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 Singer, songwriter and recording artist Marcie has been under i:Vibes' inteview spotlight and took some time to speak in-depth about herself and her busy musical career...
Marcie – The sweet voice from Boston...
In the last few years, the trance world has received many different kinds of voices from singers like Justine Suissa, Kirsty Hawkshaw, Ashley Tomberlin, Jan Johnston, Jennefer Rene or Tiff Lacey to help make the tracks better. There are always new trance producers creeping up over the horizon and it’s the same with female singers, who seem to have been growing in the last few years as well. One of the busiest singers around at the moment is Marcie, who is sliding on thin ice, ready to make her big break through any day now. She is an Internationally renowned singer/songwriter and recording artist, who has had many releases on well known labels like Robbins, System Recordings, Deep Blue and Shah Music. Her music has been supported by DJs like Paul van Dyk, Talla 2XLC, Markus Schultz, DJ Shah, Solarstone, Gabriel & Dresden, and Aly & Fila. She writes and performs in many different genres like Trance, House, Eurodance, Pop and Rock. She has had numerous tracks in the international charts. Her working pace has grown from year to year, with 16 releases in 2006 and 22 in 2007. For the first months of 2008, she already has 14 tracks ready to be released. She also has her own radio show, ‘Behind The Lyric’, on DJ.FM. She currently resides in Boston and had a chance to speak to i:Vibes...
i:Vibes: Hi Marcie, nice to talk to you again. How have you been? How did you spend Christmas and did you get any wishes delivered by Santa to you?
Marcie: Hey Miles! It's great to speak with you again. Thanks for having me here on i:Vibes.nu! I've been very good! My holiday season was a bit quiet this year. I saw my family for Thanksgiving, but had to spend Christmas on my own in Boston. I took the time to catch up on studio work, do some reading, and see some movies and friends! I had wished for some snow, and we had quite a bit. There was about 20 inches in just a couple of days. It was fun to trek around in. Though snow in a big city is hard to clean up. It got very icy here in Boston, and I slipped a couple of times, and got some holiday bruises.
i:Vibes: Did you do anything special for New Years? Do you have any New Years Resolutions for 2008? I am sure you can’t be complaining about too little vocalist work?
Marcie: My New Years Resolution is to continue working hard toward my goals, while also keeping my perspective realistic and down to earth. I think that I need to find a bit more time for myself this year, outside the studio. I am happiest when I am singing and writing, and I've been fortunate enough to have a lot of that kind of work. But, I do think that I might need to reacquaint myself with the concept of relaxing and down time. Ideally, I'd like to do some more touring, which I think would be a great way to combine singing, travel, and socializing.
i:Vibes: What was your childhood like? What were your fondest musical memories of back then?
Marcie: I was born and raised in Rochester, NY. I have loved music since as far back as I can remember. My father played in a band throughout my childhood, and I got to go to his gigs sometimes, and listen to him practice in the house. He has a great voice, and stage charisma. I grew up listening to the music of the 50's-80's, since that was his love. My mother is a passionate and talented pianist, and also was a dancer. They never pushed their art on me. They let me try all sorts of activities, but early on I chose music, and never deviated from that. I have a memory of my father playing the piano for nursery school class when I was about 3 years old. He conducted a chorus of 'Old McDonald' that involved a lot of debate over what sound a giraffe would make on the farm. When I was a teenager, I would come home from school and spend hours every day in my room listening to CDs. Getting my license was amazing because I could drive around and blare the stereo in my own little bubble.
i:Vibes: What was the defining moment where you knew that you did not only want to sing in front of a mirror, but moreover wanted to sing in a studio and for the public?
Marcie: I have known that I wanted to be a performer since I was 4 years old. I think for me, performing for people is part of singing. One goes along with the other. I sing for myself, as it's a form of self expression and can be therapeutic, but I also use music as a way to connect with people. I'm grateful for the encouragement I received from many people along the way. I was lucky enough to have people who told me I was talented, and who listened to me. The first time I sang as a performance, I was 10 years old. It was at summer camp, and I performed a song acapella at a campfire. The campfire was meant to be a quiet event, with people taking turns going up in front and singing or reading poetry, so applause was not allowed. When I was done singing, I remember that people immediately started whispering to each other, and I knew I had done well. I loved that I had captured people's attention, and I knew they would listen again.
i:Vibes: Who were your early musical inspirations? What artists did you like and why? What female singers inspired you the most whilst growing up?
