Toronto dream-rock trio Ace of Wands have just released their latest single, “Magical Mind”. Produced by Ian Blurton, the new song ventures into ethereal, psychedelic textures with driving rock energy and mystically charged lyrics. We caught up with band leader Lee Rose to chat about the track, what makes a venue great, and advice for new musicians.
From The Strait: Tell us about the new single, “Magical Mind”.
Lee Rose: “Magical Mind” was inspired by an oracle card in the “Cosmic Comfort” deck made by Yumi Sakugawa – an LA based, multi-disciplinary artist who I discovered on Instagram. In many ways, being inspired in this way felt a lot like going back to the band’s roots, where I began by taking so much inspiration from the Tarot and their myriad meanings. The Magical Mind card describes a “more imaginative, abundant, and adventurous version of the logical and rational mind that many people live by.”
It felt like a wonderful thing to write a song about; my intimate and sometimes rocky relationship to my own Magical Mind – the root of my creativity and expression in music and art.
We recorded this song only a week or so after finalizing the arrangement, working with Ian Blurton who produced, mixed, and engineered it. Working with Ian over the last year or so has been the best recording experience we have ever had as a band, and this song was no exception. There is such a great creative energy when we are in the studio with him, and things flow so easily. I think you can hear the spark of that collaboration coming right through the speakers.
From The Strait: What’s one artist or album you can’t get enough of right now?
Lee Rose: Over the last few years, I have really gotten into Anna Calvi – she hasn’t released a new album in a little while (other than doing all the original score for the show Peaky Blinders, which is amazing!). But her songwriting and production style has been quite inspiring for me. It’s epic and complex, and I hear a lot of orchestral influences which resonate with me as a classically trained musician. The songs are also extremely playful while maintaining some serious musicality. It gives them the kind of depth that I am always searching for when I write songs for Ace of Wands. It’s like orchestral-glam-goth-rock and it’s just so good.
From The Strait: What has been your favourite venue to play? (And what, in your opinion, makes a venue great?)
Lee Rose: I feel like venues are really made by the audiences and the staff. You can play a venue with great sound, lighting, and sight lines, who takes care of you, feeds you and gives you a comfy greenroom. But if the audience at the show is disinterested (or completely absent) then it always sucks. In general, if we play a place where the staff are kind and care about what’s happening, and the audience is attentive, there’s always something positive to take away from it. I feel like when you are fighting to be seen or heard is when it’s the worst experience. We’ve had great shows recently at Handlebar, Lee’s Palace, an outdoor stage at Ontario Place for the Wavelength music festival – all completely different vibes, but all great shows.
From The Strait: How do you gauge personal success in music?
Lee Rose: This is such a hard question for me! “Success” can feel like the completion of a task or a journey – and as a perfectionist personality, that can feel pretty much impossible. If I’m proud of the work I’m making and feel creatively stimulated, it’s a success on the artistic side. Success on the business side is a completely different kind of beast, where the finish line is vague and constantly changing. I’m still trying to figure that out!
From The Strait: If you had any advice for new musicians, what would it be?
Lee Rose: Try as much as possible not to compare yourself to what other people are doing. Make art that’s your own, and don’t try to imitate anyone else.
From The Strait: What’s next for Ace of Wands?
Lee Rose: We are getting ready to release our third full-length album in 2026, and we couldn’t be more excited. We are so proud of this new music! We’re currently working on all the background stuff that goes into an album release, so look out for more new music come January.
–
Check out “Magical Mind,” the latest single from Ace of Wands!
–
Follow Ace of Wands: Facebook / Instagram / Twitter
–
