By Vanessa B
We caught up with Marcus Valance on the release of his moving new single ‘Yesterday‘ for some QuickFire Questions.
Opening up about the background of the track Marcus shared: “The decision to release this song was difficult one as it is so personal. In the end, talking about death as part of life, I thought was important not only from a personal point of view but to help others open up about their own grief. I hope you can see the positive effects that this song could bring to people and pray you can help by sharing it with those who may need to hear it. Thank you.”
The British Singer/Songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer lives currently in The Netherlands. He began playing the piano when he was 5 and has made music since, while his job as a photographer and filmmaker takes him to poverty-stricken and refugee areas of the world, where “working with such incredibly humble people influence his music greatly and gives a unique perspective of the world outside of our everyday comfort zones”.
Check out ‘Yesterday‘ and our interview with Marcus below.
Tell us everything we need to know about ‘Yesterday’.
The song itself came easy to me – I knew what I wanted to say – I wrote and recorded it in a few hours initially playing the Guitalele which sounded great considering it’s an old travel companion.
The decision to actually release the song was a difficult one as it is so personal and still so fresh in my mind. But a friend with a good ear complimented the song and after much thought and deliberation I decided I would release it. I thought that talking about death, as part of life, was important not only from a personal point of view but to help others open up about their own grief.
Losing someone so close hit me a lot harder than I ever imagined it would but writing about it and expressing those inner most confusions and anxieties has helped the process.
So it’s a very honest song – musically and lyrically. I hope you agree.
Where are you based, and how does the place you inhabit influence your music?
I’m based in The Netherlands just outside the city of Utrecht. The peacefulness of the countryside is really inspiring especially after living in London for so long before moving here. I also spend a lot of time in East Africa and there are certainly a lot of incredibly inspiring people, places and influences there!
If you had to describe your sound in three words what would they be?
Honest, raw & imperfect
Who in the world, living or dead, would you most like to collaborate with?
The obvious one is David Bowie but I’d settle for Prince if David was playing for the angels!
What is your most valued material possession?
My camera, hands down. It’s taken me all over the world and introduced me to some incredible people and some unbelievably stunning places.
What has your musical journey been like so far and where do you see it going in the future?
My musical journey has been interesting. I spent years trying hard to make a career of it and ended up hating it. And since I stopped trying so hard I’ve found I write better, enjoy it more, play more and do much more with it. I guess there’s a lesson in there somewhere!
