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 here: youtube.com/flightattendantband
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.
FLIGHT ATTENDANT
Karalyne Winegarner – vocals, piano, guitar
Vinny Maniscalco – lead guitar, backing vocals
Nikki Christie – viola, backing vocals
Derek Sprague – drums
Erica Najera – bass
digital services link
orcd.co/magiccarpetride
