New Releases: Flight Attendant | Magic Carpet Ride

Eclectic indie rock band releases cover of Steppenwolf’s classic.

The new single by Nashville based indie outfit Flight Attendant is a cover of the '70s US rock radio classic ‘Magic Carpet Ride’, originally by Steppenwolf. The musically eclectic group have put their own unique spin on the song with laidback guitars and viola melodies, plus a chorus that takes listeners on an airplane ride through the clouds.

“In the past year we have felt nostalgia for the past, for times of travel, and we have missed friends and family,” says viola player Nikki Christie. “The change in the world has been palpable. Painting a picture of dreamier times, we covered ‘Magic Carpet Ride’ to conjure up a brief but much needed transportation of the moment.”

A video made for the song is a behind-the-scenes collage of both magical and sentimental moments that the group have experienced in their up-and-down journey since the pandemic halted the rapid progress they had previously been enjoying. A patchwork of selfies, green screen weirdness, lighting experiments and questionable dance routines, it provides a light-hearted look at who Flight Attendant are both as a band and as a group of friends.

‘Magic Carpet Ride’ is the group’s third single of 2021 and eighth overall since debuting in 2018. A selection of videos for these can be seen on their Youtube channel.

Front lady Karalyne Winegarner (lead vocals, piano and guitar) is a performer who will knock your socks off, while Vinny Maniscalco (lead guitar, backing vocals) and Nikki Christie (viola, backing vocals) add lush melodies that surf atop the pumping rhythm section of drummer Derek Sprague and new bassist Erica Najera (who also performs with Third Man signing Olivia Jean).

Having had their runway forcibly closed since spring 2020, Flight Attendant are finally ready for takeoff.

Like, share, comment!

• The weekly catch-up: Nine Inch Nails cancel 2021 concerts, Rammstein becomes the soundtrack of the German Paralympic team, Tim Skold and Nero Bellum release new Not My God album, + Punk, Hardcore, Metal, Visual Kei and World Music releases.

• Danny Elfman + Trent Reznor | True: Insanity and Hurt are In This Together!

• Not My God | Ashes: The second outing by legendary industrial scene duo Tim Skold and Nero Bellum.

• TRAITRS | Oh, Ballerina: Toronto postpunk/darkwave band release moody art-house horror film meets 80’s new wave music video.

• Keeley | You Never Made It That Far: Dublin indie-pop/synthgaze outfit Keeley releases new video and announces a livestream show on August 11 as part of the 2021 Dublin Quays Festival.

• All Alone | Alanas Chosnau and Mark Reeder: East and West meet in project debut single.

• The weekly catch-up: The Foo Fighters Anniversary Tour, a Blitz Club and the Rum Runner homage, Thrash Metal guitar lessons, bouncy rock, with African dance rhythm and more in this week's review.

• Be a Rebel| New Order: Band releases new single and announces tour dates with Pet Shop Boys.

• Heresy | Renard: Odd metrics and fragile vocals drive a beautiful lyric in this soulful song.

• Divisions | Charlie Nieland: After accolades for his initial singles, much-anticipated album is released.