Nashville’s Alt-rock musician, J. Marco recently released his single Truth. Last year, J. Marco released his sophomore album Days of Surrender. Long before moving to Nashville and kicking off his songwriting career, J. Marco listened to records in his Massachusetts bedroom, moving between the fast-moving fuzz of punk-rock and the hard-hitting hooks of pop music. Years later, he combines both of those genres and more on Days of Surrender, his second album as a solo artist. Days of Surrender finds J. Marco pulling triple-duty as singer, songwriter, and lead guitarist. Gluing the entire album together is an emphasis on guitar riffs and undeniable melodies, the same two ingredients that connected most of Marco’s childhood influences. Check out Truth below!
We managed to catch up with J. Marco as he talked about his latest single and more!
So how has the release of Truth gone down with fans so far?
It’s been great. Going into this, I was wondering how this slight departure in sound would be received, but it’s been all positive. No matter if it’s rock or pop, I always try to build my songs around a strong hook. I think that let’s me experiment more with new and different sounds, while still sounding like “me.”
Can you tell us something about the single no one else knows?
I played the synth parts on this. I don’t know how to play the keyboard, so it took a very long time & required a lot of note hunting.
How has the release of Day of Surrender gone down with fans?
I think that Days Of Surrender was a surprise to some people, and really resonated with other people. It was a pretty noticeable departure from the sound of our previous album, Myth. But, I love it, and I’ve heard nothing but good things about Days Of Surrender, even almost a year later.
Will your new music be any different to this?
That’s the great thing about a solo project. I write what excites me at the time, and I’m really not bound by a specific sound. At the moment, I’m really into cleaner sounds, and exploring more indie-pop type songs. This certainly will change, but as of now, that’s where I’m at.
Will you be releasing an EP/Album this year?
Maybe :). Stay tuned.
If you could work with any band on a new song, who would it be and why?
At the top of my personal Mt. Rushmore is Bob Dylan. But, I don’t think we could work together. I think that I could just sit in silence, freaking out on the inside, while watching HIM work. But I don’t think I could ever get the courage to offer my opinion. If working together means maybe jamming with the band on one song, I’d love to work with Dylan.
Other bands that come to mind include; Protomartyr, Preoccupations, and The Voidz. The reason being is that these are all bands I love, but sound very different than what I do. I think that it would be very interesting to really jump into a whole different sound world and see what comes out of it.
What’s the alternative scene like in Nashville?
It’s excellent. Some of the best bands with the best songs are in Nashville right now, maybe playing to 12 people on a Wednesday night. The popular misconception about Nashville being a strictly country music town is beginning to change, I think. Nashville truly has the best musicians and fans of all genres of music, and the alternative scene is no different. I highly suggest that you come visit some time, if you haven’t been.
Will you be touring at all this year?
Hopefully this fall!
What was the first gig you ever went to?
I peaked very early in the concert going category. I saw none other than Bruce Springsteen & The E Street band when I was about 8 years old. My ears still haven’t recovered, and almost certainly my brain has been warped forever by rock and roll following that concert.