We Say…
New York-based quartet Marinara are a collective based around the songwriting of Nick Cortezi. The band, who feature members of Active Bird Community, Your Dog, and Future Teens, are set to release their debut album, I Feel Dog, next month. A record Nick has suggested is, “the first chapter in an extended narrative of how I approach my mental health,” I Feel Dog is an album about getting lost in your head and trying to find your way back out again.
If the records exists in a lyrical fuzz, as described in the opening track Regine 1, “suffering my friend / I’m in the static again”, musically too it’s claustrophobic, buzzing between your ears, engulfing you in tightly wound noise. There’s a timelessness to the band’s music, the sort of guitar-led garage noise that people have made for years, from Pavement, through to The Walkman and still present in bands like Juan De Fuca or The Spielbergs; no frills, no trickery, just pure honest expression. If every dog has its day, then Marinara’s looks like being just around the corner.
They Say…
FTR: For those who don’t know who are Marinara?
Hello! We are four buds playing the age-old game of couching conversations about mental health and relationships inside loud, boisterous guitar rock. We all recognize that its pretty much a defense mechanism at this point, but hey old habits die hard. We started in 2017 after Nick and Yuta moved to NYC and we began fooling around with some ditties and demos Nick had from his time in Boston. Before too long, we had the sauce bubbling and started planning to bring it to the masses. We had all just left or were in the process of leaving other projects, so it sort of felt like going on a first date after ending a long relationship. But by the end of the first practice, we were ready to commit!
FTR: What can you remember about your first show?
Our first show was in the cellar at Brooklyn Bazaar, which is a really cool spot as it feels almost like a house show. There were giant spotlights on us so we couldn’t see more than six inches in front of us. The crowd of friends and family were this frenetic black blob anonymously moving to the music. Then our friend Nello came cannonballing in from the left, nearly leveling Julius like a running back. Nick also wore his guitar too low and messed up his neck, the dunce.
FTR: Why do you make music? Why not another art form?
I think we all grew up with music being a crutch to get through times of anxiety or stress. Whether sequestered in a room with headphones, losing oneself in the revelry of a live show, or bothering our families by making “music” in our basements, those were the moments where we could try and escape whatever headspace was dogging us. It’s kinda cliche to say it’s a universal language, but I do think there is a communicative aspect to music that can’t be found in other mediums, especially in terms of conveying your narrative. Plus between the four of us I don’t know if we could even draw four convincing stick figures.
FTR: What can people expect from the Marinara live show?
It’s loud and sweaty and Sweet Child Yuta slings the axe like a demonic lumberjack. Mostly we just try to communicate how much love we have for each other through the performance and to avoid getting caught up in over analyzing the situation. We are neurotic enough off stage as is. We want folks to have a blast and exorcise whatever demons they need to, but kind of head out thinking “who hurt them?”. In reality that call is usually coming from inside the house.
FTR: What’s next for Marinara?
After I Feel Like Dog comes out, we are hoping to get out on the road and bring the pup to new places! Once it’s time to put it in the kennel, we will be going back upstate to record the next LP with Chris Daly, our maestro and mentor. Can’t say too much about the album right now, but its biggest influence is Stephen King funnily enough. One of our mottos is nothing’s too over the top, so of course next move is a satanic power pop album.
They Listen To…
Sauce Brewing: Songs That Inspire Our Cooking
The Philistines Jr. – OK
Proper. – Fucking Disgusting
Jeff Rosenstock – USA
Katie Dey – Stuck
Sioux Falls – Dom
I Feel Like Dog is out November 9th. Click HERE for more information on Marinara.
For The Rabbits 