Indie/emo quintet Marigolds are back with a fresh line-up, welcoming Poppy Johnson on vocals and keys, and ready to share their second EP Hot Springs, out this month via Beth Shalom Records. Heading in a new direction with their latest release, we caught up with guitarist/vocalist Joe Maguire to find out more about Marigolds, from their influences to their aims and what we can expect from them in 2020.
Firstly, tell us a bit about yourself and your band.
I’m Joe, I play guitar and sing in Marigolds. Alongside music, I’m currently studying at Politics and Media at UEA. Marigolds is a five-piece indie/emo band based in Norwich. We formed back in 2016 and have since released numerous singles and two EPs. Our sound is a combination of math-rock, jangly guitars with indie pop melodies.
How did the band form and how long have you been together?
The band formed when I met Davey at college. We both had similar music tastes and started to write songs together, eventually that would go on to be the beginning of Marigolds. I knew Tom through being in a previous band with him and he seemed really into the idea of playing bass so after not too long he joined. Since then we’ve had a few members come and go due to heading off to university and other life commitments, but we now have James on drums and Poppy on the synth and vocals. Since starting the band we’ve had loads of cool opportunities such as: going on a a few small tours; supporting some amazing bands like Turnover, Spring King and Glitterer; and being played on BBC Radio 1.
Can you remember the first time you realised you wanted to make music?
I remember when I first went to high school I said to one of my friends that I could play guitar (I couldn’t) and before long we were playing an absolutely tragic cover of Cooler Than Me by Mike Posner in the school’s talent show. After that, I really started to get into writing music and learning how to actually play guitar. Since then, I haven’t really been able to walk away from making music, it’s just something which makes me feel very fulfilled and it’s a really cool feeling to make something in your living room and then a few months later its out there into the big wide world.
Who and what are the band’s main influences?
This is tricky because I feel we all have quite an eclectic taste of music. Musically, I’d say a lot of inspiration comes from bands like Yuck, Tigers Jaw and American Football. Personally, I’m a massive fan of Elliot Smith. The way his lyrics are so beautifully sad, and he’s able to vent feelings of anger and loss in such a poetic way is something which I find very inspirational.
What do you aim to achieve as a band?
Rather than achieving material goals I just really hope we manage to make music which we’re all proud of. Long in the future I want to be to look back and be like “god damn that was a bop”. Apart from that, I would love to be able to share plenty more cool experiences as a band and see some new places.
For those who are yet to see you live, what can they expect from a Marigolds show?
I like to think we’re quite a fun live band. Even when we play the songs terribly and forget the lyrics, its always really fun on stage, so hopefully that comes off to those watching. We also have a tonne of fairy lights so even if we do suck, it will still look pretty!!
What’s next for Marigolds?
We have a new EP coming out on Beth Shalom Records on 20th March. We’re super proud of this project and can’t wait to release it into the world. In 2020, we’ll be playing many shows around the country and releasing a lot of new music.
