Marsha stopped by for a chat!
Colby: Hello, Marsha! It is wonderful to have you back with new single “No Mystery”. Can you please tell our readers what to expect before they hear it?
Marsha: Thank you so much! I really appreciate all the support you have given to the previous singles too.
“No Mystery” isn’t like any other track on the album. It is quite idiosyncratic in nature due to the narrative. It follows colourful character, Mystery, on his varying encounters as a Pickup Artist. Readers can expect an air of mystery, intrigue and suspense from the outset. The music then unfolds in synergy with the story. It has a tango feel which is created by intricate guitar parts. They operate like a dance, framing the central character as he moves and weaves, emanating an allure with each step. The emergence of a dramatic trumpet solo adds to the overall cinematic quality. All of this combined made it the perfect choice of song for my first music video collaboration with Award-winning, Iranian animator and music video director, Sam Chegini.
Colby: What inspired this new track?
Marsha: This song was inspired by the non-fiction book, “The Game” written by investigative reporter Neil Strauss. The book was a chronicle of his journey and encounters in a Secret Society of Pickup Artists, most notably with the PUA and mentor known as Mystery. It was Neil’s surprising realisation about his feelings of emptiness at the height of his “pick up” success, that made me reach for the piano! To me, it was a very human story about unmet needs and how the chase for validation in the short-term can end up amplifying emotional voids in the long-term.
Colby: What did you enjoy most about recording “No Mystery”?
Marsha: I loved the process and camaraderie of working with producer Henry Thomas. It is always exciting building the track up from its earliest foundations of piano and voice. Henry knows how to get the best out of everyone that he works with and that really shines through. Guitarist Tony Qunta created a tremolo effect using his guitar pick which was integral to the flamenco-esque vibe. He also played chord extensions that were close in voicing (or complimentary to) the piano chords. The addition of his Nylon (Classical) guitar provided subtle undertones of the Spanish tradition. When Drummer and Percussionist Martyn Barker added the castanets it was the icing on the cake! The drama of the piece as it gradually evolved gave us all license to really have fun with it!
Colby: Did you expect to still be receiving so much widespread acclaim for your new album, “Near Life Experience”?
Marsha: I really didn’t! I hadn’t released an album since 2007 so I really couldn’t predict what the response would be if any! It has meant a great deal to me.
Colby: What is next for Marsha Swanson?
Marsha: I am currently in production as we speak! Following my first collaboration with music video director, Sam Chegini, you can be sure that there will be more where that came from in the pipeline! You can also expect a brand new recording in the not too distant future, which I can’t say too much about at present. What I can say, is that it is related to “Near Life Experience” yet also not part of it! I also plan to do more live performances once all the filming is complete.
Another baby of mine that is currently in production and will be out early next year via Karnac (books for the mind), is a new music resource that I have written for schools called TroubleChutes. It consists of a collection of songs written about challenging subjects such as bulling, death, and parental divorce to help develop emotional literacy in children. It was recorded during the pandemic with producer Henry Thomas and other key musicians from “Near Life Experience”, guitarist Tony Qunta and drummer Martyn Barker. We also had additional contributions from pianist (and author of Bowie’s Piano Man) Clifford Slapper and singer, Alison Wheeler (from The Beautiful South). We all recorded our parts from our separate home studios and then Henry and I had a tremendous job piecing it all together online!
He discovered the gem when he was 12 years old and still has it now, claiming it to be why he fell in love with music. He likes to play disc golf when he's not writing about music. He is a one-of-a-kind individual who is always the first to bust out his air guitar on the dance-floor.
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