MaryAnne Marino has arrived.
With the release of her new five-song EP, “A Little Something,” the native New Yorker has stepped out from the musical shadows into the bright light of her own sound. Indeed, “A Little Something” is a big dose of revelation.
Marino’s name may be new to you, and “A Little Something” definitely signals a new chapter in her career - one that she intends on nurturing with plenty of live performances in the coming months. But she’s no stranger to the music industry, having fronted November Project, the second coming of Celtic-tinted faves October Project, at the age of 18. More recently she recorded a full length CD for Atlantic’s defunct Lava imprint entitled “Ghost of You” which can now be purchased on her website and at live shows. Both experiences were valuable stepping stones en route to the forthright tone of her new EP. It’s all about growth, and Marino has learned by trial and error something that takes many artists their entire careers to grasp: when it comes to song-craft, quite often less is more.
“The new music is more organic sounding – much less polished, and definitely does a better job of featuring my voice,” she says. “I’m proud of my past accomplishments, but this is more suited to my creative vision than any of the other things I’ve tried. And yet, I needed to try those things in order to get here. These songs portray more emotional vulnerability.”
Marino’s musical endeavors span all the way back to childhood when she and her sister fostered a love for singing by tape recording impromptu homespun performances. Once transplanted from Brooklyn to Chester, New York, Marino began singing in talent shows and by the age of 15 had landed herself in a band.
“Mine was no typical teen existence,” she muses. “I always had gigs on the weekends. I ended up having to lie about my age a lot, including to the other band members, but I got tons of valuable experience from that time.” Around the time of her high school graduation, Marino saw an ad in Backstage Magazine about a signed band that was shopping for a new vocalist – she auditioned, got the gig, and November Project began.
“Because October Project had an established fan base, being in their new lineup I suddenly found myself performing at bigger venues in front of sold out audiences – it was fantastic, although maybe a little ‘trial by fire.’ As a result I made some important industry connections in New York, and we released an EP called ‘A Thousand Days’.”
November Project also recorded a full length album, but tensions carried over from the previous lineup caused the band to implode. Marino, however, was just getting started. Armed with her professional recording experience she teamed up with songwriter/producer Peter Zizzo (Howie Day, Jason Mraz, Vanessa Carlton), laying down the tracks for what would eventually become the aforementioned “Ghost of You” CD. Marino continues to perform songs from the disc in concert, but realized that the collection’s shimmering pop sound obscured the more honest musical face she wanted to show the world; so began a journey of musical discovery as she branched out to learn more about releasing her music independently in the wake of a changing recording industry.
Marino has continued a healthy schedule of performances throughout, including several at New York hotspot, The Living Room, while she honed in on the sound of her new EP. Good friends sat in on the sessions and helped flesh out the tunes, adding a sense of familial warmth to the project; Marino is thrilled with the results. “Having all that creative freedom enabled me to steer the EP into a more natural feeling space. To me, these songs are satisfying in their ultimate simplicity.”
Let MaryAnne Marino tantalize your musical senses with “A Little Something.”
MaryAnne, your "a little something" has been in my car radio and I'm enjoying it driving all over LA..what a beautiful record and great songs; love it! Cheers, Manda
FINALLY, NEW MUSIC! "The Art Of Broken Glass" (EP), click myspace.com/mrjmedeiros and take a listen! Available on itunes or directly from my site. New Mr.J songs to add to your profile! WORD!
You can also follow on twitter.com/mrjmedeiros for free music.
PIZZZZZZZZZZA.. EXTRA CHEEZZZA... CHOCOLATE MILK... & a good friend side to side...watching a good movie...this is a beautiful thing..... xoxoxox.....Pizza.
This is my first comment...! I liked the way you sang right off the bat. When you were part of Anthony, the band's guitar player. 1996...? Maybe...? It's been a while, although I've been to your gigs in the "Back Fence" in the Village afterwards...! It still has been a long time...! Keep it up...!
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