One of the most exciting discoveries in the early days of GigRadar was a band called War Waves, who were one of our first New Bands of the Week in the first month of running this website. Over the years, we kept tabs on their music, wrote reviews of their debut album and final EP, and have been through phases of bingeing their epic “sad man songs.”
We also kept up with the band’s lead singer Marc Newby, a self-confessed “36-year-old cat dad from Ipswich,” who has since begun writing music as a solo artist. Marc’s music is a little lighter than the War Waves days but retains his lyrical excellence.
Speaking of his shift to solo music, Marc told us: “I played solo when I was a teenager and was absolutely horrendous, really really bad. I stopped playing music until my early twenties until I started writing songs again, and formed War Waves.
“Most (if not all) of the WW songs were originally written by me on an acoustic guitar, but this is the first time I’ve written songs with percussion/other instruments. I actually started writing for myself again a couple of years ago when my cat died. I was really torn up and needed an outlet. I think actually the sound is not too dissimilar to the first WW record, certainly some of the softer moments on it. Just a bit musically lighter.”
And on his solo sound, Marc added: “I’ve been told the lyrics are brutally honest and at times hard to listen to. To me, I write very simple pop-punk-esque songs with basic percussion and mopey lyrics.”
Our latest taste of this is Marc’s new single Feeling Feeder, which was released last week and very much has that distinct WW feel with a warming intro of guitar chords and a little lick. That gives way to engaging opening vocals “The neighbour’s cat died, I centred on the guilt I’d carry, I made it about my mind, Rather than their loss of body.” The pace picks up a little with the introduction of a tambourine as the catchy vocals continue into a chorus “This isn’t how it should be when you’re in your thirties, We can all do better, if you want the house, to join a team, If you want anything, You should make things better… If you want to find a place to live.”
A little instrumental interlude gives way to laid-back vocals “When my friend was sick, I focused on how I’d suffer, I made light of it, Rather than providing comfort.” That feeds into dual vocals before another chorus and instrumental section flow into a variation on the chorus. Higher-pitched repeats of “feeling feeder” come in as the track winds to a more atmospheric conclusion.
On the track, Marc told us: “I’m fortunate to have a very small group of people who follow me and buy the songs when they come out, which I’m very grateful for. I recently took the first holiday I have had in years and wrote FF. It’s a song about wanting to do better, of age no longer being an excuse and how we all have to try.” Check out Feeling Feeder in the stream here:
Feeling Feeder follows on from an album, Trialling, and EP, This Temporary Ill, that offer more of Marc’s intriguing songwriting ability, including personal favourites My Cat Is Ill, Closing and Paint Collide.
Marc’s music is heavily influenced by the likes of Saves The Day, The Smiths and Frightened Rabbit. And on what inspires him to write music, he told us: “My own thoughts and struggles. Music is a huge outlet for me, and it tends to reflect what I’m feeling at the time – be it positive, sad, optimistic, defeatist.
“Last year, I put out an album, Trialling, which is a collection of songs written in a very short space of time about an extremely difficult time of my life. It was more catharsis, and I’m very grateful that I was able to channel that period into music.”
Marc plans to sporadically release new music under his own name. He’s also in another band with two of his former War Waves bandmates called Big Grey Sky, who released an EP last year and have another due this summer.
And Marc added: “Music is pretty much just a sanity project for me now, but any support means an awful lot.”
You can check out Marc Newby’s music on Spotify, Bandcamp, Apple Music and YouTube. You can also check out Big Grey Sky on Spotify and Bandcamp.
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