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Feb 01, 2023 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Leeandro Lara

Elliott Douglas has been carving his place in the indie rock world for a few years now under his solo moniker M.A.G.S., offering stylistic nods towards punk, alt pop, and folk rock, and blending them all together into a searing, eclectic, and singular mix. Douglas emerged in 2017 with a self-titled record, and followed in 2021 with his debut album Say Things That Matter. Since then, he’s been touring relentlessly, including stints with other indie rising stars like The Happy Fits, Oso Oso, Snarls, and Anxious, all while recording new music.

Today, we’re getting the first taste of those new efforts with M.A.G.S.’s new single, “Elephant,” premiering with Under the Radar.

“Elephant” is part raucous and shouty rager and part melodic rock sing-along, driven equally by towering walls of guitars and sweet vocal harmonies. Even more than on his last record, Douglas’ songwriting feels restless and fevered, twisting through wild riffs, fiery guitar soloing, and throat-shredding group vocals. He rarely stays on any one idea for too long, yet he also knits it all together with captivating ease, crafting an electrifying return for the project.

The track also features production from Jay Mass, the other creative force behind the single. As Douglas explains, “I really let my imagination run wild as I was making this song. Lately, I’ve been mastering all the different styles I’ve picked up over the years and blending them together to make something that is undeniably me. And I was fortunate to get to work with a producer as knowledgeable as Jay (Maas), the intuition he had for my vision allowed me to take chances and dive into areas of my sound I hadn’t yet explored.”

He continues, saying of the track: “‘Elephant’ is really about staying true to yourself and trusting your gut. I’m ADHD as fuck so my attention rarely stays in one place for more than a few moments, distractions can take me off my path if I’m not mindful. In a lot of ways, ‘Elephant’ represents a peek inside my mind at any given time.”

Check out the song and visualizer below, along with M.A.G.S.‘s upcoming tour dates. “Elephant” is out everywhere on February 3rd via Smartpunk Records.

Tour Dates:

February 02 - Voodoo Room at the House of Blues San Diego - San Diego, CA

February 03 - Nile Theater - Mesa, AZ

February 04 - The Usual Place - Las Vegas, NV

February 05 - The Holland Project - Reno, NV

February 07 - The Vera Project - Seattle, WA

February 08 - Doug Fir Lounge - Portland, OR

February 10 - Bottom Of the Hill - San Francisco, CA

February 11 - The Echo - Los Angeles, CA