Magdalena Bay unveil two new tracks, ‘Human Happens’ and ‘Paint Me a Picture’
Indie-pop duo Magdalena Bay have again released two new songs, ‘Human Happens’ and ‘Paint Me a Picture’.
In late September, the duo returned with a double single, ‘Second Sleep’ and ‘Star Eyes’. At the time, they explained that the tracks were a “sort of spiritual successor to [their sophomore album Imaginal Disk’s] mood and emotional arc. We like how they complement each other, so here they are as a pair.”
Now, they have released two more tracks, ‘Human Happens’ and ‘Paint Me a Picture’. They have shared less about the October releases, simply stating, “Here’s another pair of songs that complement each other. Different than the last, different than the next.”
‘Human Happens’ is a futuristic glitch-fest, full of the classic glimmers and shimmers of the Magdalena Bay sound. On the chorus, they sing, “Human happens / Stupid havoc / ‘Cause it’s just how I feel, and I like it / I’m in trouble.” The four-minute track ends on an echo.
On ‘Paint Me a Picture’, the Los Angeles duo tackle modern-day digital obsession, singing, “If anybody’s asking what the picture means, yeah / Tell them that the camera doesn’t really see / It just stares / Stares and stares.” The song twists and turns through an extended outro that explores the uncertainty of the dark times that seemingly lie ahead.
The surrealists are currently in the middle of a sold-out North American tour. In July, they supported Billie Eilish at London’s O2 Arena, and will return to the UK and Europe in early 2026. They bring a bizarre, psychedelic story to each of their live shows, which builds on their early roots in prog-rock.
Far Out gave their 2024 offering, Imaginal Disk, three and a half stars, writing, “As if proof of their tight creative partnership and near life-long understanding of each other’s influences, interests and inner worlds, Imaginal Disk feels like a perfect product of Magdalena Bay’s relationship, where that closeness allows them to manage fun, experimentation, outright joy and deeper intrigue in a careful balance.”
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