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Short version
After a chat about Star Wars inspired by the T-shirt Brisbane multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter Chloe Marks wears for our interview, we talk about the tight bond of her band, The Mayhem, and their debut album, Bright Lights Late Nights.
Long version
This interview with Brisbane multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter Chloe Marks begins with a chat about Star Wars. That’s because Marks is wearing a particular Star Wars T-shirt (you’ll obviously need to be watching the video version of the interview to see it) and I wanted to ask her about it. She is, it turns out, a Star Wars aficionado and collector.
Storytelling and epic themes are at the heart of the Star Wars universe, so it’s not a surprise that Marks – who has written many songs – has immersed herself in its stories for many years. Part of what’s in that universe is a core group of people, sticking together and doing good together. Not unlike the band that Marks fronts, The Mayhem, with most of its members – including her – having met while at university.
That cohesiveness and longevity as a group says a lot about how well they must work together, and also no doubt influences the music they make in a positive way. Those currents that band members can flow in require understanding and communication – even intuition – and having seen Marks and The Mayhem perform live, it’s clear that they work like that.
Their debut album, Bright Lights Late Nights, is also a result of that relationship they have, as Marks talks about in this interview, whether it’s how songs are worked on and opinions given, or how fluid the recording process was with producer Michael Muchow.
The album showcases the band’s versatility when it comes to styles of play and genre. There are songs about what it means to pursue art as a vocation, to recover from heartbreak or try and fail to fend it off, plus a track featuring Jake Hill from The Wet Whistles.
The last track on the album is the demo version of ‘Carolina’, the studio version of which was the first single from Marks and The Mayhem. It’s a great way to finish the record, as we can actually hear how they work – an insight into that core group and how they make their stories.
Listen to Bright Lights Late Nights on Apple Music
Listen to Bright Lights Late Nights on YouTube