Marcie: My early favourites were Madonna, Michael Jackson, Elvis, Whitney Houston, Cher, Barbara Streisand, too many more to name. I liked the ones that had strong personas, and seemed to be pouring their heart and soul into their work. Of course, as a child, I was mostly exposed to mainstream artists. As I got older, I became inspired by music teachers, and performers who weren't given such widespread media exposure.
i:Vibes: You're living in Boston now. Since we last talked, you also had a day job, but in the last year you have skyrocketed with so many new tracks that you might have kicked that day job goodbye?
Marcie: No, I actually still have the same day job as when we last talked. I am a nanny, and I've been with one family for a few years now. I'm quite close with them, and don't want to leave them. Music is not really a profession that is very profitable, so at this point I do need to have a few day jobs in order to survive. For example, I also host karaoke once a week.
i:Vibes: How did you get your foot into the music industry? Did you do this on your own, or did someone help you?
Marcie: When I got to college, I performed with various pop/rock bands. To be honest, dance music was not something I knew much about before I was 20. It was while looking for pop/rock opportunities that I met Alexander Perls. I sang for him on an EDM track, which was later signed, and a whole new music world was opened up to me. I have not given up writing and performing pop and Rock music, but I've found a lot of fulfillment in Trance and other EDM genres.
i:Vibes: You sing and write for many different music genres, but you have the most releases in the Trance genre, why do you think this is so?
Marcie: I think this is just how the market has worked for me. I think my ethereal and soft vocal tone is thus far my most popular, and that appears mainly in my trance work.
i:Vibes: At the moment you are the busiest female singer in the trance business. Since 2006 you have released around 50 tracks. What is your secret behind this amazing success?
Marcie: I work very hard, and take some time to write and sing every day. I have a lot of ideas that I'd like to see realized, and sometimes I get into especially productive moods where I am writing something new almost every day, and I prioritize studio work over anything else. It's not always like that, but I think those periods are a significant contributor to my release record.
i:Vibes: You have lent your voice to so many artists from well known ones like DJ Shah or Naksi & Brunner to up & coming producers like Ben Bording, Tyler Michaud, Matthew Hoag or Steve Birch. You are so close to getting your big breakthrough. Do you feel like one of the big DJs could give you a call one of these days?
Marcie: I think there is more talent around than there are breaks, so I feel lucky to be where I am right now. I'm very happy that I've had the chance to work with some truly gifted producers. I think working with up and coming names has allowed me to have some freedom to experiment with people trying to break new ground and bring new sounds to the scene. I would love if one of the big DJs gave me a call and wanted me to sing on their upcoming album, or perform with them on a tour.
i:Vibes: You have so much work at the moment. Do you ever have to turn down offers, just because the time is not there?
Marcie: I'm really not good at saying no to work. I like to attempt everything that comes my way, and I think that my willingness to try so much has opened a lot of doors for me. But, it is reaching the point where I am turning down offers because I simply don't have enough time to give 100% to everything. I try to commit to only what I can finish, and I don't like to make promises I can't keep or waste anyone else's time. It is sometimes difficult to choose where to put my focus, so I try to do what I feel most passionate about.
i:Vibes: Besides your glamorous voice which is evident in your tracks, why else do you think there is so much interest in your voice? I personally think you have a certain charisma that makes your voice and appearance so much more credible when listening to your tracks.
Marcie: Thank you. I am not entirely sure why there is interest in my voice, but I've been told that it's distinctive and offers a lot of emotion, variety and surprises.
i:Vibes: In 2006, you spent some time in Denmark working with Ben Bording. What kind of experience was that for you? Did you learn any Danish?
