(Artist Update)

Written by: Ginny Gaines  

When Cicada Rhythm started working on Magic State, they weren’t trying to make a big, flashy record. Instead, they were trying to capture a moment in their lives, a moment full of questions, changes, and the strange in-between feelings that come when you’re not quite the person you used to be, but not yet the person you’re becoming. The band, made up of Andrea DeMarcus and Dave Kirslis, had gone through a lot in the years leading up to the album. Their sound had deepened, their lives had shifted, and everything they once thought was rock-solid suddenly seemed flexible. That’s the spirit behind Magic State.

In the spring of 2025, the pair packed up their songs and headed to Madison, Georgia, where their friend and producer Colin Agnew had a humble home studio. It wasn’t some giant, state-of-the-art facility, just a warm, familiar place that felt like the right spot to make honest music. They recorded the whole album in just five days.

Five days of acoustic guitars, upright bass, vibraphone, horns, strings, laughter, late-night fixes, early-morning harmonies, and the kind of creative spark that only comes when musicians feel comfortable enough to let their guard down. Once everything was tracked, the album went off to Chicago to be mastered. The finishing touches polished the raw sessions into a final product, but the heart of the music is, its earthy, human warmth, which stayed intact.

This album has 12 songs on it that include "Oranges & Cream," "At Your Door Again," "For The Journey," "Nothing At All," "Now It Is Time," and "Open Wides." Every song feels handmade and lived-in, as if the stories came straight out of the duo’s kitchen, their long drives, their doubts, their hopes, and the tiny details of their everyday world. This album gives the listeners a glimpse into the resilience and personal reflection of Cicada Rhythm.

Even though Magic State came out earlier in the year, Cicada Rhythm wanted a proper hometown celebration. So on November 9, 2025, they held a big album-release show at Low Star Farm in Athens, Georgia, the community that raised them musically and personally. Picture it: a cool fall evening, string lights, families and friends gathering on the farm, musicians tuning up, kids running through the grass, and the band finally sharing their new songs with the people who understand them best. Sam Burchfield and his band played, too, making it feel like a warm, local festival rather than a commercial event. It wasn’t just a concert, but more like a homecoming.

In the end, Magic State isn’t just an album. It’s a snapshot of a band figuring out life in real time. It’s about questioning things that once felt certain, listening to intuition, honoring community, and trusting that music can hold both the answers and the unknowns. It’s the sound of Cicada Rhythm standing in that “magic state” between what was and what comes next, telling their story the only way they know how: through honest, heartfelt songs.

That's a wrap for my update on Cicada Rhythm...Thank you for reading and in closing, please just know, Soundwave Music Media will be here and I will always do my best to bring you the rock music report! Please consider supporting me and the crew by purchasing a Soundwave shirt or hat and support our sponsors! Rock On! Until next time...🤘

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