This time, we get to know Richard Marc. His track "Close To You" is featured in the New Artist Spotlight Family of Playlists.
Link To New Artist Spotlight Playlists:
𝟭. Where are you from and what is your hobby?
I grew up all over the place, but 'home' is Yorkshire, in the north of England. That's where my family are all from and my parents grew up there; I did too, from the age of about 10. Some of my hobbies are photography - I shoot a lot of my artwork and promo shots with the help of my girlfriend, and also do shoots for other people. I love football (Halifax Town is my team), and cricket. And I love woodwork too. I've always loved making things, even though sometimes I can be a bit over-ambitious. I think the favourite thing I've made so far is a coffee table that has an old guitar set in the centre of it.
𝟮. How did your get into music?
Music has been around me my whole life - my whole family is musical so I just grew up with it and learned how to play from a young age. I remember being about 8, we were having a party and some friends and I found my mum's old guitar and some percussion in the cupboard and we wrote our first song. None of us could play the instruments very well and it definitely sounded awful, but we went out in the garden and played the song for all the parents, who clapped and told us how great we were. I don't really remember a time when I didn't want to be a musician.
𝟯. Who are your biggest influences?
My influences have changed so much over the years - as a teenager I was really into rock and metal and things like that. I was in various punk and rock bands, I'd would listen to bands like Led Zeppelin, Queen, Guns N Roses, The Darkness, or Metallica. I also loved folk, so artists like Simon & Garfunkel, Jack Johnson, Passenger are all in there too. Now my main influences are much more mainstream pop oriented - Max Martin, Taylor Swift, Lauv, Katy Perry... People like that.
4. What are your goals in the music industry?
I just want to make music, and ideally not have to do another job alongside it. That's it really. My main thing is producing other people's songs rather than being an artist in my own right, but I'm happy doing either. I'd love to win a Grammy, or have a bunch of number 1 hits, but that's not my main objective, and I wouldn't consider my career a failure if I never get there.
5. If you could choose a location to perform at, what would it be?
I'm not really so much of a performer, at least not on my own project. I play guitar for other people as part of their band, but I don't perform live as an artist. I've seen a few shows at the Royal Albert Hall in London, and it's a decent size venue but still really intimate, and it has so much history too. That would be a great place to perform.
6. What is your all-time favorite song?
Mr Brightside. It's such a classic tune! And it spent something like 15 years in the charts without ever dropping out.
7. Most embarrassing moment?
One time as a teenager I was playing in a local Battle of the Bands, I was doing the energetic rockstar thing of running around stage and I went too far and pulled my lead out. You'd think I'd learn my lesson, but no, I did the same thing twice more in the same set. On the final one it actually pulled the amp over and snapped off the end of my jack lead.
8. Proudest accomplishment?
I think probably a 2-way tie. One is finishing my university degree - it was in songwriting, and that was a lot of work, but so fun. The other time was the first time I heard one of my own songs on a real radio station. It was on the local BBC show, on their introducing section for new artists, but there's still nothing like hearing your own tunes coming from the radio.
9. What is something about you that might surprise someone who knows you the best?
I've already mentioned this, but a lot of people are surprised at how into rock music I was as a teenager, given how pop-focused all my music is these days. People who have only known me as an adult are always surprised when they find out.
𝟭𝟬. What is your dream collaboration?
As a songwriter and producer I'd love to work with Max Martin - he's been behind so many of the biggest hits in the last 20/30 years. He's just a genius in that respect. As an artist, I'd love to collaborate with Hayley Williams. I've loved Paramore for a long time, and she's always been a dream collaboration for me.
Stream "Close To You" now
and follow his socials
Instagram: www.instagram.com/richardmarcmusic
Twitter: www.twitter.com/richiedrinkstea
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So many great artists have performed at the Royal Alberts Hall, I can see why that would be your choice performance location.