By MEREDITH HUMPHREY, Special to Bootleg Essential Culture
Jason Marcum released “World in Progress” in 2007 and is currently working on both a covers and a pop album.
Kiss is making another comeback. Well, in Jason Marcum’s stereo at least.
“[I’m listening to] Kiss’ ‘Revenge’ and ‘Lick It Up.’ The stuff no one was listening to in the ’80s,” said Marcum. “I was thinking about Paul Stanley and how he always brings it to the table—and he does. I did the same with old Van Halen before their reunion tour. You listen to old Van Halen and you’re in heaven.”
The black and white makeup, hair metal and electric guitar influences are not easily detectable in Marcum’s own music — except that he too “brings it all to the table.”
Currently promoting his seventh album “World in Progress,” Marcum’s voice moves in a dangerous border between singer/songwriter and ’70s rocker.
“I don’t want my shows to be boring. I like my shows to not be acoustic-y, fluffy and stuff. I like my music to have an edge.”
Marcum tracks “Train” and “Of My Whereabouts” sound like a marriage between Sister Hazel and James Taylor. With whirling acoustic guitars, “First Grade” transports the listener to a simpler time: when betrayal and heartbreak were foreign entities and friendship could right the world.
Between original songs, Marcum enjoys throwing in schizophrenic covers from the likes of Ice Cube, Jack Johnson, Elvis Costello and Foo Fighters. Even when discussing his influences, Marcum is well aware of his musical debt, admitting he is always himself “except for everyone I listen to.” In fact, 50 percent of his music is definitely not his own—it’s his wife’s.
“ ‘Train’ was written by my wife and me. I’m always writing new stuff and feeding off of her. She’s always writing stories and poetry. We’re a writing machine that puts stuff under my name.”
Marcum’s reprisal of the typical singer songwriter has obviously been successful—he books over 270 shows a year. However, he rebels from mandatory between-song banter.
“A lot of people expect you to be a comedian and a musician. I retaliated by bumping up my cover songs and giving them music that is undeniably good. I love to say stuff over the microphone and get people drinking. It’s a showman—I’m an entertainer.”
