My Interview with PenWeb.org Blog
On Jun 4th, an interview that I did with PenWeb Tickets Blog was posted regarding the release of my album and my feelings surrounding it.
They asked some pretty good questions, but I gave better answers...
Here is the full length interview. The original is located here: http://blog.penweb.org/marco-restrepo/
1. How would you classify your music? I would classify my music as diverse, a very me thing. I go through a lot of different feelings when I listen to music and I naturally exude my influences without being too heavy handed in any one direction. Genre wise? Perhaps Riff Driven Moon Rock.
2. Who are some of your top 5 musical influences? We’re gonna go Beatles, Nirvana, Buddy Holly, Nick Drake, Sum 41. Sixth man: Green Day/NWA. 3. What do you want fans to take from your music? Take it for what it is, not for what it’s not. I feel too often people will hear something and automatically filter it through their prejudices. Just listen and like it, love it, hate it, but don’t go overboard with what “shoulda, woulda, coulda been done” to make it perfect. I’m not perfect and at this point, my music may reflect this more than other more cradled artists. If something is off, I heard it too, but I left it for you. 4. How’s the music scene in your locale? It’s there; I think that it’s pretty open but not necessarily thriving or inclusive for that matter. There really is no “scene” per say, more like a whole bunch of seemingly fascist owners/promoters who are more concerned with set rules, genre types, or money than any kind of deep art expression or movement. There don’t seem to be many places where you can go and make a big impression without already having tons of skin the game. Catch-22ish (My heads up my ass half the time though so what do I know) 6. What is the best concert you have been to? What do you like most about playing live? Never been much a concert goer but the best one for me was when Paul McCartney came to Atlanta not too long ago. Knowing all of the songs and singing along is the best part to me. Playing live, I don’t have as many chops as I’d like, but my favorite part is catching that sweat that gets in your eyes and really feeling like you’re really giving the audience the songs. Also the freedom to move around out there and be a bit of a spaz is quite appealing.
7. Is there a song on this latest CD that stands out as your personal favorite, and why? “Just a Smile” is probably the composition I was most proud of. My favorite musical moment is the instrumental break on “Want You Now” and my favorite lyrical moment is on “Paul McCartney” where I say “When I’m old news, hope you’ll still skim through” that was pretty cheeky considering the context. I think the second verse on “Keep Falling” made me cry a couple times because I felt it so much. 8. Have you evolved as an artist over the last few years? I’d think so, maybe devolved in some ways and evolved in others. Like I took a step back from the comforts of programmed drums and decided to live out the drum parts as a novice, so some may look at that as a step back, but from October Sky to now, a person studying me would have to applaud the songwriting for one, the singing and guitar work.
9. If you could meet, play a gig, co-write a song, have dinner, get drunk with any band or artist (dead or alive) who would it be? I’d love to have discussion with Kurt Cobain or Nick Drake and jam on acoustics. I’da loved to get drunk, smoked weed and politic with 2Pac. I’d presently like to do an LP with Paul McCartney and call it Marco & The Man, win a Grammy and all that jazz.
10 What’s next for the Marco Restrepo? I’ve got a lot of songs on the table. I plan on making at most two more LPs (Promised Land & ∆ Change) in the DIY fashion of LHC before I’ll cave into the pressure of that next level sound. The live show is just around the corner and I’m really eager to get out and play for the people who have purchased and streamed my music thus far. Look forward to music videos for a handful of the albums songs before the summer is up, I plan on outsourcing for the first time ever (laughter).
YOU TUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmEUo8PGrcw
I-TUNES: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/lonely-hearts-club/id974170462
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