Marquis Of Vaudeville has enlisted a sound, that is truly their own originality. It has engulfed within them, to emit an extraordinary sound that just spirals listeners into a whole another world of existence. Thus, with that the band has gone on to write and record for their newest and latest album titled "The Tragic Valentine", with numerous tracks made available as singles and or video choices. The band gets together to discuss the album, their formation, how they write their material, to where they see themselves sometime down the line.
1. Where did you get the idea for your name, did you plan it or did it come out just like that?
The name Marquis of Vaudeville (Mar-keys) is somewhat of a clever nom de plume that we came up with that hints a bit at what we do creatively. It implies ‘a variety of the extravagant’ as Marquis is a rank of nobility and vaudeville was an old-world variety stage show circuit during the last turn of the century. We thought it fit us nicely.
2. Why did you want to play this genre?
That’s tough to say as it’s truly difficult to categorize and define our sound. We don’t pander to the masses. We do what we love. We write what we feel, and stay true to that. We create music that we want to create, not music that fits into any single definable genre; although it is all deliberate and focused. We’ve heard descriptors ranging from ‘alt/rock’ to ‘progressive, psychedelic punk cabaret’, to ‘carnival-esque rock theatre’. We always refer to ourselves as a “musical menagerie of melodic mischief”. Call us what you will, as we always allow the listener to label us however they wish. We don’t like to spoon-feed people with what we create. We want those who listen to interpret and to get whatever they want & need out of the music without being coerced into how to feel or into what the songs should mean to them.
3. Did you know each other before Marquis Of Vaudeville was formed?
Marquis of Vaudeville began with two daydreaming children. We (Toby ‘vocals’ and Bryan ‘guitar’) grew up together in the middle-of-nowhere, Texas, sharing our childhood on imaginative adventures. We were always searching for portals to other worlds, so music was a natural progression for two creative small-town kids with vivid imaginations and nothing else to do but read, draw, and play D&D. In 2009, after years of honing our musical expertise and refining our tastes, we found that our vision was no longer a daydream. What started out as a creative outlet turned into a powerful way to convey a message - to express ourselves, to connect, and hopefully touch other people’s lives. When we discovered both Geneva and Noah, we found that not only were they both incredible musicians and amazing, genuine people, but they held the same passion for playing and the same work ethic for being the best we could possibly be as a band. There was magic between us instantly with us four. We knew in coming together for the first time that this group was meant to be.
4. Who or what inspires you to write songs?
We find influence in all sorts of varied sources: dreams, art, literature, film, theatre; typically, indie, cult, fantasy/sci-fi, classic works, the fantastical, the out-of-the-ordinary, as well as the cosmos, love, liberty, mythology, mysticism, mystery, & magic.
5. What artists or bands have inspired or influenced you the most?
From the musical world, we’d have to say The Cure, Bowie, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Queen, Radiohead, Alice Cooper, Danny Elfman, Yann Tiersen, Ravi Shankar, music of other cultures from around the globe, 60’s psychedelic, 70’s Glam, 80’s Post Punk & New Wave. A great many of our influences can be dark, yet playful because that’s a bit of who we are.
6. Let's discuss your new album "The Tragic Valentine", what can be said about it's creation process and why did you want to make it?
Our music has always been written to be an escape, yet still contain cryptic messages regarding the real world. That’s why the songs are quite often wrapped up within, & somewhat veiled behind, an imagined story dealing with some sort of fantastical idea such as discovering other worlds & alternate universes, Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman, vampire lovers, vengeful stage magicians, mysterious whimsical circuses, plundering gentleman highwaymen, intriguing labyrinthine understreets, mad scientist toymakers, or the anthropomorphic personification of death. As we’ve said, dark, yet playful. The writing process for The Tragic Valentine differed in having the continuity of a story flowing throughout the entirety of the album. We hadn’t done that before. Writing every song to fit within a story, and yet at the same time having a stand-alone dual meaning is a fairly complex way to write each song, but it worked out well.
7. Where does "The Tragic Valentine", fall within the release catalog that is from Marquis Of Vaudeville?
The Tragic Valentine is our sophomore album, our debut album being The Great Promenade of Fools & Ghosts.
8. Did you have any leftover material from this album, we will see on a future release?
Yes, we’re always writing new songs, and have a ton of leftover ideas that we just didn’t have time to develop to the level that we’d like. We’ll be writing new material and following up on those pieces in the near future.
9. What is it that you would like to let people know about the album to get them to check it out?An alternative rock opera full of anthems, ballads, and waltzes, The Tragic Valentine touches on recurring themes revolving around dreams, rebellion, love, loss, hope, understanding, oppression, outcasts, isolation, mental illness, internal struggle, perseverance, self-destruction, death, loneliness, self-acceptance, sometimes drawn from personal experience, and other times written from another’s perspective.
10. Would you like to say anything else about this album that has not already been said about it. Like are there any hidden easter eggs or secrets you have yet to expose?
We like to tell stories, and music affords us a way to tell them. We want to give people something to daydream about, give them hope, open their eyes, hearts, & minds, and we’ve found that messages can be more profound and persuasive when woven secretly within the melodies of music. This album is full of storytelling, and we feel that the messages behind the overall story could be relative to anyone’s life.
11. Can you tell me about the single turned video for the track "We're All Mad Here", where did this idea come from and why was it brought forth?
We’re All Mad Here is an Alice in Wonderland-themed song on the surface about spiraling downward & out of control. The song presents a glimpse of mental illness and losing one’s mind while touching on being lost, but not alone - as everyone is a little crazy in their own way.
12. What do you think of your fans?
We call our fans Vaudevillains (intended misspelling) and our fanbase, as a whole, The Wild Lost. We adore our fans and couldn’t do this without all of them. We feel immensely close to The Wild Lost. We’re like a big, strange family – like The Addam’s Family, only much larger and all over the globe.
13. What does next year hold have in-store?
We’ll be touring around supporting The Tragic Valentine and are looking at venturing overseas for a spell. We’re also going to be working on a new music video in the upcoming months. We always have something up our sleeve.
14. Where do you see Marquis Of Vaudeville in the next 5 years?
In the hearts and minds of all those who desperately wish for something more than the mere mundane.
15. Is that your final answer?
Never!
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