XCLUSIVE! On The Radar: Get the latest lowdown from Cypriot Rock Band Marianne's Wish!

This week’s Xclusive! I caught up with Cypriot rock/pop band Marianne’s Wish to find out exactly who they are, their latest album release and what’s coming up for the band this year and beyond!

So who exactly are Marianne’s Wish?

After a long standing collaboration between George Solonos, guitarist/producer and Chris J, drummer. We teamed up with frontman Francois Micheletto and bassist Taf to record 2 studio albums. Most of the live shows though, take place with the additional stage members Antonis Loizides (bass) and Constantinos Amerikanos (guitar).

A very enigmatic band name – what is the story behind it? I’m dying to know - who is Marianne?

That question I’m afraid we cannot answer yet, but we do plan to reveal it soon in one of our next projects.

How did the band first get together?

George Solonos and Chris J. got together to record for the “Methods of Mayhem” album (a project of Motley Crue’s Tommy Lee) seeing the chemistry was amazing, we moved on to put together the rest of the band.

You featured on four of the tracks for “Methods of Mayhem” back in 2009 – how did that come about?

At the time, Methods of Mayhem were making an album by choosing music parts from musicians from all over the world. Tommy Lee and his producer Scott Humphrey were really excited with what we had to offer.

Marianne’s Wish also won the 2013 national Hard Rock Café battle of the bands competition for Cyprus and later got 8th place out of 10,000 bands competing worldwide what impact did that have on your music career/aspirations?

It was a great experience overall and soon after, we got the invitation to perform at SXSW in Texas USA which is apparently the biggest music festival of its kind in the world.

Your musical style is often encapsulated as alternative/experimental rock; how would you describe your music?

Music is an experience that is lived differently by each person, the way we see it, it is a blend of rock/pop with an edge and honest, somewhat quirky, lyrics.

Does the bands’ Cypriot heritage influence your sound and/or work ethic?

Absolutely, though our sound is nowhere close to folk or ethnic, one can spot the Middle Eastern vibe easily at times.

What inspires / shapes your music and songwriting?

Life is the biggest inspiration source of all. All the songs we write come from real life situations and from the heart. As far as musical influences, everyone in the band has got different ones. They range from Metallica to Katy Perry.

What would a fly on the wall secretly see at one of your rehearsals / studio sessions?

I guess it would probably see 5 sweaty guys being in the “zone”, with their mind away from everything else creating and performing with the same excitement they had when they first picked up a guitar.

If you could jam with any rock star/musician past or present who would it be?

Tom Morello, Sting, Jimmy Page, Bobby McFerrin, the list is endless…

 

Marianne’s Wish released their second album entitled “Mind Your Head” in February – what can you tell us about this collection of songs and how has your sound evolved from the first record?

“Mind Your Head” has been getting very positive reviews and we are very excited about it! It consists of 11 tracks with the sound of the band evolving by adding even more edge and versatility. Music is always an experiment. The process is always great but when the experiment actually works it can give a great sense of accomplishment.

The latest single off the album is "My Girl" and you have a new video to boot – 

Tell us about the treatment?

Actually we weren’t planning on making “My Girl” a single, but after receiving footage of one of our fans dancing his heart out to the song, we were just unable to resist so we made it official! You can check out the video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8niY9-BVuF4

The rise of the digital age and social media platforms has had a massive effect on the music industry as a whole as well as how music is now consumed – do you feel this has helped or hindered your band’s career?

The fact that so much music is available out there is amazing. People can now choose what they like instead of just taking what the mainstream TV and Radio are offering. We think it is a very positive thing that can help the artist and listener grow and keep him honest and true.

You performed in London earlier this summer at historic music venue ‘The Water Rats’ (Bob Dylan, Oasis first UK show) – how did you find the London crowd?

The London crowd was absolutely amazing. We brought down the roof together! To be honest I’ve had people going on about how London is not really the crowd for Marianne’s Wish but in the end everything proved the exact opposite which makes us really happy.

Any plans to perform in London or the UK again? Perhaps a mini tour?

Definitely. We have a lot of things cooking at the moment and yes London is in our near future plans.

What is coming up for you later this year?

Actually among other things, we got a very interesting music video coming up as well as shows around Europe to support the newest album.

What message do you have for your London Cypriot fans? 

Stop listening to mainstream radios and try to discover music that really fills your soul up!

How can our readers get the latest lowdown on your music and upcoming gigs?
You can always check our official website at www.marianneswish.com

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That’s all for now ~ more music & entertainment news coming soon!

Until then… x Mwah

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Catch all the latest music Xclusives on Katerina’s Live DJ Show: ‘Young & Connected ~ Scandalous! Two hours of unadulterated Modern Greek hits; 1st for new music, celebrity gossip, chart news, interviews and of course listener’s special requests and dedications! Not to mention a few surprises along the way! Live on LGR 103.3fm and online at www.lgr.co.uk on Tuesdays 8-10pm. SCANDALOUS!

If you would like your CD or event featured or reviewed in Xclusive! Contact Katerina: via email: katsmusiq@gmail.com   / Facebook: Kat Neocleous / www.kat-whispers.blogspot.co.uk