Embedded Files
Words by Dexter Clark
Following a whirlwind year of new music, a lineup change and transatlantic shows, Magda (1999) reflect on friendship, catharsis and the evolution of their sound as a five-piece.
Energetic and surprisingly sentimental, Magda (1999) are reeling from a successful relocation to London. Their new single, ‘It’s Not That Bad’ was released in March and has cemented their versatile and unique sound. Part grunge, part 80’s synth post-punk, it maintains the vigour of their live performances.
Consisting of Max Lambert on vocals, Jack Lymer on guitar, Dylan Watts (Dyl) on synth, Kamil Gacikowski on bass and Szymon Zdunek on drums, Magda (1999) feels like more than the sum of their parts. Their debut EP Hole Punched in Cloud arrived in August 2024 but after a lineup change and two new members, they’re ready to refine their nostalgic, hope-filled sound.
Their high energy is perfectly encapsulated by Max’s erratic and jumpy lyrical performances. This creates an intense show accompanied by intricate bass lines, crisp, grungy guitars, rhythmic drums and angelic accompanying synth. Magda (1999) have only had their current lineup for around six months, yet each addition leads them building towards an overwhelming, complete sound.
A project rooted in grunge but being fed influences everywhere from Talking Heads to Strictly Ballroom, Magda (1999) know no bounds. Having been at their first show at the Rossi Bar in 2024 and seeing them recently at The Prince Albert, their evolution into a circuit band has been something beholden. The passion and love they pour into their craft along with their excruciatingly vulnerable lyrics create a dichotomy of emotion when paired with the instrumentation.
They now hold the audience completely in the palm of their hands. After soaking up inspiration in London, they have learned how to play in housing cooperatives as well as conventional venues. After topping all this off by playing at New Colossus festival in New York, all this experience has made them sensational performers.
We caught up with founding members Max and Dyl on a return stint to Brighton, just before their headline Prince Albert gig back in April.
'Its Not That Bad' artwork
Where are you guys from and where did you all meet?
Max: I grew up in Lewes and Dyl grew up in Brighton. We both met in English class at 11 years old and became best mates.
Dyl: At the beginning of the band, we had three of us who were mates in school. Then we had a change in format and brought Kamil and Szymon into the band. They’re both from Poland and have been friends since they were 10. It brings a certain continuity being childhood friends.
When was your first gig and what has changed since then?
Max: It was at Rossi Bar, Dyl was just a twinkle in our eye.
Dyl: We wrote all the songs together and then I missed the first gig – I was away in Thailand. We did the first one together at The Prince Albert.
I wanted to ask about the name change, why did you add the ‘1999’ to your name?
Max: There’s five other Magda’s who are quite successful who sort of eclipse us.
Dyl: Our nemeses…
Max: All of our tracks were on this German DJ’s Songkick and that began to get frustrating.
Dyl: As soon as you play a couple of gigs under a name you get really attached to it.
Max: I was listening to Strictly Ballroom, the legendary 90s emo band. A lot of their tracks have the date when they were written in brackets. I thought that looked cool, so we decided to add that to our name to make it distinct.
What are your inspirations in the studio?
Dyl: We all like quite different stuff. Max, Jack and Kamil like similar kind of music, like Strictly Ballroom. Me, personally, I didn’t listen to the heavier music until I begun playing. My biggest influences are Talking Heads and Mount Kimbie and Jack loves classic rock.
Max: We also love Krill, Pulvo and a couple of new ones like Hitman.
Dyl: Coming from different angles certainly helps our process and allows our sound to be more versatile.
Was there a specific moment where you guys felt like you HAD to make this band?
Max: I was really ill for a while, and I started taking these herbal pills that gave me life again. I had so much energy - I just had to do something with it. I was always in bands when I was a kid, I missed it so much. We were all in Brighton together, working for this veg company, Shrub Chow. We were bored and knew we had to do something. After five rehearsals I realised how right this felt. I wrote the first EP when I was in the pits of hell. The band was a very cathartic part of coming out of those pits.
How have you found the move from Brighton to London? Any differences in sound?
Dyl: Very different in sound, we were welcomed very quickly in London.
Max: It’s important to feel validated. It gives you a lot of energy.
Dyl: It was great to begin playing some new venues, The George Taven, The Shacklewell Arms, and a few in Deptford. It gives us a new lens to appreciate what we have in Brighton as well.
Max: We do a lot of organising, we do the promoting for most of our gigs, so we end up handling a lot. It’s a great way to get to know a new scene.
Your new single, ‘It’s Not That Bad’ came out this March. Is it a sign of things to come?
Max: We’re working it out currently, we have recorded a lot of our tracks with our manager, Rory. We managed to record 7 tracks in ten hours which was crazy. We’re now working out where they’re going to go but can’t say too much about it at the moment… it will probably be with you before the end of the year.
Dyl: We just had to get a single out.
Max: Of course, you have to be protective of your own stuff, so much time, energy and love goes into it. It’s cathartic to do it all yourself.
Dyl: It’s been fun with the new stuff as ‘It’s Not That Bad’ was written and recorded as a four piece. Max used to play bass and do vocals. This changed after we played Left of the Dial. Max fell into a big hole off the side of the stage and completely broke his finger. The next day we had a gig at 11am - we had to do the show with no bass.
Max: It was Dyl’s birthday, he spent his evening in a Dutch hospital looking after me. However, it was a blessing in disguise as I don’t like playing bass and now we have Kamil in the band.
Dyl: These new tracks are the first release as a five piece and we’re really excited.
What’s the main difference between the sound from your early music to this new EP?
Dyl: I would say it’s bigger. Kamil plays harmonics and chords on his bass.
Max: I was not doing that.
Dyl: We used to leave more space in the song, which was nice, but now we’re ready to fill that space.
Are there any lyrical or topical motifs that continue to appear in your writing?
Max: I used to work in a school in Lewes. There was this one student who was amazing but was a quiet dude. We were sat in the classroom all day, every day, watching the sun and wind and the trees from the window, stuck doing maths. He didn’t speak all day and then he looks out the window and says, “the sun came out of the clouds, and the rainy day was over”. It made me feel very emotional, it was such simple yet beautiful imagery. It meant a lot to me, and I’m always thinking about him when we’re making music.
Dyl: The first EP was to do with sickness, health and recovery. I think it relates as both are speaking as someone who is not where they want to be.
Do you have any non-musical inspirations?
Dyl: Jack and Max are quite visually engaged. Jack makes collages and Max has a lot of film experience.
Max: Music to me is inspired by dreams. I’m a big fan of Twin Peaks and I love the surrealness. I also love concrete architecture, I found a lot of the Le Corbusier buildings in Marseille inspirational.
When people listen to you guys, is there a certain way you hope they feel?
Dyl: I want people to feel uplifted - especially with the newer tracks.
Max: Like jumping into a tub of cold water. And sad. I’m a bit of both. The light and the shade.
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