Interview: Sitting Down With Marcus Simonini
photos by Elizabeth Fuire // @liz.fuire
Rhode Island based musicians Another One Down! are ready to take the world by storm with their debut album, and with the recent release of their latest single “Stuck in the Wake” it’s clear that they’re more than capable of continuing the pop punk legacy. On September 20th, I sat down with Marcus Simonini (vocals) on Zoom. He let me in on all of their current happenings, future plans, and humble beginnings.
Ally: What initially drew you to the music industry?
Marcus: Well, it probably began when I was around 10 years old - I picked up the guitar and really didn’t have an interest in anything else. I dreamed of going to Berklee and thought that I would rather pursue music than any other career.
A: That’s awesome! Do you have a specific way of writing songs? Like a creative process?
M: That’s a tough one. It really varies. I usually write the instrumentals first. But lately I’ve been trying to write songs from different angles, though it can get frustrating.
A: What do you do if you’ve hit, say, a writer’s block?
M: Even when I’ve hit a writer's block, I still try to write something even as small as a riff or a lyric because then at least I’m writing something. Dave Grohl had said something similar in an interview he did a few years ago and it just kind of stuck with me, so yeah, I just try to write anything to get the process flowing again.
A: Still on the topic of writing, what’s your favorite song you’ve written so far?
M: Definitely our newest, “Stuck in the Wake,” it just came so naturally and that doesn’t happen often. I wrote it in, like, 3 days. Overall, it’s just very unique compared to anything else we’ve released.
A: Is there a special meaning to it?
M: Yes. I had a good friend that was going through relationship troubles. It was one of those relationships where they would break up everyday and then get back together the next. I had brought this up to him, but the conversation never really went anywhere, so I was watching this and I couldn’t understand why he would continue to put himself through it. The song is really from my perspective, it’s me looking at the situation from a friend’s perspective.
A: Well, let me just say - it’s a really great song, I’ve been listening to your stuff and it’s definitely one of my favorites. It gives me huge early All Time Low/Neck Deep vibes.
M: Thank you! That’s something I’ve been getting a lot lately and it’s kind of the style we were going for!
A: Well you’ve definitely succeeded, are there any other artists you look up to besides Neck Deep and All Time Low?
M: When I was younger I looked up to A Day to Remember, Foo Fighters, that kind of stuff. A lot of Warped Tour type bands.
A: Would you say that they play a large role in the style of your music?
M: They do play a role, but I don’t like to put a label on the “style” of our music. We don’t want to pick a specific genre.
A: Now, you mentioned Warped Tour, what was it like opening for the very last one?
M: Oh, it was just…unreal. What had happened was, there was a contest at Berklee where the winner got chosen by AR dudes, who had worked with bands like Fall Out Boy and Metro Station. The winners got to open the MA date of Warped Tour. My first concert was Green Day at that venue and on that same exact stage, so it felt like everything came full circle when we won.
A: Would you say that Warped Tour is your favorite venue that you’ve performed at?
M: That’s really tough, it’s definitely in my top 3.
A: We’ve talked about your musical influences, but who is someone you’d want to collaborate with on a future song?
M: Ok, so she doesn’t match the style of music our band is doing right now, but Phoebe Bridgers. She’s an incredible songwriter and I’d love to sit down with her and just really pick her brain. There’s also Max Bemis from Say Anything, he was a big childhood influence so that would be awesome, but I’d also love to just chill and write riffs with Four Year Strong.
A: What would you say are your favorite and least favorite parts of the music industry?
M: Favorite part is the moments where you feel like you’ve made a difference in someone’s life. For instance, at Warped Tour, we closed with our song “Good Grief”. There weren’t many people because we were the first band of the day, but everyone that was there knew all the words and I could hear them clearly. I remember just thinking, ‘wow they like something I created,’ it was surreal. My least favorite part though is how tricky the industry is. It relies heavily on right place/right time and connections. Unfortunately it’s more about who you know than talent these days.
A: You guys are working on your debut album currently, correct?
M: Yeah! We started the album at the beginning of the year and recorded about half of it before quarantine started and the studio shut down. However, the studio is reopening shortly, so we’re excited to hopefully be heading back soon to finish it.
A: What are your future musical ambitions?
M: To tour. Hands down. I want to experience traveling across the country and hear people sing back our songs.
A: Where do you guys see yourselves in 5-10 years?
M: Hopefully getting signed to some sort of label, recording a 2nd or 3rd album, having some touring experience.
A: Speaking of songs, I’m curious, how do you go about picking which songs become singles?
M: Good question, usually it’s a gut feeling, whichever one gets stuck in my head the most. Other times it’s one that all of our friends like.
A: Alright, last question: if you could have your fans remember one thing about you, what would it be?
M: Being an honest person. You know how there are some really talented musicians, but their personality is awful and they’re complete a**holes? I want people to see me as an honest, genuine human being.
