With a brand new album out in the world, a big heart to share through song and on stage, and a respect for artists of all kind, this old friend of ours is deserving of everything positive coming his way.
“Everyone loves the music and the music loves everyone,” Stephen Marley says in regarding to attend one of his concerts. No matter what city the performance is in, no mater the size of the venue, no matter the demographic of the crowd, the fans who fill the room can “relate to the vibration of the music.” He emphasizes to us in conversation that his music and this community goes much deeper than others. As a musician, he can feel that and he works for that. This, as a whole, is all about connectivity, connecting to the vibration, like he said, and “not just the words, but other components and the musicians and the part they play. That’s what reggae music is all about.”
At what point do you decide what songs are going to get another voice or you’ll bring someone in to add another flare in there? Do you know it when you’re writing it? When you’re recording it?
Well, sometimes you do go into a project with a concept. With this project, we didn’t have a concept or anything like that. I didn’t even start out as a project – it just started out as I was playing music again.
You want this type of music to be very natural, from the process to who you’re working with and everything in between. Maybe if you went in with preconceived idea, the album would be different.
Right, yes. I mean, in some aspects I agree with that, as well, but sometimes we, as creative beings, have ideas. I always had an idea that I would like to do a record with some other artists helping to narrate the message of the project, so to speak. So, yes, sometimes you do have a concept, but it’s loose. Like when Damien [Marley, brother] did that record with Nas.
They had to have a little bit of an idea!
Well, exactly… they did. That was a full concept. They said, “We’re going to use African samples and the songs are about Africa. Sometimes you take a concept and then sometimes, as you say, you give it a more organic approach. You just have some songs and go in the studio together, then we create from nothing.
There is a lot of collaboration on this record. Is it easier to work with people that you are friends with and who are family? Or is it easier to kind of go into a session for the first time and experiment with someone you’re maybe not so close to? Sometimes musicians tell me that they are more comfortable butting heads with people they know really well. [Laughs]
Yeah. [Laughs] Well, we don’t butt heads! We really don’t at all, but with people you have a more comfortable relationship with, it definitely helps, naturally. For me, there are musicians that I’ve never met and are revered, you know? I think, “Wow, this was done was done like that? Wow!” In that aspect, again, we could work well together.
It’s a balancing act, I am hearing.
Indeed. Yes.
Speaking of, I was listening to “Old Soul,” the single ahead of the record, but also the title track. How did you know that “Old Soul” was going to be a single before the full record release?
It was just a story that we told that we thought would be something that I would want to present in a single format to the world. Like, “Hey, check this song! I have a list of songs, but check this one first.” The topic of the song and the story behind the song and all of that lead into what [songs] come next. And, you know, the song has a nice acoustic recording to it, as well. With that, as you say, it had that balance of what the whole record was around about. It was acoustic, it didn’t have a lot of instruments on it, so to speak, and it is kind of broken down. I decided with that in mind that this one kind of encompasses the project. It’s very balanced.
Yes. I completely agree, and it is just really good. In addition, I want to share that I love the artwork for the song and the artwork for the album. I’m curious how much of a say you have in that visual aspect, because it’s so sweet.
Yeah, so my sister is involved on the labor side of things, and because the album is a true, universal collective, my imprint is, as well. She’s involved with I, myself, and it’s been a rough year so far, you know? Even just personal reasons and things, so when she brought this, I approved the concept and they went from there. I didn’t get too much involved on this one.
And that’s ok! I think it worked out well and is memorable.
Nice, nice.
Now, seaking on the track list of Old Soul, you take on “Don’t Let Me Down,” which is quite the track to cover. How did that come about in terms of getting it together and setting up the arrangement? It’s a really cool rendition for sure.
So that one came about from a good friend of mine – producer, songwriter, Sala Remy. He is as a close friend of mine and he was like, “Hey, you know this song? I think if you do it acoustic it will fit the vibe.” The song, “Don’t Let Me Down,” was one I grew up with, but I was growing up knowing that song from Marcia Griffiths. I didn’t know it from The Beatles.
Wow!
Right? I knew it from Marcia Griffiths doing a version in the seventies and I loved it. It was just a full circle moment to cover it – a great reggae version.
I’m going to have to take a listen. For you, though, as someone who is a singer, a songwriter, and a creative, what do you like about doing a cover of someone else’s song? Or a cover of a cover, in this case. Is it more freeing for you? Or are you more about your originals at the end of the day?
Music is just music to me. If it resonates with me, I don’t even think of it as a cover; I’m just singing this beautiful song. That’s my approach. I don’t sing what I don’t feel. If it resonates with me, then we take it from the soul of wherever the song comes from into ours. That’s me. I’m not going to think too much of anything else, more than, “Oh, this the song. This is me. I like this. I like the verse. I like the chord change here. It has an African feel? Ok, let me sing this. Let me try this one. I like it.!”
On the record, one of those songs are from Frank Sinatra. I know him, but I couldn’t tell you quite a handful of Frank songs. What I can tell you is that that one… it connects. That’s me.
STEPHEN MARLEY’S NEW ALBUM, OLD SOUL, IS OUT WHEREVER YOU LISTEN TO MUSIC! FOR TICKETS TO HIS TOUR, WHICH STOPS IN PA ON 10/15 & NJ ON 10/17,VISIT HIS WEBSITE!
