Interview to MARKY WILDTYPE

Hi Marky. Welcome to AFX. Who inspires your playing style? Which artists can we refer to?

My playing style... It depends on the instrument! Guitar-wise I started out with fairly opposing influences in Kurt Cobain and Slash. I'm not really a guitarist's guitarist though, it's more of a songwriting tool. For drums, Dave Grohl is the first to come to mind! In terms of songwriting, there's a huge range of influences. I have done my best not to limit what I listen to, so anything from The Beatles, Nirvana, Foo Fighters and Deftones to Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and Aurora to First Aid Kit, Belle & Sebastian and beyond!

How do you come up with ideas for new songs?

Musical ideas tend to come up while I'm messing around on guitar, although occasionally I'll wake up with something in my head. Sometimes a snippet of lyrics will come along at the same time as the music, but more often than not I'll have written a thought or emotion down that I liked or found interesting or wanted to expand upon and it will fit (or not!) with one of the musical ideas. And then it's writing and chiselling until it's a song.

What does high quality sound mean to you?

I've always listened pretty closely to music, usually with headphones on, consciously and unconsciously picking out the nuances that contribute to making a detailed, powerful sound. I find all that stuff quite fascinating and fun to play around with. So obviously it's something I want to be a feature of the music I work on. At its best it's the means to convey the emotion of the music with the fewest barriers between it and the listener.

What role does technology play in your music-making process?

It's a tool in the kit. The songs are generally written in their basic form without technological intervention (apart from voice memos and the like). Once that's done, technology allows me to experiment with production possibilities. It gives me access to sounds and instruments that I wouldn't have otherwise. And once the song is done, I really enjoy the mixing process. It's very satisfying to beaver away and see/hear it all come together.

What has been the best performance of your career so far?

I've not done much live performing as a solo artist. I've done a TON of it in the bands I am/have been in, and in a lot of cases found it's a lot of grind for very little benefit. But a couple of years ago I got to play at an open-air festival in the Italian alps, which was a bit mind-blowing! No idea if it was strictly my best performance, but it was certainly my most memorable gig!

Do you have any upcoming shows?

I'm not sure I subscribe to the old industry adage about building a following through lots of gigging. It feels like an outdated notion in the digital age, so I'm not really concentrating on that for now. I have a trusty group of musicians to call on to pull together a killer band if and when the demand arises - and I hope it does! Online acoustic performances are a possibility though.

What are your plans for the coming months?

I've got another couple of singles coming out, which will showcase a bit more of the diversity of the album. And then I'll be putting out the album! I'm really proud of it, and will do my best to get it in front of people, though being 100% DIY it might be a bit of a ramshackle operation!

Catch "The Hole" on Spotify: 

Marky Wildtype is an Edinburgh based singer-songwriter and producer. The latest single "The Hole" contemplates our ongoing pursuit to grasp and harmonize our existence within the world and the cosmos, alongside the tactics we employ to navigate when we confront voids in our comprehension.