at a songwriting camp in Nantucket, Mackay headed back to New York to finish off the album, with Loren Humphrey (Florence + The Machine, Lana Del Rey, Arctic Monkeys), while the finishing touches come from legendary mastering engineer Paul Hicks  (The Beatles, Coldplay, Elliott Smith).

To celebrate the release of Lovesongs, Fascinator has readied some incredible live versions of I Got You, Isabel & Fremantle Girls. Filmed on location at Magic Mountain in New York, these sessions include an awesome cast of supporting players, including Loren Humphrey, Aku Orraca-Tetteh (Florence + The Machine, Santigold, Solange), Jaie Gonzales (Mark Ronson, Weyes Blood, Brian Chase) and many, many more.

Enjoy these Fascinator Live At Magic Mountain sessions as they premiere on Pilerats today!

‘Fremantle was the first place my grandfather landed when he immigrated from Scotland. A remote and heavenly paradise to him and countless others. But a mere two generations later I found myself at the cold-blooded mercy of it’s double-edged sword. Fremantle herself wielding the ivory handle, slashing me from North and South with consecutive breaks to the heart by one love-of-my-life after the other. It’s been years now and I’ve all but recovered. However, on occasion, when the moon is empty and the night is still I can hear the maniacal whispers of quokkas and sandgropers mocking my lovelorn soul as the doctor blows salt eastward off the Indian Ocean over the Australian desert straight into my misty eyeballs.’

- Fascinator, 2023

Fascinator's new album Lovesongs is out now via Spinning Top Records

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