Fri 1/13 @ 9PM
One listen to Marcus Alan Ward’s new art pop single “BodyFeelGood” and you get the sense the self-taught multi-instrumentalist won’t be long for his native Cleveland.
The crafty tune begins as a gentle breeze before taking you on a genre-bending journey: There’s an R&B sensibility, a subtle but infectious rock guitar, electronic noises and soulful vocals all wrapped up neatly as modern pop.
As for Ward, the new single marks a departure from his previously released EPs and 2014 full-length debut, Last Night I Grew Tentacles, which over the last year or so has attracted national attention. While dates in Canada and SXSW loom, the talented musician, who is influenced by everyone from Jimi Hendrix and Prince to TV on the Radio and The Mars Volta, has booked a show celebrating the release of “BodyFeelGood” for Fri 1/13 at the Grog Shop. Thaddeus Anna Greene and Samfox open.
CoolCleveland talked to Ward about “BodyFeelGood,” his business model to release singles over albums and his future in Northeast Ohio.
Congratulations regarding the new single. Stylistically, what were you going for?
My old stuff was a bit more electronic and ethereal. This is more visceral, more rooted in roots music. It’s earthier, very funky and more upbeat. The vocals really come through, just like “A Little Sunshine,” which was the first single. The video is on YouTube. This follows the style of that, funky and upbeat. You can feel it in your bones.
Can you elaborate on how the new singles material differs from your earlier EP and album?
Those were very production-based. That was the big difference. I’d work on the tracks on the computer and get the sounds together. It was based on atmosphere and ambiance. The big difference with these songs is the lyrics and the melodies came first, and then you put the production underneath that. I think great songs throughout history, you can take any production away and just sing the lyrics, the melody and it’ll still be a great song. I want these songs to be good whether or not there was crazy production behind them or not. Also, before there was no guitar presence at all. Then I started to work the guitar in on Last Night I Grew Tentacles for solos. Now these new songs are more guitar-based.
Are you releasing singles with the idea of eventually putting out a new full-length?
Actually, I’ve recently switched over to a singles-release strategy. So I do singles and B-sides at the moment. It’s a product of our environment with attention spans. Also, I’m an independent artist, and I’ve found I can work a single over six months as opposed to dropping 12 songs at a time. I spread them out over the course of a year so you have more content released at different times. It’s working good so far.
As an art pop artist, what kind of hurdles do you face?
The only hurdle I have is me being an African-American male. I tell people I make music, and immediately they assume I’m a rapper or something like that. So just being recognized as a black musician because the perception of black music now is all rap.
What do you have planned for your Grog Shop show?
We’re going to have projections and stuff. This is my first time collaborating with a visual artist. We have 3D projections we’ll be doing for the first time at the show. It completes the art element of it. I want to make it an all-encompassing experience.
Is Cleveland a good place to call home?
Not really, no, because we don’t have the infrastructure and resources. We don’t have booking agents or labels or publishing or managers in Cleveland. It’s a good base, cheap to live and people are fairly supportive, but you have to travel if you want to make it as an artist.
Hmm, sounds like you plan on changing your address sooner or later.
Yeah, real soon.