J. Marco

Glide is premiering “Castaway” (below) - a track that reveals J. Marco’s strength as undeniably strong songwriter/storyteller with a knack for harmony and hook grabbing rock that reflects a young Tom Petty. - Glide Magazine

With bold anthemic flavors that make you just want to jump in and sing-along, Nashville–based guitarist/songwriter J. Marco is swooning his way into your heart with his new single “The Void.” Sweet and breezy, the upbeat power-pop ballad will definitely pull on your heartstrings as it takes you through your own nostalgic feels of being young. “The Void” is just one of 10 gorgeous tracks off J. Marco’s forthcoming solo debut Myth.

One artist that is always at the top of his personal songwriting hall of fame is Bob Dylan; and it’s no surprise with J. Marco’s rich storytelling lyrics heard throughout his entire album.

With music that is self-described as “big, energetic, and loud” — J. Marco’s forthcoming debut album Myth is all that and more. From the synth-pop heard in “The Void” to the anthemic rock & roll in “Long Way Down,” “Stranger in the night” and “Castaway,” J. Marco has created quite the promising release. If you’re a fan of The War On Drugs, you’ll love J. Marco’s new album Myth. Is has that similar approachable sound that begs for you to sing-along. - Grimy Goods

J. Marco is gearing up to release his debut solo LP, Myth, on Oct. 21, and has been teasing new singles leading up. His first single, “Stranger In The Night,” was an uptempo melodic rocker, and showcases the talented artists’ knack for crafting buzzworthy indie rock. We’re thrilled to help him release his second single, “Long Way Down,” which is another melodic indie rock gem with a sprinkle of punk on top.

Head below to get your first listen to “Long Way Down,” and keep J. Marco on your rock radar. - No Country for New Nashville

Having Nashville singer/songwriter, J. Marco, pop up in our inbox was such a refreshing change from our usual sharings. Formerly of the Nashville-based band, New City Savages, Marco is gearing up for the release of his debut solo effort, Myth, on October 21. New single, “Stranger In The Night,” is reminiscent of The War on Drugs and The Paper Kites meets Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Intrigued yet? - The Daily Listening

J. Marco – formerly of Nashville–based band New City Savages – will release his solo debut, Myth, on October 21st, and has shared Tom Petty-esque album track, “Stranger In The Night”.
Myth finds J. Marco pulling triple duty as singer, songwriter and guitarist covering quite a bit of ground along the way; the album features propulsive synth-pop to rollicking rock n’ roll bangers like “Stranger In The Night” - East of 8th

Review Fix chats with singer/songwriter J Marco, who discusses the creative process and goals for his new album, “Myth.”

Review Fix: What’s your creative process like?

J Marco: My creative process really varies from song to song. Some songs will almost write themselves in an hour, while others reveal themselves piece by piece over a few weeks. I don’t quite understand it, really. I don’t try to force it, I try to go by feeling. When something feels right it’s usually right, and nothing can ruin a song quicker than forcing it, in my opinion.

Review Fix: What’s your standout song on the new album? How was it written?

J Marco: It’s tough for me to get any distance between the songs and I in order to pick one. But, if I had to pick one, I think it would be “The Void”. It has in it everything that I was going for on this record. The Void was one of those songs that slowly builds over a few weeks. I remember that I had about three or four different choruses for it that I wasn’t too thrilled with for the longest time, and one night around 2 a.m the final chorus just jumped into my head out of nowhere, and I had to get out of bed and record it immediately so I wouldn’t forget it.

Review Fix: What are your goals for 2017?

J Marco: My goals for 2017 are to get this record heard by as many people as possible, play as many shows as possible, tour, and just really give it all that I’ve got while continuing to write and get ideas together for the next record. I ultimately just want to create music that connects with people and myself.

Review Fix: What makes this a special album?

J Marco: To me, this album is special because I really didn’t know if I could even do it. When this project began, I had no idea what to expect. Doing this record has allowed me to learn so much about the creative process, the music business, and has granted me the opportunity to meet some really amazing people along the way. This album is special because it’s the first album under my name alone, and I believe it is a mission statement of sorts.

Review Fix: How do you want your music to affect people?

J Marco: Above everything else, I want people to enjoy it and relate to it in their own way. Personally, I don’t like records that tell you how to feel or tell you exactly what the song is about. The kind of records I like are sort of a musical ink blot test, in that they allow the listener to project their own meaning onto it. I tried to make a record that gives the listener a little room to breathe.

Review Fix: What’s next?

J Marco: I’m going to keep doing what I’ve been doing. Writing songs that I believe in, and putting them out into the world. Hopefully, people continue to like them and want to come see these songs played live.

Review Fix: Anything else you’d like to say?

J Marco: Check out J-Marco.com for all live dates & you can purchase physical copies of the record there as well. Also, thank you all so much for the support. It truly means the world to me. - ReviewFix

J Marco will release debut solo album Myth on October 21, and we’re here to give you a little taste of what is to come. Submitted for your approval is “Stranger In The Night,” a warm, fuzzy rock tune that thrives in a layered fabric of guitar into which Marco’s vocals are sewn, indistinguishable from the other elements. Check it out below. - Magnet Magazine

Myth included in Noteable Releases for October 2016 - Nashville Lifestyles Magazine

J. Marco used to be a big part of Nashville act New City Savages, now he’s on his own releasing his own music. For his new album, “Myth”, that came out October 21st, Marco has put together some outstanding work as a writer, vocalist, and guitarist. Recently, the Nashville-based musician talked with Alternative Addiction about switching gears from New City Savages to releasing his own music.

