Jammerzine has an exclusive interview with Luke Marzec as the first part of his two-part debut album, ‘Something Out of Nothing (Side A)’, is released today.
Luke is an artist who has the knowledge and skill sets to make great and varied music while keeping that spark of that rare form of imagination and drive to make music his way and on his terms. His amazingly unique voice feels like a ringleader for the music that is that glorious and memorable circus. Let this be a lesson to all musicians and songwriters that it’s much more adventurous and less conforming to live outside of the box.
With the first side of his new album, ‘Something Out of Nothing (Side A)’ dropping today, Luke shows the artistry of someone well beyond his years and a weathered vocal style that feels like it’s lived the lyrics and means every word.
With this interview, we delve into the background of what became ‘Something Out of Nothing (Side A)’ as well as a deep dive into the background of the musician and the person behind the music.
Check out our other features with Luke Marzec HERE.
About Luke Marzec
Luke Marzec’s life has always been about music. He picked up the violin at age 7, the sax at 10, and the piano soon after. At just 11, his natural talent earned him a place at the prestigious Royal College of Music (RCM) Junior Department. Most of Luke’s childhood was spent either in the practice room or on stage. By the time he graduated high school, he had led countless classical and jazz bands, ensembles, and orchestras – professionally, at school, RCM, and the national level.
However, the relentless demands left him tired and searching for more creativity; and less structure. He smoked weed, read Marx, went raving, fell in love, and enrolled in a Philosophy degree.
He formed his first band at York University and spent most of his early 20s playing sax in various jazz, psychedelic, indie, and brass bands in the north. He gained a scholarship to Trinity Conservatoire’s Master’s course in 2016, but after a full term of shredding, decided to focus on his career as a solo artist. In 2018, he released his EP Chances which received critical acclaim for publications such as DIY and The Line Of Best Fit.
Over the next couple of years, Luke released two more EPs and gained writing and production experience doing the rounds co-writing with artists in the UK such as Maverick Sabre, VC Pines, Benjamin Francis Leftwich, and Jazzanova. He featured on Johannes Brecht’s “Voicing Something” which was remixed by Adriatique. His Spotify page now has more than 15 million listens.
Today, Luke is one-third of London’s experimental modular synth-jazz group Lazy H and the Loose Cables, in which he plays the tenor sax and synthesizer. The trio have gigged with London’s Kinkajous, Mark Cake, Alabaster DePlume, Plumm, and FlamingGods, and they released their first album Rotary Perception with Nottingham-based label Running Circles earlier this year. The avant-garde jazz album takes listeners through psychedelic and tender soundscapes, perfect for sci-fi film scores. He also hosts Headroom – one of the city’s most exciting jam sessions which showcases some of the capital’s best jazz and electronic instrumentalists and producers.
COVID-19 instigated a new period for the artist when he moved into a 44-foot narrowboat. Living life as a water traveler, Luke spent a lot of time in the countryside in relative solitude, before moving to Devon and setting up a new studio. After months in lockdown, this frenetic new period led to a prolific stream of writing and recording.
Despite Marzec’s writing and collaborating prowess, he is most at ease on stage where everything is simplest, where decision-making is easiest, and where he feels most alive. After the first note is played, the rest is as if he was watching himself perform; as if his spirit floats to another realm to observe his body. During his performances, the rugged growl of his voice in brilliant contrast to the soft notes he plays on the keys allows him to connect with his audience in moments of sheer bliss and unity.
This is Luke Marzec. And he invites you along for the journey.
Featured image by Natalia Bjerke.
LINKS:
https://www.instagram.com/lukemarzecsworld/
https://lukemarzec.bandcamp.com/
https://www.youtube.com/@lukemarzecvevo1826
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5X0GAEimapMzpG5Q7Sibmh
