Marco is a Brisbane singer-songwriter who is ready to make his mark on the world with his honest and soothing indie-pop tracks. The newcomer has just dropped his debut EP ‘Motion Sickness’, and the six track collection takes you on a reflective journey that feels like a solid introductory to who he is not only as an artist, but also as a young adult.
Earlier this year he unveiled his first single since signing to Sony Music Australia which was a huge breakthrough moment for him. Raking in over one million streams on Spotify, ‘Harder To Breathe’ explored a coming of age storyline of losing hope and finding a deep connection with someone.
The dreamy alt-pop sonic hears him citing some fellow moody influences from the likes of Vancouver Sleep Clinic, Alec Benjamin and LAUV. And sonically that is where the majority of this EP sits.
I recently chatted to Marco about the creative process behind ‘Motion Sickness’, discovered why that title felt like it perfectly represented the body of work, and discussed how he envisions his future live shows. Check it out BELOW;
THOMAS BLEACH: Your debut EP ‘Motion Sickness’ is out now and it’s a very reflective introductory body of work. So what do you want people to take away or feel through listening to the EP from start to finish?
MARCO: I really just hope people can relate to the songs and lyrics. I love it when I get messages from people saying that my music has given them clarity on a situation that they were going through. That’s all I want from people to take away from listening to any of my music.
TB: ’Evergreen’ opens the EP quite cinematically. Can you explain how this song creatively came together?
M: ’Evergreen’ was probably one of the fastest songs I’ve written actually. It was a song that I wrote on my second trip out to LA last year, and it was written with a good mate of mine, Dan Gleyzer. I actually started with writing the chorus and then built the song around that. I was really into plants, flowers, nature, etc. at the time, and I wanted to use that as a symbol for the way I was feeling.
TB: ’Angel’ is a really beautiful and soothing song that gradually builds. What is the lyrical story behind this song?
M: I’ve always liked to leave it more up to the listener to interpret my songs however they see it, but it’s mostly about having a genuine love for somebody no matter what is thrown your way. Whether you stay together or not, it’s just about having a love for them that nobody could replace.
TB: Reflecting on the creative process behind the EP, what song would you say took the longest to really hone its own unique sound and vision?
M: I feel like ‘Angel’ was definitely the song that took the longest because I wanted to make sure everything was perfect. I always envisioned it gradually growing bigger and bigger as it leads up to the last chorus of the song. God damn, it took a while but we definitely got there in the end for sure.
TB: Why do you feel like the title ‘Motion Sickness’ best represented what this body of work meant and felt to you?
M: Well I love to drive and my BMW E30 is a massive part of me and it played a big role in this first EP. I even did most of my videos and photos for the EP in or around my car. I’m always driving around just seeing the city and I wanted this first EP to be as raw as possible, and in doing so I wanted to call it ‘Motion Sickness’. Plus, apparently, when people drive with me they get motion sickness, but I think that’s cap for sure.
TB: You posted a bunch of photos from finishing up ‘Motion Sickness’ on Instagram which captured a very celebratory feeling. So what was one of the most challenging things about creating this EP?
M: Honestly, one of the hardest parts was actually just letting the music do its own thing and not trying to restrict the creative flow. I found that sometimes whilst I was making the EP I would try to make the music sound like something else, and it really turned the songs into something they weren’t. So I guess the main thing would have to be letting go of those perfect imperfections on this EP and just letting the songs become their own.
TB: ’Harder To Breathe’ has cracked over 1 million streams on Spotify alone, which is such a crazy and exciting feat. So have you received any messages from people who have heard the song playing in any weird or cool places?
M: I’ve had heaps of people telling me they’ve heard it all over the place which was really cool! It was also really dope to get messages from people who I don’t even know who just wanted to say that they heard the track for the first time in a shop they were in and they loved it. It is such an incredible feeling when stuff like that happens!
TB: When you’re finally able to play shows, how do you want to represent this EP in the live space? Like, have you already thought about what song would open your set? And if you would integrate a particular cover into the set?
M: For sure! I mean it’s hard to know when I’ll be able to play another show, but I’ve always opened my sets with ‘When I Was A Ghost’ because I feel that it’s nice to open up a show slow. On the flip side though I’d love to close the set up with ‘Running’ since it gets you on your feet and lets you jump around and vibe out a little! I can’t wait to finally get out and perform again.
TB: As a proud Brisbane singer-songwriter, who is an local artist that you think people need to discover ASAP?
M: There are some amazing local artists/bands in Brisbane who deserve all the attention in the world for their music. Honestly, I can’t pick one so I’d say; T Scarlett, Selfish Sons and HANNI are some of my favourites for sure. They’re also all good friends of mine, so I love supporting them in any way possible.
Let’s play a quick game of rapid fire questions! You Ready?
TB: The emojis that best describes my ‘Motion Sickness’ EP is…
M: The car!
TB: If I could have any superpower it would be to…
M:Mind read
TB: A TV show I’ve been binging during lockdown is…
M: ’Umbrella Academy’
TB: My morning ritual involves…
M:Coffee…
TB: Pineapple on pizza is…
M:’A big yes’
‘Motion Sickness’ is out now!