Your new single “Never Left The Ground” leans heavily into indie-folk influences. What inspired the shift from your punk rock roots to this more introspective, lo-fi sound?
It feels like I’ve come around in a complete circle. My very first release was an acoustic solo EP of songs just with my acoustic guitar and vocals. It was DIY, and a bit folk/punk inspired. A couple of years after that, I formed “Captives” with some guys I’d been jamming with, and then it was full on punk-rock party time. After spending about a decade writing and touring with Captives, I went back to do my solo thing. So that vibe has always been there. Having said that, I do feel like when I’m writing a song, the song tells me where it wants to go. Some musicians set out to create a rock album, or a punk album, or a pop album, or whatever, but I just let the song guide me as to what it wants, and I do that. That’s probably why the EP has a mix of styles on it.
You’ve mentioned artists like Frank Turner and Neutral Milk Hotel as influences for this single. How did their music shape the songwriting and production process for “Never Left The Ground”?
I really like the energy of the solo punk rocker with an acoustic guitar. There is something powerful in just getting up there with your guitar and something to say. Along those lines, I have been enjoying Jon Toogood’s new solo album. I got to spend a short amount of time with Jon when Captives supported Shihad a couple of times, so that was kinda special. The whole folk/punk vibe wasn’t deliberate, it’s just where I ended up, my natural state I guess – but I like it, and it’s working, so I’m looking forward to leaning into it more. In terms of production, I tried for strummy guitars, a hidden synth buried in the mix, and of course an amazing trumpet solo!
Andrew Sulzberger’s trumpet work adds a unique melodic element to the track. How did that collaboration come about, and what made you decide to incorporate the trumpet instead of a guitar solo?
When I was writing “Never Left the Ground” I created some space where (being the guitar nerd I am) I thought the obvious thing to do would be to play a guitar solo… however, it just didn’t sit right in the song. The song didn’t want it. Tracks like “For No One” by The Beatles and “Aeroplane Over the Sea” by Neutral Milk Hotel use French horns and cornets and I thought something like that might work. One of my favorite Tassie bands (and mates) The Bad Dad Orchestra happen to have an absolutely kick arse horn section, so I reached out to those guys and Andrew Sulzberger was keen to get involved. He is an incredible musician, and absolutely nailed it.
Thematically, “Never Left the Ground” reflects on escapism and imposter syndrome. How do these concepts tie into your personal experiences, and what message do you hope listeners take away from the song?
I think everyone at some point has felt like they don’t belong, or they are not good enough. This feeling isn’t inherently good or bad, because it can help us grow – but if it becomes overwhelming it can hold us back. I feel like musicians and other artists might suffer from imposter syndrome a lot, because producing creative output can feel like you’re giving a part of yourself away or exposing some part of you for others to judge. Sometimes it can feel like you’ve done all this cool stuff, but you’ve never really found your place or people don’t acknowledge you. The song “Never Left the Ground” can be interpreted as a positive spin on this concept, or a negative one – it all depends on the listeners point of view. Just as there are two ways to interpret this sentence: “I could do anything, and no one cares”, and that’s the point.
Recording and mixing the single yourself is no small feat. What were some of the challenges you faced in the studio while creating “Never Left The Ground” and the “Never Stood Out and Never Fit In” EP?
I’m lucky enough to have a small studio setup in a spare room in my house. I’ve been building it up to the point where I’m now recording other bands and artists. I really love spending time in that room. There is a difference between recording and producing someone else compared to doing it all yourself though. Being the engineer, producer, and musician means that I really need to trust my vision as there isn’t anyone else to bounce ideas off. Oh, and there’s the whole “press record and sprint to the drumkit before the song starts” thing too. I like old analogue gear and messing around, so on this EP I used an old 1970s four-track reel-to-reel tape machine and my old Tascam cassette four-track recorder. I spent hours cutting tape with a razor blade making tape loops that were just the right length. I find mixing a challenge, because I want the production to be as good as a “real” song – that imposter syndrome creeps in again.
Your EP “Never Stood Out and Never Fit In” seems to touch on feelings of isolation and self-acceptance. How do the other tracks on the EP expand on these themes?
Each song talks about these themes in their own way. For example, “Disjointed Digitalised” talks about how you don’t want to go outside because all your thoughts and dreams are becoming increasingly digitalised and dehumanised. This is a reference to things like AI or the invasive nature of social media. Other songs such as “Out of Nothing” explore the idea of making something out of yourself and all the choices we make in life. I’m a pretty positive and optimistic person, and that’s the lens I view them through, but all these songs can be interpreted as a positive or negative depending on the listeners perspective.
The music video for “Never Left The Ground” features imagery of building wings and attempting to fly. Can you tell us more about the creative process behind the video and what that imagery represents to you?
I really wanted people to find their own meaning in this one, but to me the wings represent your skills, abilities, virtues, and everything you are as a person. The wings are pieced together out of cardboard, ripped garbage bags, and sticky tape to represent how no one is perfect and we’re all just doing the best with what we are given. The wings are carefully put together throughout the video until the time comes to take the leap and see if they can really fly. We never really find out.
You’ve performed with major acts like Ian Moss, The Damned, and Shihad, and played at festivals like Falls Festival and Party in the Paddock. How have these experiences shaped you as an artist, and how do they influence your approach to your solo work?
Every single performance is a learning experience. I’ve played sold out shows in big venues, and I’ve played my fair share of shows to nobody in small pubs too – but there is always something you can learn to help improve your craft. It could be how to deal with drunken hecklers, or how to effectively communicate with an audience. As a solo artist, I enjoy having the opportunity to build a rapport and a relationship with the audience, it makes the shows so much more rewarding and memorable for both parties.
As a Tasmanian artist, how does your hometown of Penguin, Tasmania, influence your music and the stories you tell through your songs?
Living in Tasmania can be seen as a blessing or a curse. I see it as a blessing. Penguin is obviously the best town in the world. We have beautiful beaches, a giant penguin in the main street, and we’re 2 minutes away from the forests of the Dial Range Reserve. I’m not really an outdoors kind of person, but it’s just nice being surrounded by nature. I don’t feel that it influences my songwriting, but as someone else looking in, maybe it does.
With “Never Stood Out and Never Fit In” just released, what are your hopes for how this EP will resonate with fans, both old and new, especially given the personal nature of these songs?
I hope people can listen to the entire EP from start to finish and find their own meaning in it all. There is something for everyone, acoustic ballads through to some loud punk. This one is for everyone who has ever felt like they have never fit in. You do.
Marcus Wynwood
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