Meet Brisbane musician Marco, who makes dreamy indie-pop with Only Want You

One thing we find ourselves constantly speaking about is the rise of local pop talent, which seems to emerge on a near-weekly basis. No matter whether we're talking about pop at its purest and more recognisable or its relationship with indie, R&B, dance and so on, it's clear that the past few years have been transformative for Australia's next generation, and a musician that's beginning to feel the effects of this is Brisbane-based musician Marco.

Initially, the musician emerged as a teenage indie-pop up-and-comer, with a pair of singles dating back to 2018 - his debut, When I Was A Ghost and its follow up, Running, has millions of streams between them - that introduced him as a fresh face worth keeping an eye on. However, the time since has been relatively quiet if you're judging Marco from his release output, instead spending 2019 to ink a new record deal and refine his craft with keen collaborators in songwriting and production; musicians that would take Marco's music to the next level.

Arriving earlier this year, Harder to Breathe was the first taste of Marco's sleek new reinvention; a graceful slice of indie-pop that shines with the sheen of some of the sound's most notorious names, albeit cut with a rich R&B backbone that comes from his adoration of musicians like Frank Ocean, someone you can really feel amongst Harder To Breathe's crooning vocal. Now, with the release of his new single Only Want You, it's clear that this wasn't a one-trick affair, and that Marco is genuinely someone you may see amongst the future of Australian music.

Released last week, Only Want You is a nod to the translucent tones of his past work and how it's been brought forward into his future; Marco's vocal - which is at its peak (so far) on Only Want You - slowly moving above a stripped-back production that really emphasises the aching emotion behind it, something that really shines through his influence in musicians like Frank Ocean. While he's remaining tight-lipped on the song's exact meaning, it's clear there's some sense of romantic longing that defines Only Want You, and it really gives Marco an edge in songwriting that separates him from the rest.

"I wrote Only Want You while I was in LA last year for some studio sessions," he says on the track, which was written on a writing trip in the US that really helped Marco carve his own lane within the Australian pop sphere. "Both Only Want You and Harder To Breathe were made in the very first days of sessions. The vibe was amazing and we just let the ideas flow. I’m glad to finally get this one out to the world, it means a lot to me."

Dive into the track below, and introduce yourself to Marco as he steps forward as an exciting force to watch in the year ahead:

Tell us about yourself?

I've been making music since I was 14 and have always really enjoyed the process of seeing a song in the beginning and how it can transform into the final product. When I moved to a music school in Fortitude Valley here in Brisbane I met my lifelong friend, Tom Eggert who at the time, when I was in grade 11 and 12, was actually my teacher in class. We started writing together heaps and found that we had really good chemistry when it came to writing music. We wrote my first 2 tracks together whilst I was in grade 12 called, When I Was A Ghost and Running. I then began releasing music and the rest is history really!!

What’s the vibe music-wise?

When I'm writing I like to take influence from artists such as Frank Ocean, Jon Bellion and Jeremy Zucker. I feel as though when people listen to my music I want them to walk away with their own understanding of what the song is about or even just to take them out of one headspace and put them into another. I feel like it’s the same sort of thing when it comes to my visuals. I really like using my car in all of my visuals because for me it gives me a sense of relaxation when I'm driving around. Plus I just fucking love my damn car more than anything, haha!

What are your production/writing processes?

It depends on the song really. If we're talking about who I write my music with, sometimes I'll write on my own, or sometimes I write with some of the producers/writers in my team like Tom or David Keiffer. It really depends on where I am and who I’m with. But if we're talking about how I actually write my music, I always start with a simple chord progression, lay some melodies over the top that I like and then write to those melodies. Once that's all said and done I like to dig into the production a little more and figure out what's working with the vibe of the track and what's not, but it all starts with the vibeee.

What’s Only Want You about?

I don’t really like to say what I write my songs about, to be honest... so I leave that one up to the listener. I will say though is that I’m so fucking pumped for it to be out in the worldddd!!

What does 2020 have in store for you?

I’m very excited to get back into live shows and get back to LA to write and hang with the team over there once this virus has passed!! I’m also very excited to keep releasing more and more music as the months roll by!

What do u want people to take away from the project?

When it comes to my music, I just want people to enjoy it and take away whatever they want from it. I never like to give out what a song means to me personally because I've always wondered what people think about the music themselves and how they depicted each song. I feel as though when you see me online I like to make things as untouched as possible. I'm always being a dickhead and running around having a laugh pretty much all of the time, so I'd like to think people can relate to that a little and have a laugh with me.

Follow Marco: FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM