Marc Reeves' Official Blog

Hi everyone, so this blog hasn’t been updated for a while, and that’s because my blog is now located HERE

http://marcreeves.wordpress.com/

See you there!

Marc

www.marcreeves.co.uk

So, I’m not doing very well at this blogging thing. I doubt I’ll ever manage to regularly update it as I haven’t really got the time. so here’s a quick update for you:

My new album Perfectly Fine will be released on December 10th 2010, via my website, www.marcreeves.co.uk, cdbaby.com, iTunes, Amazon MP3, and all other major music download retailers. It contains 15 tracks that have been recorded, mixed & mastered entirely by myself at my home studio over the course of a year. I hope you enjoy it

All the best,

Marc.

Okay, so once upon a time, my mother gave to me her acoustic guitar. It was a lovely sounding guitar that I wanted to play live, rather than the piece of rubbish I have been using! Problem was, this lovely acoustic guitar was all pink and sparkly. Okay, in itself there’s nothing wrong there, it’s not how a true gangsta like me rolls! Something had to be done, or otherwise my manliness and street cred were at stake!

So, long story short, I decided to sand it down and re-spray it blue (well actually a warm red was my first idea.)

I forgot to take pictures at the start, and before I started spraying it blue, so I do apologise, but above are some pictures from when it was about half done. It’s almost done now Just got to do another coat tomorrow, and then add the finisher, finishing coat thingy stuff. Hopefully the weathers okay, so I can get it done by tomorrow, or thereabouts.

I will post pictures when the guitar is done, and seeing as I have just invested (cough *ebay* cough) in a digital video camera, I will have to film some videos of me playing some stuff on it. I hope the tone is not destroyed :S

Anyway,

ta ta for now,

Marc

Well, for those of you that don’t know, I’m working on a new album entitled ‘Perfectly Fine’. It’s a poppy, folky, slightly rocky, mellow album. It will feature around 14 tracks, maybe slightly more, maybe slightly less. I have written and recorded 20 in total.

It’s all in the final stages of being mixed and mastered right now, with around 10 tracks already done. Once it’s all mixed and mastered there will be plenty of referencing to do (after all the mix stage referencing I’ve done!) And yes, it’s all been recorded, mixed & mastered by myself (hence why I have been going crazy the last few months!) I would not recommend this approach unless like me you are very interested in sound engineering and mixing. It is an endless struggle, although it is immensely rewarding.

Then after that I’ll be shooting some photos for the album artwork with my good friend Simon Feerick (also the drummer for local Alt. Rock band Adarna, which, on a side note, if you ever see them on the bill for a gig, go check them out, they’re great.) The artwork will then be printed and the Cd’s will be pressed, as well as a digital release through iTunes and amazon MP3.

I’m shooting for a December 2010 release, but at this stage it’s hard to tell if it will be before then or after that. I will keep you all posted anyway. I will be doing a mini UK tour if funding allows, and I will be holding an album launch party in Nottingham (no venue confirmed yet, I have several in mind.) At the launch party I would also like to showcase some of my favourite singer-songwriters of the midlands, although there are so many that I love!

Anyway, I’m rambling again, only meant to do a very brief update! I have a 18 songs to learn for a wedding I will be playing at with Mood Indigo (featuring Steve Pinnock, also one of the owners of Nottinghams’ Central Music Venue and Bar!)

Off I go

All the best,

Marc.

Well, it’s been a long time since I last updated this blog (August 2009! :O), so I thought I should do a quick update on how my career is going etc.

I had planned to become a frequent blogger, and use this as my kind of central news hub or whatever you want to call it, but really I’m much more active on facebook nowadays Kinda funny since I used to hate it so much, but it’s a really useful tool for musicians to network with.

Anyway, recently I had a video shoot for Nottinghams Evening Post. They do a monthly feature called This is Live on their website and in their paper on local musicians, and I managed to get myself a spot on there!

I did a live acoustic version of my song Shadows (which will be on my new album ‘Perfectly Fine’, more on that in a bit), and then had a short interview for the video. I also had some pictures taken, and will have a printed interview for the paper.

I will update this post when the video is up on youtube and the This is Live site Apparently it will take around two weeks for it to be done

It was quite a weird experience to say the least, seeing as I’ve never done anything like that before. I’m not sure how the performance will turn out, as I didn’t feel totally comfortable, so I think I forced my voice a bit :S I think it went alright though, I’ll let you be the judge!

One thing that annoys the hell out of me is that my nerves always seem to manifest themselves with DMS (Dry Mouth Syndrome), and so when I was doing the interview I had a horrible dry mouth, which always make me feel self conscious! I’m still proud of myself for doing it though, and hope you all enjoy it when it’s out, feel free to let me know what you think I did well/could have done better.

Also, I had a gig at The Bodega Social in Nottingham the other night, as part of their new Creative Notts sessions. It’s a free live acoustic show, as part of Oxjam. The first one took place outside in the beer garden, and had a great atmosphere, and some amazing acts, including the fantastic Boat to Row as headliners. You can find some youtube videos online of their performance. I may link to some on here too.

Unfortunately for the show I was involved in things had to be moved inside, due to potentially bad weather and other reasons. It still didn’t hamper the mood though, there was an awesome vibe going on and some great acts, in particular I was very impressed Cecille Grey. Local Math/Prog/Metal/Hard to define rockers Ocean Bottom Nightmare pulled off a great acoustic set, which was a considerable feat considering their genre. Liam o Kane provided some Ska/Reggae infused acoustic tunes, all lead by his fantastic voice! The guy can really sing!

My set went pretty well I think, although my rather terrible acoustic was annoying me to no end! I have a great sounding Freshman acoustic, which was given to me by my mother. I don’t use it live though as it is pink and sparkly (haha)! I was thinking of buying a new acoustic live to replace the crappy one I’m currently using (some budget Stagg that I won back at college), but then I though why not re-do the paint job on the Freshman?

So that is what I’m attempting to do! I have sanded down the first layer of the finish, and am going to re-spray it. I think maybe a dark glossy red or something. Any suggestion would be appreciated

Anyway, I’ll probably post some pics of the guitar when it’s done, but for now, I’m out!

Thanks for reading (if you got this far )

Marc.

www.myspace.com/marcreevesmusic

well I was a late starter with the whole facebook ‘revolution’ as I was quite skeptical about the whole thing (and still am in many ways.) It’s fun, but entirely mindless, and brings socialising to a whole new low. It does, however, provide an ideal networking opportunity for musicians like myself.

Anyway, before I start going off on one, the main reason I signed up for an account was to promote mine and my bands music. So here are some widgets for you!

EDIT: Can’t work out how to get widgets posted on here! The code from facebook doesn’t appear to work! Here are the links instead:

DAX facebook

http://www.facebook.com/pages/DAX/72262400029?ref=mf

Marc Reeves facebook

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marc-Reeves-Music/75175491553

PS. I will be playing at The Loggerheads every friday this month! Check my facebook or myspace for details!

Also, DAX now have a monthly slot at the Running Horse in Nottingham, and are playing there this Saturday (8th August) with Lost Scenes & The Duty supporting us! Check them out on myspace at:

www.myspace.com/lostscenes

www.myspace.com/thedutymyspace

Also, I wrote a long post on my recent busking experiences, but my internet messed up at the point of publishing the post, and I hadn’t saved any drafts! Suffice to say, I have now learned my lesson, and save drafts of my posts.

I will be writing a new post soon about my busking escapades, so watch this space!

Marc.

Just thought I’d mention these two wonderful artists I have been listening to a lot lately.

Lisa Hannigan, and Laura Marling.

Lisa Hannigan, is someone any fan of Damien Rice will be aware of. Her wonderful backing vocals complemented his music perfectly. Now, her collaberation with Damien has ended, and she has boldly embarked on a self funded solo career.

Her debut, ‘Sea Sew’, is a wonderfully seductive collection of songs. They draw you in with their gorgeous sense of melody, dripping with warmth and character. Her voice is understated at the best of times, changing from charmingly reserved to chillingly powerful. The songs themselves range from care free and enchanting, full of bliss and joy, to haunting & reflective. Songs such as ‘Lille’ make me reminisce on memories I have never had.

Every song on the album I would consider a hit, although my initial favourites were ‘Lille’ and ‘I Don’t Know’.

I encourage you if you love her music like I do, to buy this album. It is worth every penny!

http://www.lisahannigan.ie/

www.myspace.com/lisahannigan

Laura Marling is an artist way beyond her years, in many respects. If I am correct, she is only 19 (one year older than me!) and yet her lyrics display an understanding not apparent in most of that age. Having said that, there is still a certain amount of naivety there, and that’s what makes her so endearing.

Her debut, is a passionate, fiery, troublesome affair, beautifully told and excellently crafted. There are songs of love, youth, and turmoil. The thing I love is the subtle observations she makes of people, rather than the social commentry so many try to make, who think they have a great understanding of people. I can imagine she is a great reader of people.

The music itself blends typical folk with elements of pop and folk rock, and is just so lovingly put together. There is not a single song I do not like. I urge you to listen to her music. I truly hope she is making music for many years to come.

www.lauramarling.com

www.myspace.com/lauramarling

Unfortunately I did not win the Hop Pole competition, although on the upside, the song that did win was more than worthy, and the performance of it was very moving. The winning song was called ‘Snow on the mountain’, and is by a man called Phil Langran, featuring Steve Benford on second guitar. It features some lovely chord changes and melodies.

The song that came in second place was particularly good also, and was by a man named Marc Block. I can’t remember the name of the song unfortunately, but nevertheless it was a well crafted, uplifting folky-pop song. It had everyone up on their feet and dancing, which was great to see. I stuck to standing awkwardly in the corner though, as I’m not much of a dancer!

Overall I had a great evening and I really enjoyed taking part in the competition. I enjoyed performing my songs, and I got to meet some great musicians, and some great people too.

It was annoying though on the night of the final, as the place was packed and it was a warm evening, which meant that it was boiling inside! I get headachy when I’m really hot, so I had a bit of a headache by the end of the night, but oh well! Such is life, I guess

Last night I played at The Loggerheads pub in Nottingham. It’s a very modern (but in a good way) place, and also very well hidden! It’s not particularly out of the way, it’s just that unless you’ve been there before you would probably never have seen it, even if you know nottingham pretty well. I thought I knew where I was going in order to get there, but I went in completely the wrong direction at first! I had to ask for directions several times (I get disorientated very easily) but I made it there in the end.

So anyway, they have their main room where you can play amplified, through their PA (which subsequently outputs through the stereo systems around the building, so people don’t have to be in the room to hear you, which is quite cool) or outside, in ‘the cave’, where you play totally unplugged.The cave literally is like a little open cave, with seats all around inside, and lights. It’s really cool and cosy, and has great acoustics.

I did my set in the cave, to a circle of people gathered round me. It literally had a campfire feel to it, and felt very liberating. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I’m looking forward to next week, when I play there again! (4th July in case you’re wondering!)

www.theloggerheads.co.uk

The other acts that played last night were great too. Maurice Moore provided some catchy acoustic tunes, in particular ‘Moon Man’ (Don’t know if there’s a David Bowie influence there, but it has that element of psychedelia to it.)

Nigel Beck performed an array of beautiful instrumental acoustic music, and some brilliant folk covers. His voice had a lovely timbre and his guitar playing was exceptional.

Finally Mr. Ford & Mr. Gibbs, who performed in the cave after me, played some great folk tunes. They were very entertaining and obviously passionate about music, and also had a great sense of humour and charm.

Here’s is the info for next week’s line up (courtesy of the Loggerheads website):

Saturday 4 / 7 / 2009  LOG JAM & CURRY NIGHT
Nottingham’s hottest acoustic curry night. Come and tuck into a tasteful freshly made Indian curry all prepared in-house with the finest herbs and spices whilst enjoying the sounds from some of the talented performers we have lined up. LOIS – (Jonny from the band), MARC REEVES – (Experimental alternative folk), ROXY MAY – (Alternative acoustic), PAUL WALKER – (Acoustic folkrock), ROSS DARBY – (Alternative) & THE BONSAI PROJECTS – (Acoustic blues punk). 8pm till 1am. FREE ENTRY!

Hope to see you there!

Well, recently I’ve taken it upon myself to further pursue my solo music, as opposed to just being a bedroom hobbyist. I love being in my band DAX and promoting that, but it’s about time I pursued my solo music more.

So that’s exactly what I’ve been doing, and have had a good reception so far. I entered myself in a song writing competition at one of my local pubs, the hop pole in Beeston. It’s a wonderful place, with a sense of community, spirit & warmth. Everyone is very welcoming there so I have enjoyed performing there for this competition.

Basically, the idea is you enter up to 5 original songs to perform in a series of rounds. The judges make their votes and if you get enough points from them, or through audience votes, you go through to the next round.

Well, my songs went down a treat and I am now in the final tomorrow! I am very much looking forward to it, the winner recieves £100 and the chance to record their winning song in a professional studio, so it would be amazing if I won. I’ve not really won anything in my life (except for a book store competition when I was a kid, I won an R2-D2 backpack and some star wars books. The prize didn’t mean all that much to me, but I remember how great it felt to have won!) so it would be nice to win this. Although just taking part has been wonderful, and I am just happy to have made it to the final, and to have sold quite a few copies of my new album!

Anyways, I’m rambling, but I shall let you know how it goes tomorrow! Fingers crossed eh!

Also, I did a gig at the Running Horse pub in Nottingham on Friday (it’s a pub/venue really, I’d say 70% venue and 30% pub. It’s a great place to play, nice atmosphere, good stage and pretty decent sound. The two sound guys that work there are cool too, one of them is the drummer from local band Beast and the Preist, who are pretty good!)

My set went really well, I got a great reception from the crowd, and sold some copies of my album too! The venue owners and sound guy seemed pretty keen to get me to play there again, which is cool.

On a different note, life is pretty good right now. Confusing at times, but I can’t complain. I’m a week away from the end of my college studies (I’ve been studying BND music at Castle College in Beeston) and I feel I’m gonna get a good result. I’ve had a great time there, and met some great people (I met the drummer from my band there) so it’s kinda sad that it’s coming to an end, it’s like the end of an era. I know I’ll still keep in touch with people, but things will be different. For better or for worse, who knows, but I’m eager to see what the future holds for me

Anyways, I’m out. More updates will be coming soon!

Hey there, welcome to my first ever blog!

I’ve never done something like this before, but I guess I should start with a little bit about me.

For those of you that don’t know, my name is Marc Reeves. I am 18 years old, and live in Nottinghamshire. I have been writing and recording music since I was about 13-14, but can remember coming up with songs in my head and even writing stuff on one of those kiddy keyboards when I was very young.

These days, I tend to enjoy writing folk music most. Well, I say folk (and I would consider it to be so), but really it’s more of a modern folk genre, like folk-pop and folk-rock. It’s not traditional traditional folk, but I take a lot of inspiration from that genre.

I like a lot of old music, like Carole King, Del Shannon, Cat Stevens, Tim Buckley, Nina Simone, etc. Then there are the current generation singer-songwriter types that I like, such as Seasick Steve, Norah Jones, Lisa Hannigan, Feist, Laura Marling, Fionn Regan, Iron & Wine, not to mention many others. I could go on, but I won’t. My intention is not to bore, I’m not here to simply reel off a list of artists to show how cool I am because I listen to them.

I just like music.

As well as doing my solo thing, I also have played in a few bands over the years. I am the lead singer & guitarist of the band DAX currently, of which I am enjoying much success with, locally. We write sort of indie-fused rock with splashes of blues and funk, and all sorts really.

You can check DAX out at

www.myspace.com/daxofficial

or on Jamendo

http://www.jamendo.com/en/artist/Dax_(5)

and then of course there’s my solo stuff

www.myspace.com/mjronline

or

http://www.jamendo.com/en/artist/marc.reeves

Thanks for taking the time to read this, I hope you found it an interesting read.

Check back for more updates soon!

See ya,
Marc.