“I was writing some stuff on the side that didn’t fit in with my other band,” said Marco when talking to AA. “I kept going back to it and I kept building that stuff up into a decently-sized catalog built up. I remember one day it kind of hit me – I should at least record these and see what happens. Even if I just released them as a free BandCamp release. As I kept working on them I realized that there might be a little more there than what I originally thought. The seed was planted in my brain and it kept growing until it felt like the right thing to do was to focus on these songs and this album.”

A gradual process of switching projects doesn’t mean that everything else with J Marco’s solo music came along slowly. Writing this music happened pretty quickly according to Marco.

“They did come along pretty quickly. I go through bursts where I can write four songs in a week or two. There’s some of that going on with this record. I wrote some of them during the recording of the album too. When you’re recording you’re in such a creative place that sometimes songs just come out. “Stranger In The Night” was written during the recording itself and that was a song we ended up releasing early, so both ways of writing work well.”

J. Marco’s “Myth” is out and available now. Keep checking back to Alternative Addiction for more on the Nashville-based singer/songwriter. - Alternative Addiction

n television, they call it a spin-off when a character leaves a show to start their own series. In music, it’s generally referred to as a solo album and then a solo career. It’s happened to bands for years now with Lou Reed leaving The Velvet Underground, Peter Gabriel left Genesis and George Michael left Wham. Each of those artists went on to have lengthy solo careers. You can add J. Marco to the lists of artists going solo as he has left his Nashville band New City Savages and is poised to release his debut solo album Myth on October 21. Inspired by a range of influences including The Strokes, Tom Petty and the seminal book “The Hero with a Thousand Faces” by mythologist Joseph Campbell, Myth finds J. Marco pulling triple duty as singer, songwriter and lead guitarist. He covers a good deal of ground along the way from the synth-pop of “The Void” to the anthemic rock and roll of “Long Way Down” and Castaway. We caught up with Marco recently to talk with him about his upcoming solo album and much more.

What made you decide to go solo and record this album?

J. Marco: Going solo was a very gradual process. In Nashville, I was in a band for a while and was co-writing material with everybody in it. But, on the side I was writing my own songs that didn’t quite fit the band’s aesthetic. So, I just kept them stashed away for a while until I had a lot of them & was very enthusiastic about them. When I get excited about something creatively like that, it’s a pretty clear indication to me that it is what I am supposed follow through on. So, I did.

What was the recording process like for you doing this solo as opposed to being part of a band?

Honestly, it’s easier in some ways and more challenging in others. Only having one cook in the kitchen definitely speeds things along, but knowing that the finished product is going to be a direct reflection of you alone can be pretty daunting. It’s just you making the choices in your songs, and there’s really no room to hide.

The recording process also allowed me to meet some amazing people and to record at some places that I had always wanted to, like The Bomb Shelter & Battle Tapes Recording. Jeremy Ferguson of Battle Tapes mixed the record and did an absolutely phenomenal job. He’s a great dude.

Once the album was completed, what did you learn about yourself in the process that you didn’t know going into it?

The main thing that I learned through this process is that I can actually do it. I began this project as just a side thing; thinking I’d release it for free on Bandcamp to probably just my friends. But, as the recording process kept rolling, it started sounding like something more serious. So, I had to cast off any doubts that I had and just push through, and I’m glad that I did.

Is there a story behind why you named it Myth?

Yes, at the time of writing some of the songs for Myth, I was reading “The Hero With A Thousand Faces” by Joseph Campbell. The book deconstructs all of commonalities in human mythology and emerges with a guideline of how to live your life by taking meaningful chances and “following your bliss.” It resonated personally with me because by doing this record I was really stepping out into uncharted territory with myself and taking a gamble. The book seemed to reassure me into believing that I was doing the right thing.

I love the acoustic video for “Stranger in the Night” and it gives the song such a different feel. What made you decide to use that instead of a rock version like on the album?

The idea for the acoustic videos came from Erin Anderson of Olivia Management here in Nashville. The album is basically all up-tempo rock, so she suggested that I change things up a bit with some acoustic videos to show a different side of the music & I’m very glad that she did! There are a few more of them coming out in the next few weeks. The latest is a cover of “My Wrecking Ball” by Ryan Adams. They were filmed at Battle Tapes Recording in Nashville by S.T Davis.

I can definitely sense the Tom Petty influence on you throughout the album. What was your first exposure to Petty and what is it about him that appeals to you and influences you?

Some of my first memories of listening to music are listening to Tom Petty at my family’s house or in their car. So I guess I can say that I’m actually a lifelong fan. In my opinion, his songs are just masterfully constructed. Everything fits so perfectly together, everything has a purpose, and it’s undeniably catchy.

Your album doesn’t come out until October 21, so how are your nerves holding up? Is it even possible to explain how you’re feeling going into this release?

I’m a lot of things a lot of the time! Overall, I’m just blown away by all of the support that I’ve gotten through the inception of this project to right now. It’s just mind boggling to think about all of the people that invested their time into helping me do this, and it’s something I’m extremely grateful for. I do have moments of nerves in which I feel like I have to get everything perfectly lined up, but I eventually force myself to take a step back and just enjoy the process. It’s hands down one of the most exciting thing that I’ve ever been a part of.

Is there anything else that you’d like to add before our interview comes to a close? Any upcoming plans, such as live dates or music videos, to promote the album?

Yes! The music video for “The Void” came out recently & I’m really psyched at how it turned out. Again, directed by S.T Davis.

Here are my current live dates & I’m booking more as we speak: - IM Music Magazine

Singer, songwriter and guitarist J. Marco is making waves in the Nashville rock scene. After teasing several singles before the release of his debut album Myth, the album is finally here, so head out to The East Room to celebrate the big day with him. Benjamin A. Harper will also be there sharing tunes from his solo effort Get Thee Behind Me, a wonderful experiment in ’60s-inspired indie pop. [MG] - No Country For New Nashville