Now another new band on the blog, very warm welcome to Marlon Brando Island and MIMR spoke to Marcus from the band to get the latest on their goings-on
MIMR
Describe your music and what inspiration do you pick on when creating your music?
Marcus
I’d describe our music as pop music, pop music with guitars, it’s quite loud and experimental and lyrical. We’ve been compared to more bands than I can count now, I delude myself into thinking that’s a good thing. I was really chuffed to be compared to Shellac though and I’ve always liked The National, so those two are OK.
In creating music, it’s become a little obsessional for me so the inspiration is usually the illusion of making a perfect song. Or I’ll just listen to Kate Bush or something and realise I’m a piece of shit, that’s always good inspiration.
MIMR
So what’s been going on with the band this year? Any exciting news to tell us?
Marcus
We’ve only been seriously playing together for the last few months but we’ve been really fortunate in how things have come together. We’ve been lucky enough to have received some extremely kind reviews and to have recorded with an excellent producer, the wonderful Paul of Sound. We’ve spent most of our time rehearsing and making songs, two thirds of that time is me neurotically rewriting lyrics. Over and over…
MIMR
So social media is a big tool to be used for any band nowadays, there’s so many different sites. How do the band finding managing promotional side of things and what would you resort to doing if social media didnt exist to promote the band?
Marcus
We use all the usual suspects. Facebook, Instagram etc. Obviously it’s entirely necessary these days, I’m not overly keen on how it’s brought language like ‘brand image’ into discussions about music but it seems a necessary evil. There are an ocean of bands around so it’s important to use wisely. If there were no social media, it would be back to leafleting and leaving CDRs all over the place. I could happily spend a week on London’s bus routes meticulously leaving CDs on backseats. I may actually do that anyway thinking about it.
MIMR
What’s been your most memorable gig you’ve played so far as a band?
Marcus
When we were just starting I played an open mic acoustic thing solo. It was a really weird vision of hell that I’m pretty sure is waiting for me when this is all over. It was full of goth kids drinking cider and doing poppers and juggling. I just shouted a bit over a broken pa then sheepishly packed up my guitar and left.
MIMR
Now your band name has a cinematic theme, a pretty cool actor too. What films do you guys like to watch?
Marcus
Oh thanks. Yeah Marlon Brando was a very strange, amazing man. The last films I watched were Stalker and Uncle Buck, two of cinema’s greats in my humble opinion. Tarkovsky and Candy.
MIMR
Thanks for joining us on MIMR, where can people check out some music and just general info about Marlon Brando Island?
Marcus:
Thanks so much for having us! You can hear us at
www.SoundCloud.com/marlonbrandoisland
You can look at pictures of us and get information of upcoming gigs at
www.Facebook.com/marlonbrandoislandband
We have a video for ‘True Heroes’ located here…
