INTERVIEW: Marcus Alan Ward — Music Musings & Such

INTERVIEW:

Marcus Alan Ward

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MY current interview…

is with the arresting and promising songwriter Marcus Alan Ward. He has been revealing the story behind his new single, Faster, and who he counts as idols; whether there is more material coming along this year – Ward reveals when music came into his life.

I asked him what the music scene is like in Cleveland (U.S.A.) and what gigs are approaching; whether he is coming to Britain during 2018; whether there are any goals/ambitions to tick off the list before the end of the year – Ward ends the interview by selecting a classic!

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For those new to your music; can you introduce yourself, please?

I’m Marcus Alan Ward; Electro-Soul musician from Cleveland, U.S.A.

Your track, Faster, is getting some love and attention. Can you remember how that song started life? What is its inspiration?

The lyrical inspiration behind Faster stems from being around/in love with a self-destructive person. It's kind of like watching a car crash: it's a terrible image but you can't really take your eyes off of it. It’s a simple metaphor that I feel like resonates across the board.

Musically, I was inspired by the idea of summertime. Faster was actually written in the dead of winter, so I wrote this track in preparation for summer 2018.

Are you writing quite a lot at the moment? Might we see more material later in the year?

I’m always writing and actually working on a few collaborations at the moment, which is a change for me because I haven’t collaborated much historically. We’ll be releasing content about once a month, starting with Faster…so lots more coming.

I can hear tones of singing legends in your voice – you have your own style and mix it all in. If one were to look at your record collection, which artists might we find in there?

Vocally, I take cues from legends like Sade, Björk; Marvin Gaye, Sly Stone; Thom Yorke and so many others. In my record rotation, currently, you’d find those and lots of other artists spanning genres Funk, Rock; R&B, Disco; Electronic, Folk and beyond.

Do you remember why you got into music? Was that talent and passion always in you?

When I was younger, I tried lots of different things as any kid does. I asked for a guitar for Christmas one year and it just stuck from there. I learned Jingle Bells on it the first day I got it. Everything else I was doing (skateboarding, organized sports etc.) just kind of fell by the wayside after that.

You are based in Cleveland (U.S.A.). Is there quite an active music scene there? What sort of sounds might we hear around the city?

Here in Cleveland, we have lots of active musicians but not much as far as infrastructure goes (labels, booking agents etc.). You really have to get out and travel/tour if you want to make it out of Cleveland. I’d say, sonically, it mostly just mirrors what’s going on in the rest of the country.

Can we see you tour this year? What gigs do you have coming along?

I’m in the process of booking a tour on the back of my E.P. release in September. I haven’t announced yet but it’ll include cites New York, Atlanta; Chicago, Nashville and many others.