Old flames, past mistakes and The King -we chat to songwriter Leon Marshall
TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR SINGLE?
So my new single is called “Going Nowhere” it’s an upbeat feel good song.
WHAT INSPIRED THE SINGLE?
I wrote it after an old flame came back into my life and wanted to get back together, but I’d learned from past mistakes (for once!)
WHAT RECORD CHANGED YOUR LIFE AND WHY?
“Pinch me” from the Barenaked Ladies album “Maroon”. I was about 16 the first time I heard it, I’d had a heavy night with my friends and it came on full blast on my radio alarm clock in the morning and woke me up, in more than one way. The lyric “I could leave but I’ll just stay, all my stuff’s here anyway” and I loved that line, it made me think about how I’d been drifting a little and making excuses. It gave me a bit of a kick to start playing again.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE MUSIC VIDEO FILMED BY YOUR BAND OR ANOTHER ARTIST?
“Baby, what you want me to do” from Elvis Presley’s ‘68 Comeback Special. We had it on VHS when I was a kid and when he starts playing the camera is right in on his fretboard and I learned to play the song from watching it over and over.
WHAT WOULD WE FIND YOU DOING WHEN YOU'RE NOT MAKING MUSIC?
I like to be outdoors, walking either in the middle of nowhere when I can be alone with my thoughts or somewhere where I can people watch.
DO YOU GET NERVOUS PERFORMING LIVE, IF SO HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THAT?
I don’t really...I get nervous when I’m about 5 minutes away from arriving at the venue, I have a bit of a “fear bubble” that I have to jump through when opening the car door to go inside the venue, but I just take the leap and as soon as I’m on the other side I’m good.
HOW DID YOU FORM THE BAND?
It’s just me and I wanted to perform from a young age, I started gigging a bit when I was younger but stopped when I started studying Art & Sculpture, I then picked it up again and have been writing and gigging regularly since.
HOW DO YOU WRITE?
More often than not I come up with a lyric while I’m out and about and then work on it later.
I found recently that I had a book full of choruses with no verses because I’d started them and not finished them so I’ve now adopted the rule that if I come up with even one line I have to write the whole song, I have to finish it, even if it’s rubbish when I’m done! I am always going back and fine tune it, but I always finish them now.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
Experience and people. I’m a people watcher, I’ll often create a back story for strangers sometimes a lyric or song sparks from that.
WHAT IS NEXT?
I’m in the studio this week recording some new tracks, so that’s really exciting, I can’t wait to share them.
PLEASE TELL US ANY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS SO WE CAN SHARE.
My website is www.leonmarshall.co.uk and you can find me on Facebook and Instagram on @leonmarshallmusic
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