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MAY 2021 ARTISTE OF THE MONTH – MARC BANGS

Over the last month we have had the pleasure of working with Marc Bangs on his debut single ‘Cavern Girl’. Pat and Simon are both very excited to get back into the studio with Marc later on in the year, as they slowly work towards his debut album! We had a chat with the mod lover about his journey as an artist and his time working at Artisan Music…

What inspired you to pursue music?

Well firstly, what inspired me to get into playing an instrument was Pink Floyd’s guitarist David Gilmour. I’ve been dabbling in guitar for about 10 years now, but hearing Gilmour play made me want to step out of my comfort zone and experiment. I am pretty left handed when it comes to playing guitar, and hence struggle to play guitar and sing. I doubt you will ever see me with a guitar in my hand performing live and singing at the same time I’m afraid – but we don’t know what the future holds! Secondly, Oasis inspired me to take that final leap into becoming an Artist. I really discovered Oasis in 2017 (& when I mean discovered I mean finding songs that weren’t Wonderwall and Don’t Look Back In Anger etc). I remember hearing Liam’s voice and thinking “I want to do that!”. His attitude and confidence, as well as Noel’s amazing songwriting ability, to me, it the perfect combination. From then on I worked hard on my songwriting and here we are today. I’m about to release my debut single “Cavern Girl” and I have been told by many they can hear the Oasis influence in my music.Finally, local musician Brendan Gaspari, who is playing many instruments on this single, is a big inspiration to me. He’s been with me right from the beginning.  I can safely say that without his encouragement, I wouldn’t be releasing anything. When I first started sending him ideas, he heard potential and made the time to work with me and teach me how to perfect my songwriting. The knowledge he has given me is priceless. We both share the same love for music, and artists such as Oasis, The Beatles, The Stone Roses & DMA’s just to name a few, which is great. Honestly Brendan is incredibly talented and I am proud to call him a close friend.

Describe your sound.

I am definitely influenced by the British music scene, specifically the Mod (Modernist) sound and culture. I’d like to think my music and songwriting would be inspired by the likes of Oasis, The Beatles, The Jam, The Stone Roses, The Smiths, Sam Fender, The Who, Amy Winehouse & DMA’s to name a few. But at the end of the day, m music is Rock ‘n’ Roll. People get confused these days thinking that Rock ‘n’ Roll must involve screaming, guitar solos and absolute chaos, but that’s not the case. In my opinion Rock ‘n’ Roll is being yourself with a-bit of a kick to it. All my songs have to be positive in some way or another wether that’s “life sucks but it will get better” or plainly “life’s great”.  Once this album is recorded and released you will understand where I’m coming from.

Describe you’re creative process. How has it evolved over time? Has Covid-19 impacted this process?

Honestly, COVID was the main driver in my songwriting. My Grandmother over in England had been suffering from Alzheimer’s for quite a while. The plan was not to say goodbye, as we were planning visits. Sadly, she took a turn for the worse and we had that “middle of the night telephone call” saying “hey, she’s taken a turn for the worse be prepared for the inevitable”. Myself, Mum and Dad found it difficult to deal with not being able to be there to say goodbye, or not being able to attend the funeral. So the day we got the warning, I picked my guitar up and wrote my first ever song “One More Night?”, which Brendan helped to record and mix at his home studio. The song was played at her funeral. This was my proudest moment as a musician. I struggle to play or listen to One More Night? because of the emotions it brings up, however I can’t wait to take it into the studio.From then on it all clicked and I finally started writing songs daily. My songwriting process seems very alien to a-lot of musicians. I tend to write lyrics first without the tune in my head. I could be on a train, walking around the streets or sat at home bored out of my mind. Once I have a tune on the guitar, I will sit there and sing the hundreds of lyrics I have drafted and see what best fits the mood of the chord progression I am playing. Once I figure out what the essence of the song is about, I will then write the rest of the lyrics.Cavern Girl was the third song I had ever written. I wrote it in the early hours of the morning and I finished it around 3am. The song is about a girl I met at the Cavern Club in Liverpool who had just come from a job interview and was celebrating her new job. We got talking and after a while she showed me all her favourite places around the city.  I was going through a rough time back then and I opened up to her about it. She just assured me everything will be alright. I came back to Australia with a different mindset, thanks to that night and decided to turn it into a song. We are still good friends to this day.

What are your musical influences?

I grew up as a child listening to David Bowie, Roxy Music and hundreds of other rock groups, courtesy of my parents. I have a great liking for music from the 60s, 70s and the Mod era.  More recently Brit Pop, Oasis, Soul and R&B artists and also the best band (in my opinion) from Australia the DMA’s. Tommy’s vocals for me are untouchable. Lyrics are the most important part of the song for me and can genuinely be a deal breaker. 

How did you find Artisan Music?

I contacted many studios around Perth, however the prices were outside of my budget. I started my search again and found Artisan Music. I spoke to Patrick and told him about my plans and he asked me to come and have a look around in person the following day. So I went down to scout the studio and Patrick introduced me to Simon. I played them the demo for Cavern Girl and they were full of ideas for the song. The passion I saw in both of them sold me. I was looking for someone that matched my enthusiasm and that I would enjoy working with and who I could learn from.The final product is proof of what great guys they are and shows their incredible talents.

How was your time working in the studio?

Absolutely MEGA. It’s magic watching a little song you wrote a year ago come to life with 5 different perspectives. Finally hearing my song with a real drum kit and everything recorded perfectly was incredible and beyond any expectations I had walking through the door. As it was my first time ever in a professional studio, nerves naturally hit, but after half an hour you’re in the zone. Working with Patrick, Simon, Brendan, Bronton and Phil was incredible and will forever be a moment that I treasure. I can’t wait to carry on writing and performing.

Cavern Girl is out on June 4th.