Marcie: I've been back to Denmark a couple of times since then. Denmark is a beautiful country and a lot of fun. I spent most of my time in Copenhagen. The atmosphere is generally relaxed, and people seem to live with a more optimistic outlook than they do in the U.S. It's like amazing things get done there, but not with the same overall stressed out feeling that I have here in the states. I'm trying to learn Danish, because I want to spend more time there. Ben Bording and I had a successful long distance working relationship before we ever met in person, and we find that collaborating face to face helps us explore some new ideas, and act more spontaneously. I know that part of the reason our musical relationship works so well is because we have made time to work together face to face.
i:Vibes: You have worked with so many different artists in the last few years. It is only a prediction, but I guess you are your own manager or do you have someone getting you new singing jobs? I can imagine MySpace has been a huge help for the promotion of Marcie?
Marcie: I am my own manager, and have been up to this point. MySpace has been a great promotional tool that has linked me up with work all around the globe, but it is not the only networking tool I rely on.
i:Vibes: When you're working on a track, how does it usually work? A lot of these producers are in Europe and you’re in the USA. So I imagine your’re sending a lot of files back and forth. How often do you get the chance to actually work in the studio and see the whole progress of track production?
Marcie: I collaborate with producers in many different countries. While I love to work in person whenever possible, mostly we will send files back and forth via the internet. Sometimes we can chat in real time about the track, but a lot of the communication is done through email. The plus side of this arrangement is it allows each side to work on their own time in their own way, bringing their own cultural influence into the process. The downside is that it is time consuming to upload files and write emails clarifying ideas, and at times hard to put a project aside and return to it later. Each person working on the project has to be open minded, but also capable of calling some shots and making choices without needing immediate feedback. The process has made me a stronger writer by forcing me to figure out how to not second guess myself, and pushing myself to discover things outside my comfort zone. Sometimes when I work alone, I get caught in the trap of perfectionism, and I have no one standing there with me to shake me out of it. I have had to learn to decide for myself that something is good enough to send out.
i:Vibes: You sang vocals for the well known Marusha track ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’ for Naksi & Brunner. How was it making this track and what was the most important aspect of the production with Naksi & Brunner?
Marcie: I really liked making this track! The melody of the tune is a well known classic that has been performed countless times by so many amazing voices. I liked bringing a new feel to it, and experimenting with how to make it my own and meshing my style with Naksi and Brunner. Naksi and Brunner are fun guys, with a good sense of humour.
i:Vibes: What do you want to give a track with your voice that no other voice can give?
Marcie: I just want to be true to myself, and sing what I feel. That will make my performance mine and mine alone.
i:Vibes: How would you describe your voice? Your voice is so unique and soothing that it reminds me of an angel coming to rescue someone from the heavens…
Marcie: Thank you! I've sang all sorts of music from Trance, to Rock to Musical theater, and a bit of Opera. My tonal and stylistic range is large, and that allows me a great flexibility in the material I write, and choose to sing. I think being open to all kinds of music, and studying various vocalists over the years has influenced me to push my voice and try new things. I know my comfort zone, but I also like to experiment.
i:Vibes: What are the strengths of your voice and do you do anything particular to keep your voice in good condition?
Marcie: My voice can be soft or full of attitude, and I can use it to express a lot of my feelings. I'm grateful to have an instrument full of possibility, though it is a high maintenance instrument. I practice every day, and I try not to overdo the caffeine and alcohol consumption as that dries out the vocal chords. I also make sure to get a good nights sleep every night. The voice is a body part that gets run down when the rest of the body is being run down. If I'm tired, there is no way to hide that in my voice. When I'm tired, it's possible to drink a Red Bull and get a boost of energy to do normal activities, but my singing will still suffer.
i:Vibes: You always seem to amaze me with the tracks you produce. In 2006 you produced many different kinds of tracks, but in 2007 you took a 180 degree turn with ‘Fck Me Baby’. The vocals were naughty, but the track extremely funky. Is this a new Marcie that the fans are going to be experiencing?
Marcie: I don't think it's a new Marcie. I think I've just had the opportunity recently to write, and release a wider range of material. I've been doing a lot of exploring in my songwriting, and ‘Fck Me Baby’ is an example of my need to create what I feel, and not censor myself. I like to be playful and those lyrics are naughty, funky, sensual, and tongue in cheek all at once.
i:Vibes: You also have very sexy pictures on MySpace. Is this just an image? When I met you in 2006, you seemed like a very good natured well behaved young woman. Is Marcie the person totally different than Marcie the singer?
