THE MAGIC MATH

Of course, it is difficult to know for sure, but the Magic Math was probably discovered by cavemen, perhaps while plucking the strings of their primitive bow & arrow weapons, while preparing animal skins through a process of stretching and beating, or while screaming at monkeys. This strange field of study produced nothing of practical use to anyone, but it persisted through the ages, being passed down from generation to generation through an unbroken line of colorful eccentrics, dreamers, and spazzes. A particularly spastic dreamer of a little boy living in Birmingham, Alabama (a place aptly known as “The Magic City”) named Van Hollingsworth became fascinated with the Magic Math sometime in the 1990s. With constant study, fueled by a tireless obsession, the profound mysteries of the Magic Math were gradually revealed to Van. He began using his esoteric learnings to write songs with memorable melodies and witty words about loneliness, love, yearning, hope, sex, frustration, id, ego, and cavemen, sometime in the 2000s. Late in that decade, Van started seeking out the help of other colorful eccentrics in the Magic City to help turn his songs into fully realized performances. After playing around with many musicians, percussionist Nick Recio, upright bassist Nathaniel Yonce, and fiddler Megan Ford all offered their assistance in creating a band. Together they use their esoteric learnings to create an acoustic texture that sounds vaguely rootsy without owing too much to any previous tradition. They named the band “The Magic Math,” in honor of the ancient, mysterious, and time-wasting practice. The Magic Math is a body of creative works springing from the imagination of Birmingham, AL native Van Hollingsworth.