J. Marco

By Andrew Leahey of Andrew Leahey & The Homestead Long before moving to Nashville and kicking off his songwriting career, J. Marco listened to records in his Massachusetts bedroom, moving between the fast-moving fuzz of punk-rock and the hard-hitting hooks of pop music. Years later, he combines both of those genres on Myth, his debut release as a solo artist. Inspired by a range of influences — including the Strokes, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and 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 album's propulsive single, "The Void" to the anthemic rock & roll of "Long Way Down" "Stranger in the Night" & "Cast Away" Gluing the entire album together is an emphasis on guitar riffs and undeniable melodies, the same two ingredients that connected most of Marco's childhood influences. "I still listen to a lot of garage rock, but I've always loved a good pop hook," he says. "I wanted to bridge those two things. Myth has some fast tempos and fuzzy guitars, but it still has pop elements, too. I wanted it to be relatable." A former member of the Nashville-based band New City Savages, Marco began singing after the group's former frontman left the lineup, leaving an open spot in front of the microphone. Marco filled the vacancy, but he continued writing his own songs on the side, too, building up a catalog of music whose epic, electric sweep didn't exactly suit his band's sound. With Myth, he steps into his new solo career with confidence, steering each song into a place where guitar fuzz, melodic hooks, high-speed percussion, mythology, and real life all crash together. New Album "Days Of Surrender" Coming September 2017.