Marcie: Sexy is subjective. I know that there is an aura of tease around a lot of my photos, but I believe that how one expresses their sexuality does not define whether or not they are good natured or well behaved. When I met you in 2006, I was having a casual night out with my family, and my clothes and behaviour reflected a relaxed evening. I like to portray different images in my photos because it is fun to explore different sides of myself, or characters that I want to temporarily inhabit. A performing persona is often larger than life. Sometimes Marcie the singer is just a louder and more extreme version of Marcie the person, and sometimes she is a figure crafted entirely from my imagination.
i:Vibes: How do you get along with the other female trance vocalists? Have you met any of them? Which one do you respect the most?
Marcie: This past year, I've been able to get to know a bunch of the female trance vocalists through my radio show, 'Marcie Pres. Behind The Lyric'. I'm really happy that so many amazing artists have taken part in the show, and I am excited that by producing the show, I'm in contact with people I might not meet otherwise. I think there is a lot that we singers have in common, and much to learn from each other, but we don't often come into contact with each other because our projects don't bring us together. I respect that all the vocalists I've been talking to are hard workers, and passionate about their art. I can't really pick out who I respect the most, but I do appreciate when there is mutual respect shown in any interaction.
i:Vibes: What are your goals for 2008?
Work hard, play hard. :-)
i:Vibes: With what producer would you like to work with for an extensive time period?
Marcie: There are quite a few producers I would like to work on more than one track with. Each person I work with brings out something new in me, and that's cool, but it's nice to settle in with someone and really flesh out our ideas, get to know each other’s styles, and push each other’s limits a bit.
i:Vibes: Have you ever considered making a Marcie album? You have done a lot with Yamin. Maybe an album with him as producer could be an interesting option?
Marcie: The 'Marcie' album is a consideration. Yamin, (Ben Bording), and I are quite prolific, and we might end up making an EP, but right now we're enjoying producing tracks one at a time, and keeping our own pace. I'm currently working on an EP with Scottish producer, Dfolt. We've got a bunch of tracks that, taken together, will take the listener on a journey, and it seems fitting to put them all on one release.
i:Vibes: You have your own radio show ‘Behind the lyric’ on DI.FM. How has that been going and what is the show exactly about?
Marcie: The show explores the stories behind the lyrics in electronic dance music. It has featured some massive names like Anita Kelsey, Tiff Lacey, Dhany, Colleen Riley, and Sleepthief. I'm so excited about how the show is doing. The artist participation has been phenomenal, with each bringing unique insight into the lyric writing process. I'm happy that the artists have been willing to reveal so much about themselves both in their music and in their spoken segments. I do think music speaks for itself, but I also think this is a nice additional feature for listeners and artists. It is a new way to combine music and life, and to connect artists with fans. I plan to continue to make new episodes and I hope people will keep tuning in!! I'm introducing some new features like 'DJ Spotlight', and the 'Lyric Lover Segment', where DJs talk about what lyrics they like for their sets, and fans talk about their favourite lyrics. The show focuses on lyrics, but is meant to unify lots of facets of the scene.
i:Vibes: Where do you see yourself in five years?
Marcie: Hopefully I will still be known as both a singer and a songwriter. Perhaps I will end up writing songs for other voices someday. I would like to cross back into Pop and Rock, and maybe some more theatre. I'd like to do more touring. I'd also maybe like to get back to school for a PhD in psychology or a degree in education.
i:Vibes: What are your five all time favourite tracks?
Marcie: Andain - Beautiful Things
Motorcycle - When The Rush Comes
Armin van Burren – Shivers
Cara Dillon Vs. 2Devine - Black is The Colour
IIO- Rapture
i:Vibes: What are your five current favourite tracks?
Marcie: In no particular order:
Vir4L Vision - Entry to Heaven (Benya Remix)
Alucard & Solarstone - Late Summer Fields
Infernal - Ten Miles
Dfolt - Get There
Sledgehammer - Robert Vadney
i:Vibes: What are your hobbies?
Marcie: Reading is the biggest one. I read as much as I can. I like to watercolour paint, and make crafts. I like to take walks and study nature.
i:Vibes: Thanks Marcie for the chat. Good luck in 2008! Hope to see you over the summer in Boston!
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