Discovering fresh musical talent is always a joyous thing. And, no one is bringing us more joy right now than alt-pop’s brightest rising star, Marineris. The 23-year-old multifacet is currently preparing to burst onto the scene with a debut album that hopes to showcase his experimental approach to production and songwriting to the world. And, what better way to prepare listeners for your debut album than the release of one of its lead singles? Dropping “My Band Could Be Your Home”, the artist hopes to uplift his new listeners with a sweet blend of a narrative on self-love and synthy sounds, much like that of the artist’s biggest influences: The 1975 and Mura Masa.
When discussing his new track, Marineris stated, “this song came about as a series of little coincidences. At the time, I was literally in love with Cher’s “Believe”, so I was dreaming about having a song with a similar emotional feel, which makes you dance and cry at the same time. Back then, I was also reading a book about the hardcore scene in America, the title of which was a line from the minutemen song, “Our Band Could Be Your Life”. It instantly appeared to me as the coolest name. And then, as I frequently do photography for other music artists, I was on one of the sets when I heard a random house beat, very similar to the one that Cher had. The first words that I started signing over it were from the title of that very book. And that’s the story of how the main Marineris melody came about. So art really is a result.”
Upon the release of his latest single, the artist sat down with Wonderland to discuss his influences and what listeners can expect from his debut album. Head below to enjoy our interview with Marineris…
Hey Marineris, how are you? How has this year been for you so far?
Hey Wonderland! It was a busy and versatile year for me, despite all the world’s troubles and turmoil.
I’ve managed to release 4 singles from my upcoming music album, along with a video for each of them. It feels like so much work has already been done, but it’s just the tip of an iceberg really. So, I’m looking forward to what comes next.
With everything that happened last year, was your creativity affected?
In the first months of the pandemic, it was quite unclear as to how the future was going to unravel. So, I decided that it was a cool opportunity for me to fully concentrate on music. I made most of my album during that first lockdown. It seems like I’ve spent almost three months at home, working on my songs and rarely leaving my room. Even in the upcoming year, you will still be hearing some of the songs that “happened” during that quarantine. I don’t really think there was a better way to get through that time and distract ourselves from what was happening for lots of musicians.
How did you first get into music? What sparked the interest?
As long as I can remember, my parents always had a guitar at home. My dad knew some basic chords and would play his favourite songs at our family gatherings. For a long time, I was not a player but an observer; but then there was a moment when I knew I wanted to learn how to play. I was 11 back then, and that’s how it started. But literally, it all started from a G major! Once I learned all the basic chords, I quickly understood that I could now play literally any song that I liked. Later, I tried to write “my” song which determined the direction of my life.
You’re from an industrial town in Ukraine, did this influence you musically in any way?
Definitely, yes. When you live far away from the cultural life’s epicentre, not just of the world, but even of your own country, you need to put effort and have the willingness to search for up-to-date information about the world of music and any other art too, really. The internet was a huge game-changer, as most people could access it, including me. That’s why I have an impression that the information space that I had in Ukraine wasn’t that different from the one a teen somewhere in Manchester could have. We could listen to the same bands and watch the same shows despite the language difference. So I can’t say that my environment influenced me in some aesthetic or stylistic way, but it definitely made a difference in terms of my values and ambitions. The further you are from what you admire, the stronger your desire is to get closer to it.
Congratulations on your new single! Talk us through the production process!
Thank you so much! It’s a very important song for me, as it was the first one to appear, and it defines all of the meanings and messages for this album.
This song came about as a series of little coincidences. At the time, I was literally in love with Cher’s “Believe”, so I was dreaming about having a song with a similar emotional feel, which makes you dance and cry at the same time. Back then, I was also reading a book about the hardcore scene in America, the title of which was a line from the minutemen song, “Our Band Could Be Your Life”. It instantly appeared to me as the coolest name. And then, as I frequently do photography for other music artists, I was on one of the sets when I heard a random house beat, very similar to the one that Cher had. The first words that I started signing over it were from the title of that very book. And that’s the story of how the main Marineris melody came about. So art really is a result.
Just a bit later, I came up with all the core components for the arrangement and verse melodies in a single evening. From the very beginning, this song felt exactly how it now sounds in its final version. I only had to find all the necessary elements for it. It has a live saxophone, sampled choir, and a trick that I noticed while listening to Prince – repetition of the same note through all of the chorus.