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Echo
From Esoterics (Interview)
By:
Jason Thompson
"Field"
MariZen - Field
Ah, Chicago. Wind, deep-dish pizza, Refrigerator Perry. What other obvious
things can you place in Chicago's list? I left out The Bozo Show, so my
apologies. Well, how about some things that aren't obvious? How about starting
with the great band MariZen, even? OK,
let's start there, says I. They have a great new album called Field (read
the review) coming out
soon that you should check out. In the meantime, you can peel your eyes over
this interview conducted with the group ten seconds ago.
JT - MariZen has been around since 2001 and Field
is going to be your fourth release (third if we're
not counting last year's demo). Could you tell us
a little bit about how the band got together and
has your style or sound changed much between each
release?
MZ - The current line-up has been together
since March of 2003. We met each other through
other musicians in the Chicago scene and ads in
the local papers. Canvas, which is the
first album, was released in 2001. Mari Calip was
the only member out of the current line-up that
recorded on that album. With the line-up change,
the music has shifted from singer/songwriter
acoustic based pop-rock to more of a harder-edged
rock.
JT - You're another great group from Chicago.
Just last month we talked to The Like Young who
are also making great sounds from your city. How
would you describe the overall scene there for a
young, indie label group? Is there enough variety
going around to be able to be heard well enough,
or must one have some serious chops to really be
noticed?
MZ - The local scene here is very good. People
are very supportive and are constantly on the
lookout for new music, and constantly attend live
performances. There is a good variety of local
bands that play all kinds of music styles, but we
are one of the only rock bands in Chicago, with a
female lead vocalist. Most of the other lead
vocalists are singer/songwriters in the folk
genre. Having chops is always a plus, but it won't
necessarily guarantee you'll get noticed here.
JT - You've been a finalist in the Hard Rock
Café's battle of the bands twice now. To my ears,
you should have won both times. Who actually beat
you out as the winner? It seems to me someone out
there might be going a little deaf.
MZ - Well, thanks so much for the vote!
Starstruck was the band that won in 2003, and
Simmering was the one who won in 2001. All the
bands that participated in the finals both times
were great, so we figured that whoever won it,
deserved to win. Sometimes, it's a matter of taste
in musical styles that determines the votes.
JT - When I first played Field I got a
sense of various influences here and there, but
overall was just really impressed with the
original sound.
JT - I think that's where too many groups fail
these days is that they're too interested in
borrowing from someone else and not really
concerning themselves enough with what they can
bring to the table. That said, though, who would
you number amongst your influences?
MZ - As individuals we come from pretty diverse
backgrounds, from jazz to metal to pop to classic
rock. Some of the artists that have influenced us
are the Beatles, Heart, Pat Benatar, Joan Jett,
Rush, Dream Theater Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Van
Halen.
JT - How did you guys hook up with DeWayne
Barron to produce the album? I think he really let
you shine through on the disc, not over-producing
anything and just giving the songs a nice pop
shimmer without being flashy.
MZ - We filmed a music video with DeWayne's
former company, Live Unsigned, in 2002. He did a
great job of combining the right amount of raw
energy and professional polish for the band's
sound.
JT - I really love that you're one of these
bands that just tears through these to the point
tracks. I've talked to other bands about excelling
at writing the perfect three-minute pop song. Do
you think it's difficult to do this? I like
nothing better than a three-minute tune that grabs
you the first time you hear it and makes you want
to hear it again and again, and I think Field
delivers that experience with every song.
MZ - We collaborated on the songwriting at such
an easy and fast pace - I think we sometimes
shocked ourselves. If the riffs and the melodies
weren't parts we could remember the next day, then
they would just go to the "recycle bin,"
because they were simply not strong enough songs.
We all have such a diverse background in what we
listen to - it's pretty evident in the
songwriting. Catchy and melodic is always good,
and the song should deliver the main point you're
trying to convey right away, or you'll lose your
audience.
JT - You did a two-week stint in L.A. back in
2002. What made you decide to head out that way?
Were you part of a tour, or just getting some
exposure out there on your own for the hell of it?
Did you enjoy the time spent there?
MZ - In 2002, the band had an opportunity to
film a video with Live Unsigned in Los Angeles.
Since we were going to be there for two weeks, we
booked a few shows during our stay. It was quite a
bit of experience since it was our first
independent tour, with support coming from just CD
sales and local advertisements. Playing music live
is always fun, and we'll always enjoy that!
JT - Do you think it's harder for good music to be
heard these days? It's easy for me to hear it and
know it exists because I get sent stuff like yours
that reminds me why I love music so much, but
there's still too many people out there who don't
get to hear it that have no idea that this is out
there. Is it easy to point fingers at major labels
and lay all the blame there? I think even when
they get a great unheard band, they'll sometimes
try to mold them into something completely
different and take away what made the band great
to begin with.
MZ - It's actually easier for good music to be
heard these days because there are so many avenues
to get your music heard (via the Internet, etc).
However, this is true for bad music as well. It is
harder to get your music heard by major labels,
but that's just because there's so much music
available to be heard.
Therefore, they have to sift through more music
to hear something they think is really marketable.
It is easy to point the finger at major labels and
blame them for everything, but it's not
necessarily all their fault. They do, however,
often try to mold the sound of new bands though,
and that can often change a band's sound into
something not as good.
JT - What's been the most difficult part about
having the band? Have there been times when you
just wanted to give it all up, or have things gone
pretty smoothly since you have been together?
MZ - The most difficult time about having a
band is finding out that someone in the band is
not on the same page anymore. Sometimes schedules
clash or goals change. For this band, it was a
difficult time with a line up change in 2001, and
our old guitarist moved out of town. The current
line-up has been together for the past year, and
is really doing well. We're a team with the same
goals, and love making this music and playing out
together. We are just having a ton of fun.
JT - What's on the agenda for the rest of the
year? Will you be touring in support of Field,
or just playing local shows?
MZ - The agenda is in the works. We're working
with our street team, and are currently planning a
tour out of Illinois - whether it is sponsored or
independent. Field will be released to
everyone by the end of March, with a huge local
show as well.
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