- Culture
- 15 Apr 21
The young was introduced to his now manager, who has worked with the likes of The Boomtown Rats and Sineád O'Connor, through a family friend. Photo: Scott Dagg
Fresh from his staggering debut single 'Obey', Dublin-born singer-songwriter Marcus has returned with 'Redemption'. An indie folk tune that, on closer inspection, reveals Marcus' hip-hop sensibilities, the track has beautifully layered vocals and an instantly catchy melody.
“I wrote Redemption in April last year, " says Marcus. "We were in the middle of the first lockdown and I recorded the track (for the most part) remotely with Alex Borwick, bouncing files between us. The vocals in the first verse were recorded on a budget mic in my room, using the wardrobe as a vocal booth.
"A few weeks beforehand I had been to visit my Mum in Istanbul with my brother. It was a really nice trip and we managed to do it just before Covid really forced the world to a stand still. I had originally written a song called Istanbul, but after a couple of rewrites it became Redemption- a song about family, friends and the places we come from.”
Starting out in Dublin’s fledgling open mic circuit during college – including regular stints at the city’s legendary venue Whelan’s – Marcus began to embark on an almost guerilla-like approach to promoting his own music. Keeping much of his interest in the scene away from his friends, it wasn’t until he began to post videos of himself singing on Facebook that everyone suddenly saw the talent they were dealing with.
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“I was in my first year of college at the time, but I was failing exams and not enjoying myself," he explains. "I began playing the guitar again and decided that, somehow, I was going to make a career in music. I dropped out of college, to the bemusement of family and friends, and began writing music every day.”
Listen to the song below.