Supermarket Parking Lot Wants To Convince You He's A "Normal Person" In His First Single

Cover art for Supermarket Parking Lot’s “Normal Person”

Supermarket Parking Lot, also known as Marco Telow, has been a “music guy” his whole life. After years of music lessons, scribbling down lyrics, and performing at Boston house shows, he is set to release his first single, the alt-rock stomper “Normal Person” on April 28. 

From New York City, Tewlow’s parents raised him on music that made the whole house “a bit pretentious.” From The White Stripes to The Strokes, his music taste was solidified from a very young age. This combined with piano lessons from the age of five sparked a fire for music within him, stoked by friends in high school who also encouraged him to compose. “If I’m going to be the music guy, I should actually try my hand at composing,” he laughed. 

Some of Tewlow’s biggest inspirations come from his parents, such as The Shins, while others are more modern, like Paramore, referencing the chorus of “Misery Business” in the creation of his upcoming single. He also cited a connection to David Bowie and Josh Homme, feeling they experienced a similar struggle. “We’re a bit too low for a proper tenor and a bit too high for a baritone,” he explained. However, all three artists learned to work around this, finding a style that matched their natural range. 

Photo courtesy of Will Ingman // @claritycontrolphoto

When listening to “Normal Person,” one can immediately tell that Tewlow has had plenty of time to figure out that style. The song’s fast pace and angsty vocals create an anime-esque vibe, coming from his self-professed interest in video game soundtracks, like the Final Fantasy series. Having written and performed other songs at basement gigs around Allston, he specifically chose to record “Normal Person” because of the positive crowd response it always received. While this is his first official streaming release, Tewlow put a live album on Bandcamp earlier this month called Much Requested Bootleg Volume 1. “[The album doesn’t have] the greatest audio quality, which is why it's just on Bandcamp for now, but I’m considering bringing it to streaming,” he admitted. The live album includes an earlier version of “Normal Person,” showcasing the song’s development since its initial release.

Many of the verses for the single were written back in 2019 after Tewlow experienced a  breakup. The rest of the song came to him gradually, and he finally finished it about a year and a half after producing the lyrics. “My songwriting process tends to vary from song to song to song. A lot of times I’ll have bits and pieces that are from one or two or three songs, originally, that I end up slicing together into others.” Occasionally, Tewlow brings co-writers on to collaborate with himself and his bandmates. However, Supermarket Parking Lot remains Tewlow’s solo project, “like Tame Impala or Owl City.” 

After his breakup, Tewlow considered an opportunity he had with another girl during the relationship, and how he had rejected her for his ex. “I was looking back at it and I was thinking, ‘Wow.’” said Tewlow. “Not necessarily [saying] that I wanted to say yes to her advances, but what if I had? What if I made one decision that drastically changed my life? Would I be happier? Would I be sadder?” Ultimately, this dilemma is what “Normal Person” is about, and its neurotic energy builds throughout the song, mirroring Tewlow’s anxious thoughts. 

If you would like to support Supermarket Parking Lot’s first release, pre-save “Normal Person” on Spotify, and be sure to listen to it on April 28.