Magic Giant may have formed less than a handful of years ago, but the Los Angeles-based trio’s quickly garnering praise for the same blend of indie folk and pop that’s made bands like the Lumineers alt rock staples. Locally, they’re known for "Set On Fire,” which scored them airplay on KROQ’s Locals Only program and caught attention of fans on Spotify. Subsequently, this momentum won them a record deal, with a debut full-length set to be unleash in early 2017.

While on tour, we caught up with the Silver Lake dwelling three-piece who, when not munching on grub from their beloved Forage organic restaurant, rap about their badass new studio-in-a-van, which isn’t just convenient for them, but environmentally friendly too.

Here are 10 things you should know about Magic Giant.

They Recorded an Album in a Van in a Studio They Built

“We looked at the calendar and realized we had these six festivals for six weekends in a row all over the country but it was routed really well,” singer Austin Bis says.

“We also looked at the calendar and realized we needed to record an album,” Brian Zaghi adds. “The idea to do it like this came organically to bring this studio into this new bus we purchased, so we brought it on the road with us.”

Zaghi Built It Out and Conceptualized It with a Little Bit of Help from His Bandmates

“Brian mostly did it, and we tried to pitch in, but he’s the engineer,” Bis says.

“We did have a little piece of paper that we drew of the bus and decided where we were going to put everything,” Zambricki Li adds. “It was a little bit of trial and error, but it was Brian’s blowtorch and he did it.”

They Used Nature to Their Advantage to Power the Studio

“We used solar power and would find places out in nature and run power to there,” Li explains. “We recorded there inside of a redwood tree. So the space recording wasn’t so much the bus but the elements to make it happen.”

“We put on solar panels, which then allowed us to record in nature,” Bis says.

“The whole studio is run off solar panels,” Zaghi says as well.

So Yes, They’re Environmentalists

“We’re really conscious people and environmentalists seems more active to try and create change and we’re trying to keep our imprint down,” Bis says. “But I guess that does make us environmentalists.”

The Weirdest Place They Recorded Was in a Train Tunnel

“It was outside of Seattle, and it was two-and-a-half miles long,” Bis says. “We also recorded on an airstrip out in Colorado.”

“One of the most interesting places for me was the tree,” Zaghi says. “To be actually in the tree makes the room a perfect environment for recording.”

Li is the Worst Driver of the Group

“I’m definitely the worst driver,” he says with a chuckle. “I’m just always distracted, whether it’s by Siri or social media.”

They Signed with Washington Square Because They Love the People There

“We had a show in Los Angeles, like a little club, and someone at the label was there randomly, and our manager knew them from a while ago and it was a combination of seeing us and hearing us on Spotify,” Li says. “Then at SXSW last year, we met the president of the label.”

“We fell in love with Cliff and it was the right fit,” Bis says. “The added support and their amazing belief in us really was great. We’re still doing a lot of the same stuff, but it’s a little extra bump, which we’re stoked on.”

They Started Working on a New Album in September, but Recorded a Live Set at Their Summer Gig at the Troubadour

“We had a live rig at the Troubadour (at their July show), which is awesome, but we went to Atlanta in September to do more recording,” Li says. “A lot of the vibes of the album and production was done and we’re tightening the screws and take what we did to the next level.”

Even with the Fancier Studio, They Did Record Full Tracks in Their Studio-on-Wheels

“In this day and age, what’s a demo?” Bis asks. “When you put something on the record, it’s all about getting the best sound you capture. The song that we did in the redwood, we did the guitar and vocals inside the tree. In the studio, we tracked some more drums and bass, and gave it a second look. But the DNA and vibe of the song is in that redwood tree.”

When They're Not Recording in Their Van While on Tour, They Like to Get After It

“Unrelated to Magic Giant, I like to go salsa dancing after shows in any big city,” Zaghi says. “I’ll ask a friend where the scene is on a night and I’ll go dancing. That’s one of my favorite things about being on tour is that I get to travel to these awesome cities and go dancing and discover new scenes.”

“We also do a lot of skating in other cities, and it’s a really cool way to be somewhat local,” Li says.