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Marci – the project of Montreal-based band TOPS’ Marta Cikojevic – announces her debut self-titled album, out August 5th on Arbutus Records, and shares a new song/video, “Immaterial Girl.” Produced by her TOPS bandmate David Carriere, the songs comprising Marci are thoughtfully arranged, with plenty of space allowing each element to shine independently. A guileless collection of synth pop songs that brim with unabashed sincerity. Sonically, the songs hover in the nebulous galaxy between analog and digital, often both in one song . Today’s “Immaterial Girl,” which follows early single “Entertainment” – praised by Brooklyn Vegan as “an instantly appealing sophistipop morsel” – has both synthesized and analog bass on it. “Stuck in a trance where money and status rules the world, ‘Immaterial Girl’ wants what’s true,” says Cikojevic. “As greed taunts her, she tries to escape the trapping of such superficial things.” The accompanying video by Chloé Soldevila is a retro blend of VHS footage and Marci donned in various costumes.
Watch Marci’s Video for “Immaterial Girl”
The confidence across Marci belies the fact that Cikojevic has never formally written songs before, though she’s had a music-filled childhood. She would sing along to the radio pop divas du jour, perform in the church choir, and participate in piano recitals. The middle child of five sisters, Cikojevic describes herself as a shy singer at home, who would instead seek out secret spots—the forest behind her home or a broken down van on their property were favorites—to practice her singing and record the songs she would make up herself into a handheld recorder. She was encouraged to do so by her grandfather, a refugee from the former Yugoslavia, who would sing and record both original songs and traditional Croatian folk songs on a cassette dictation machine.
Eventually she would make her way to Toronto where she played in several groups before joining TOPS as a keyboardist in 2017. When she decided to make a solo record, it was a given that she’d work with Carriere. The two approached Marci with the idea that they wanted to craft hits—songs that were catchy and danceable while still being emotionally honest and down-to-earth. The record was put together over the course of a year in a Montreal apartment reminiscent of a 1993 pawnshop, full of synthesizers and obscure instruments dating back to the 1980s. The songs were written on Rhodes and bass and then fleshed out with harmonies, guitars, samplers, and FM and analogue synthesizers—and a little help from their friends. Rounding out the band on Marci are Mitch Davis, Rene Wilson, and Austin Tufts (Braids) on drums, and Chloé Soldevila (Anemone), Adam Byczkowski (Better Person), and Jane Penny (TOPS) on backing vocals.
Ultimately Marci is about finding catharsis in all its forms, whether it be through a crying session behind closed doors or the euphoria that hits when you hear your favorite song on the radio.
Marci Tour Dates:
Wed. Aug. 10 – London, UK @ Laylow
Sat. Oct. 8 – Montreal, QC @ Diving Bell Social Club
Mon. Oct. 10 – Boston, MA @ Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theatre
Tue. Oct. 11 – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right
Thu. Oct. 13 – Chicago, IL @ Schubas
Fri. Oct. 14 – Detroit, MI @ UFO Factory
Sat. Oct. 15 – Toronto, ON @ Monarch Tavern
Mon. Nov. 14 – Los Angeles, CA @ El Cid
— tickets available here—
Pre-order Marci
Watch video for “Entertainment”
