LA-based alt-pop duo Magdalena Bay have built a world of their own with their psychedelic, high-gloss synth-pop sound. Made up of Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin, the pair (and couple) met at their Miami high school, where they bonded over the kind of maximalist pop that feels like it’s beamed in from another dimension. 

Following the release of their breakout album Imaginal Disk (2024), the pair have become known for their blue-washed visual universe – often taking to the stage with faces painted cerulean and dressed in otherworldly costumes. It’s a world they’ve continued to build, releasing their singles “This Is the World (I Made It for You)” and “Nice Day” at the back end of last year. Now, as they embark on their Europe tour leg, and ahead of a show in London, Magdalena Bay take the dA-Zed quiz and share their thoughts on touring, being online and, of course, each other.

A IS FOR… ADVICE. WHAT’S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU’VE EVER BEEN GIVEN? 

Mica: I don’t know if it’s the best advice, but Matt usually gives me good advice: if I’m worried about something, he’ll say, ‘You don’t have to do that. You don’t have to do anything.’

B IS FOR… BIRTHPLACE. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?

Mica: Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Matt: Miami, Florida.

C IS FOR… CRUSH. WHO’S YOUR ULTIMATE CRUSH?

Matt: Mica.

Mica: Matt.

D IS FOR... DREAM. WHAT WAS YOUR CHILDHOOD DREAM?

Matt: To be a rock star.

Mica: To be a pop star. So here we are.

E IS FOR… ENDGAME. WHAT’S YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL?

Mica: Freedom in creativity, time-wise, and being able to do what we want.

Matt: Never having to set an alarm on my phone.

F IS FOR… FOR YOU PAGE. WHAT’S ON YOUR FYP RIGHT NOW?

Mica: I’ve been getting a lot of vintage store recommendations in each city we go to, which has been helpful.

G IS FOR... GUESTLIST. IF YOU COULD ADD SOMEONE TO YOUR GUESTLIST, WHO WOULD IT BE?

Both: We’d go back in time and have all our grandparents come to our show.

H IS FOR… HOBBY. DO YOU HAVE A NICHE HOBBY? AND IF SO, WHAT IS IT? 

Mica: Ceramics. When we’re not touring, I go to a ceramics studio in LA. It’s really hard but very fun.

Matt: Most of my hobbies are related to music or audio. Cooking or making coffee, they’re kind of utilitarian hobbies.

“It’s hard not to believe in fate because of how we met. It feels like some sort of predetermination”

I IS FOR… INTERNET. WHERE DO YOU SPEND THE MOST TIME ON THE INTERNET?

Matt: Reddit and YouTube lately.

J IS FOR… JOKES. WHO MAKES YOU LAUGH MOST IN THE WORLD?

Both: Our dog, Wolf. 

K IS FOR… KISMET. DO YOU BELIEVE IN FATE?

Matt: It’s hard not to believe in fate because of how we met. It feels like some sort of predetermination.

Mica: I believe in probability, in a weird way. We ended up with one of the best possible outcomes. Maybe that’s not separate from fate.

L IS FOR… LOVE. WHAT’S THE MOST ROMANTIC THING SOMEONE’S EVER DONE FOR YOU?

Mica: When we were in college and living in different cities, we’d take this really long, really cheap eight-hour bus to visit each other. So it’s not a romantic act, but I think it’s the true answer because it was tough.

M IS FOR… MEME. WHAT’S A MEME YOU REFERENCE OVER AND OVER AGAIN?

Mica: Ever since I saw the ‘go piss girl’ thing, I love saying it anytime someone has to pee.

N IS FOR… NATURE. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE ANIMAL?

Both: Our dog, Wolf.

O IS FOR… OPINION. WHAT’S YOUR HOT TAKE?

Matt: I would say back in the day, musicians were openly opinionated about artists they disliked. Now, if you say you don’t like someone’s music, people take it personally. We were reading an old John Lennon interview and he was very forthcoming with his opinions. It’s different now.

P IS FOR… PARTY. WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO GO OUT?

Both: A house party. We like hosting at our place, so we don’t have to leave. All your favourite people come over, and you’re already home, so you can just go to sleep.

Q IS FOR… QUOTE. WHAT QUOTE DO YOU LIVE BY?

Mica: It’s usually a lyric from a song we’re working on, which becomes like a mantra for a period of time.

R IS FOR… READING. WHAT BOOK COULD YOU READ AGAIN AND AGAIN?

Matt: I’ve reread Slaughterhouse-Five and The Sirens of Titan [both by Kurt Vonnegut Jr] a couple of times. They’re fun.

S IS FOR… STAR SIGN. WHAT’S YOUR BIG THREE?

Mica: I actually don’t even know what big three is, but I know that I’m a Sagittarius and Matt is a Gemini.

T IS FOR... TOURING. WHERE ARE YOU MOST EXCITED TO VISIT ON TOUR?

Mica: We have a day off in Amsterdam. I want to see museums properly.

Matt: Zurich and Antwerp are also new places for us.

U IS FOR… UNDERRATED. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS UNDERRATED?

Mica: I think Marmite is underrated. We’re big fans, but the rest of our band and crew don’t really get it.

V IS FOR… VIDEO. WHAT IS THE LAST VIDEO ON YOUR PHONE?

Both: Our dog.

W IS FOR… WHERE. WHAT’S YOUR DREAM TRAVEL DESTINATION?

Mica: Probably Japan.

Matt: Yeah, maybe China too – we’ve been on a big Szechuan food kick right now.

X IS FOR… EX. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE SOMEONE TRYING TO GET OVER THEIR EX?  

Mica: Try writing music. Maybe you’ll get something good out of it.

Y IS FOR… YOUNGER SELF. WHAT’S ONE THING YOU’D SAY TO YOUR 13-YEAR-OLD SELF?

Mica: Relax. Don’t be so hard on yourself.

Matt: Be more open-minded.

Z IS FOR… ZZZ. WHAT HELPS YOU SLEEP?

Matt: Jet lag’s been bad. I lie in bed for hours, then go to hotel breakfast at the crack of dawn, eat as much as possible, and then finally sleep for five hours.