Tempo Talks: A Conversation with Marcia

THE RELEASE

Marcia appears as a compelling performer, acclaimed for her rich vocals and obvious skill, hailing from Scotland and currently prospering in the vibrant musical metropolis of London. Marcia masterfully intertwines threads of soul, R&B, and pop, generating a distinct and inventive musical palette, drawing inspiration from luminaries like as Amy Winehouse, Kehlani, and Alicia Keys. She demonstrates her talent on the piano, infusing her creative undertakings with an intimate spirit, in addition to her lively solo vocal performances. Marcia's trip from the quiet Scottish highlands to the busy streets of London illustrates her persistent dedication to her creative path.

Marcia's debut single, "Insecurity," is more than simply a song; it's a naked and unedited representation of her deepest sentiments. Marcia tells the narrative of a toxic relationship with honesty and transparency, focusing attention on the personal problems of continually attempting to measure up to someone else's inadequacies. The song was inspired by a nightmare scenario in which a simple mistake turned into a heartbreaking revelation about the fragility of a partner's confidence. The song, written in partnership with producer Alex Dopierala, demonstrates Marcia's ability to combine expressive language with soul-stirring melodies. "Insecurity" resonates as a source of empowerment, pushing listeners in similar situations to find their voice and express the value of their feelings.

THE INTERVIEW

If you had to create a Mount Rushmore of inspiration, what four individuals molded the artist you are today?

Amy Winehouse is my favourite artist of all time, it's truly tragic that we lost her at such a young age. I often wonder which direction her artistry and talent would have taken her if she was still with us. The way she told stories through her lyrics was incredible - she was so relatable on such a deep level. She never sang a song the same way twice, she was so unique and had such a strong feel for rhythm. I can literally listen to her alone for HOURS on repeat. I think she's influenced me to just say things how they are in my music, I tend to write my lyrics very candidly and without too much sugar-coating.

Kiana Ledé has such an angelic voice and her melodies are so beautiful. I think the passion she has for her craft and technique is inspirational. I was supposed to go and see her in concert with my friend one time but she couldn't come with me last minute. Despite the anxiety I felt about going to this concert alone, I really loved Kiana Ledé and forced myself to go - I met two lovely girls in the queue who offered me one of their drinks and said I could watch the concert with them - not much can bring people together like fans who share a love for the same music. Her album "KIKI" got me through the first lockdown where I found myself alone for 3 months in London as my flatmates had gone home and my work was closed. I can only hope that people will relate to my songs in the same way I feel I can relate to Kiana's.

My piano teacher, Mrs Edith Cook, is definitely one of my biggest inspirations to this day. She always believed in me musically from day one - I went to her for piano lessons for over 10 years from the age of 7. She instilled the importance of practicing into me (but I do wish I'd taken that advice on board when I was much younger, it would have made our lessons a lot smoother). She would say "always make a nice sound at the piano" and that's really stuck with me over the years, I think about it whenever I'm writing melodies. She has such a love for music and the best musical ear, I always found this admirable. Our weekly lessons were a huge staple in my life which was especially important for me when things got rocky at home, it sometimes felt more like a 30 minute therapy session to go there and solely have to focus on playing music and making things sound beautiful and dynamic and putting emotion into every piece. I feel incredibly privileged to have been able to spend so much time being mentored by such an amazing and breathtakingly talented woman.

Kali Claire really inspires me, I love her extra catchy songs and her voice, but I really really love her passion and drive. She makes the most beautiful visuals, I especially love her live acoustic performance videos. I just know this girl is going to absolutely blow up and I love being here early to watch her journey. I saw her perform live one time and she was incredible - so engaging and so relatable. I don't think a day goes by where I don't listen to at least 3 of her songs.

What song or moment in time sparked your passion for music?

I don't think there's one big specific moment that sparked my overall passion for music, it's something I always just had. Small moments helped my love for music grow overtime. When I started attending piano lessons I began to really appreciate the way you can express emotions through music. Although I found it extremely nerve-wracking, I loved competitions, performances and working my way through piano grades.

I only realised I could sing while doing karaoke one night in the living room with my family when I was 16, soon after, I began singing lessons through my school and realised how much I enjoyed it. I've always loved sharing music with others - making people feel something. I chose to do a degree in performance to challenge myself as I was always very shy and nervous about singing to an audience.

I studied at The Academy of Contemporary Music and in our final exit project we had to write an EP. This really sparked my passion for writing songs as I'd never written a whole song from start to finish before. There's something so satisfying and almost therapeutic about turning a story/feeling into a song. I guess I always had a secret dream when I was a child of being a singer on stage like the singers I would watch on Top of the Pops or The X Factor, but I didn't think I'd ever be singing myself or writing my own songs!

How does your creative process work from the moment you develop the idea to the completion of the record?

Well like a lot of artists, I put all the little ideas and phrases that pop into my head straight into the notes on my phone. It's just like a never ending list of ideas I can dip into whenever I feel like creating.
When I'm writing lyrics I usually pick a hook or a topic or an event and write it in the middle of the page and create a really messy mind map of ideas and things releated to the subject and stories around it. I always draw inspiration from things that have happened in my life. There's usually some fucked up story behind each of my songs.

Sometimes I just come up with a melody in my head and it doesn't go away for weeks until I actually put it into a song. I think every song you write in a slightly different way from the last. I'm releasing another song this year that I think is my most honest one so far - I went into the studio after something crazy happened and was like "today we need to make a fuck you track" and that's what we did.

I normally write a song and go back to it a few times over a few weeks, it's all about trial and error. I think it's good to take a step back from the project a bit so you can come back to it fresh another time and see more clearly what works and what could be even better, whether that's lyrics, melody or structure.

Once it's ready to record I go to the studio and we give even more life to the song. Usually it takes a day or two in the studio and then the song is ready for the world to hear.

As for this release, who is the producer and what about the production moved you?

Alex Dopierala produced 'Insecurity'. He always gives everything his 100%. He's very passionate about his work and he won't stop until it sounds exactly as we envision it. His attention to detail is admirable - this always comes across in the finished song. Dop always has a good understanding when I'm explaining the song and showing him initially, and in the end we always create something better than I first imagined. He was super excited when I first sang 'Insecurity' for him and we both had a good laugh when we were trying to record me singing the word "dick".

When it comes to the songwriting on this record, what is the message you want to get across to your listeners?

'Insecurity' is about being in a toxic relationship in which sometimes it can feel like no matter what you do nothing will ever be good enough. I want listeners who might be in a similar situation to realise that they're not always in the wrong and sometimes it's the partner who actually has insecurities that they're trying to put on you to bring you down - and that can give them a weird sense of having power over you. It's about letting go of trying to be perfect for someone else and realising that you're good enough on your own and your self worth doesn't come from someone else.

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