MARCUS KING - MOOD SWINGS

Marcus King has come a long way. A leading international bluesman, his guitar mastery, voice and songwriting delivery has gained global attention with concert sell-outs now a norm. We grabbed the chance to catch up with him for a chat about where he’s at and what he’s planning. With a new album, Mood Swings, he was eager to explain everything.

Colin Campbell  Live: Andy Hawkes

Despite challenges, music remains a unifying force. Influences run deep, from Merle Haggard and George Jones to James Brown and Aretha Franklin, as Marcus explains:

“I spent hours with my grandfather listening to early Lynyrd Skynyrd, Allman Brothers Band, Hendrix. I kind of got onto it myself. I got really into James Brown, Otis Redding, and Sam Cooke.” And, he adds, “I was really influenced by the Temptations, and groups like Smokey Robinson and the Miracles and Tina Turner,” he recalls, revealing a diverse musical education. From country to soul, his eclectic tastes mirror a lifelong journey shaped by the timeless classics and legendary icons that defined generations.

Reflecting on childhood, Marcus reminisces about family gatherings filled with music: “Seeing the joy, it brought and letting everybody’s worries vanish” he recalls, longing for that sense of unity. “I learned the guitar at an early age, it became my constant companion, a solace during solitary times. Music became my language and connection.”

From a young age, I was immersed in music, playing with my father’s group, and later forming my own band, Simultaneous Move. We hustled, playing skate parks and competitions. Booking gigs and learning stagecraft, I was mentored by older musicians, navigating the pub circuit. It was a formative journey. Playing in those venues was a great boot camp. It’s where I built self-awareness and skill. People weren’t always there for music; you had to make them want to listen. It taught me a lot!”

“The best advice I’ve had in my career is probably from Producer Rick Rubin. It’s just about putting yourself first and being as honest and open with your music as possible and making sure that it pleases you first.”

Discussing the new album, Marcus contrasts the styles

of producers Dan Auerbach and Robin: “Dan’s a little bit more efficient, like Henry Ford’s assembly line,” he explains with a laugh, while contrasting Rick’s more laid-back approach: “The album, marked by honesty, was therapeutic. I was going to either write about it or it was not going to do anybody any good,” Marcus reflects.

We talk about some of the tracks:

Fuck My Life Up Again: “This was sparked by a ‘stagnant kind of chord’ on the piano. Despite initial hesitation over using the F word, the song just kind of jumped up out of me. My songwriting process involves a fluid interplay between music and lyrics. This one, I had a cool idea and came back to it. I’m glad I did because it’s one of my favourites on the record.”

Bipolar Love: “I first got a call from Rick Rubin; I was out on the road, and they said he was going to call. It was divine timing! I was in the middle of trying to find a new publishing house and in the middle of a label deal. He kind of just swooped me up, we talked about mental health at great length. We talked about how it doesn’t have to be an inhibiting factor, it could be like a writing partner. So, after that conversation, I began writing. The interesting thing about this record, too is, it’s all written chronologically. That was a big part of the sequencing for me in writing this song. I wrote that while I was in a relationship. It was kind of on the rocks, it’s one of the first demos I brought to Rick out in Malibu, and we sat and listened to it, and he raised his hands above his head and two fists above his head in a triumphant way and he hit the chorus. Rick listens to music deeply and intensely, more than anyone I know. He just wants to absorb every ounce of it. He was really excited about that song and the honesty of it all. The concept of that song kind of influenced the whole record and everything just kind of flowed after that.”

Mood Swings: “So, a big part of the time I spent in Tuscany finishing the record off with Rick. He’d come in and we

would listen to music together, and we’d spend like, 3 to 5 hours every day, making critiques and notes. One night, I was playing around with the idea of having samples on the record. I’m working with a legendary hip hop producer so why not use some samples! I wanted to find was I wanted to find footage of inmate interviews. people struggling with psychosis. I found all sorts of different clips and interviews. It was one of these nights where I was doing some research, and I came across this documentary called The Faces of Depression. What struck me the most about it was, how relevant the interview is today, as it was then. Also, how poignant, and how truthful the interviewee was able to describe depression. We put it on the intro to this song it just felt right. This was my first-time doing samples, I never had to wait for samples to clear before. That was the one sample that we couldn’t get clearance for on the record. I took it upon myself to write a letter to the fellow who conducted all that research. His son was the comptroller of the estate, and he didn’t allow me to use it because he wanted it to only be for educational purposes and not for entertainment. So, because this record was just as much about mental health advocacy and, uh, teaching that it was for entertainment purposes. He was gracious enough to allow us to use the sample. I just really was taken by the honesty and the true nature this guy had in answering all of his questions. So, he was being honest, like you would with your doctor. I was like, I could just do that with the public because it seems pretty healing to do it. We just stumbled across this, this new way to work, which is just like, you know, over the top honesty and just breaking down any sort of metaphor. There’s that vulnerability about some of the lyrics as well. You’re really opening yourself up. You know, when you go to heal a wound, a lot of times you just got to open it up before you can cauterize it. So that was kind of my thought there.”

Is there a theme through the release, I suggest:

“Oh, man, I’m always just trying to create a space for everyone to feel that they can be their freest and truest version of themselves. Trying to create a level playing ground for everyone in attendance to reach that space that I’m always striving to reach, it’s transcendental. A state where the music is really taking priority over everything else. I’m also hopeful that people can walk away with a sense of, feeling heard! I know a lot of the things I talk about are things that other people struggle with.”

How did you feel when you released this album?

“It’s a great feeling because I wasn’t worried about what kind of response it was going to get, by publications or by the fans. I was just thankful to put it out for me, you know? The feeling I felt after putting it out was just relief and getting such encouragement working with Rick.”

What was the production process like compared to the last album?:

“It’s like building a house and then taking away all the walls and windows and doors. The only thing that would remain would be what you absolutely needed to have structural integrity on the building. So, to use this building analogy, it’s like we built a home that had beautiful shutters and windowsills and beautiful furniture and whatnot. Then we just took it all away. We knocked down all the walls, and we just stripped it down to nothing to where it was completely open.”

We close with a thought on any future projects:

“We have a major European tour coming up. I just got back out of the studio. We’ve got the majority of that record ready to roll. It’s the first time me and the band have been in the studio together since 2018, we’re all excited. We’ve got some new material, all primed and ready to go. We’ve got a lot of miles ahead of us and a lot of smiles.”