Music by Marko
Marko is a rising indie act who has recently taken to the scene with a series of electrifying singles released throughout 2022. Born and raised in rural British Columbia, Canada, Marko grew up playing the piano and guitar alongside his older brother. Since then, he has released his self-produced music straight from his bedroom for the world to enjoy.
How It All Began
While his parents do not have a musical background, they were instrumental in his musical journey from a young age. As far as how he became self-produced, he attributes his earliest exploration of music production and working in a DAW to his older brother. “We both took piano and guitar lessons throughout elementary school and high school,” says Marko. “Looking back, it was good for me to have somebody else around that was just as into music as I was.” He admits, “actually, some of my earliest experiences with any sort of recording are from back when we were doing covers of punk rock songs in GarageBand. I can’t say they were all that good, but without that, who knows if I would’ve started recording my stuff.”
However, music wasn’t always the end game for Marko. Marko says, “Until I was probably 12 or 13, I was convinced I was gonna be a professional soccer player.” As far as when he knew he wanted to pursue music, he recalls, “I started producing and recording music of my own around 2017, mostly just cause it was really fun! I couldn’t tell you exactly when, but I guess at some point I decided I might be able to make something out of it.”
His Inspirations
Marko cites that many of his musical inspirations are ever-changing and dependent on what he’s listening to at that moment. “Like a lot of people, the music I’m listening to at any given time is constantly shifting,” says Marko. “As an artist, I feel that the source of my inspiration tends to follow suit.” Marko expands, “for example, at the time I was writing and producing “You Won’t”, I was listening to a lot of Dayglow. I think this shows in the song’s instrumentation and production.” He also previews a new possible sonic soundscape for his next round of releases. “These days I’ve been listening to a lot of indie-rock and folk stuff, like The Moss and Noah Kahan. Whatever I make next (whether I release it or not) will reflect that somehow.”
“You Won’t”
With over 1.5 million streams in just one month, his newest single, “You Won’t” is on everyone’s New Music Friday playlists on Spotify. Ironically, he said it was the most challenging record to see to fruition. “I think ‘You Won’t’ was probably the hardest to create. ‘You Won’t’ is probably the most instrumentally dense song I’ve released, so it was a challenge to balance the thicker sound without going overboard with the production.”
The story behind the cool, calm, and collected record is all too relatable, and grounds itself in melancholy. “It was written to encapsulate that abrupt, crippling realization that it’s over and you can do nothing about it. My goal here was to create something that might resonate with someone going through a tough time, but still, make them want to dance or scream the lyrics on their drive home.” Whether “You Won’t” causes you to dance or cry, (or both), it will invoke nostalgia and remembrance of a certain time in your life. When asked how he feels about the record’s initial success, he says with humility, “Grateful. It’s honestly still hard to believe. At the end of the day, I’m just glad it resonated with as many people as it did.”
18
Back in April 2021, Marko released his debut project, “18.” Marko describes the 5 track EP as a “very defining project” for him. He confesses, “I think it was a big part of proving to myself that I could create something that sounded clean and polished, all on my own. I think there are still connections that can be drawn between “18”, and the music I’ve released more recently, but I’ve also grown a lot since then. That’s not to say that I think I’ve got it all figured out quite yet, but I think my music has gotten more elaborate, unique, and probably even more authentic.”
Breakthrough Record
Marko is no stranger to creating a popular record. His most streamed song to date, “HIDE,” also parallels in catchiness and replayability with over 3 million streams, and was his first hit song. The premise of the record is based on true events of a past “will they or won’t they” relationship. Marko chronicled, “It was written about being in that weird in-between phase of a relationship. You’re just not sure if you’re supposed to speak up and say something or keep playing it cool. In my particular case, this continued long enough for me to want to write a whole song about it.”
Lessons Learned Along The Way
Although Marko has been releasing music since 2021, he is still fairly new to the music industry. He says the biggest lesson he has learned thus far is to, “Never let it stop being fun.” He expands, “I started and got to where I am because the music was fun. If I want to keep that spark, I need to ensure I maintain that sense of excitement.”
When asked if he would do anything differently, he says candidly, “I don’t think there’s anything I would’ve done differently. Whatever I did got me here today, and I am eternally grateful for my position.” When I questioned what advice he would float onto a fellow artist, his answer was, “Fall in love with the process. If you want to do well, in whatever it is you choose to pursue, the ability to consciously enjoy and appreciate the process is one of the most important tools you can have to keep improving.”
What’s Next?
The future for Marko is self-admittedly unclear, but one guarantee is more music! Marko confirmed, “Expect more new music, and hopefully even some live shows. I don’t have any solid plans for an album this year, but you never know! I certainly wouldn’t rule it out quite yet.” Make sure to check out all of Marko’s music, and follow his journey on all of his socials below!
Stream “You Won’t”
https://open.spotify.com/album/6JR0yX7Orycek9RVRUFyH2
Follow and Connect with Marko!
Instagram: @musicbymarko
TikTok: @musicbymarko
Youtube:@musicbymark0