Marcio Novelli is a Toronto-based independent musician, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and filmmaker. He’s recorded two solo EP’s, with “Break Me” winning Best Pop/Rock Recording of the Year at the 2009 Hamilton Music Awards. He also won an Independent Music Award in 2014 for the documentary “Walking Proof,” which chronicled the making of his debut album, “It’s Not An Excuse, It’s A Reason.”
Table of Contents
5:55 – If you had to describe yourself as a band, song or genre, what would it be?
8:57 – How did you get started in the music business?
14:08 – Looking back at your career, what stands out to you as your proudest moment?
20:43 – What’s been one of your biggest failures?
31:23 – Three things artists should be doing today to grow their fan base and move their careers forward
If you had to describe yourself as a band, song or genre, what would it be?
“Make Yourself” by Incubus. The song talks about creating your own life and your own mind. It’s been my anthem since my teen years. Make yourself! If you want to learn more about me, check out that song.
How did you get started in the music business?
I wrote my first poem at the age of 7, so I always had a love for writing. I wasn’t that popular in school, and around the age of 13, I would come home and just write. I’d pour all of my teenage angst into song form. I taught myself how to play the guitar, to sing, and write songs all by learning other bands’ songs. I listened to bands like Green Day, Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, and a few other bands, and that helped shape my initial songwriting.
Over the years I kept writing. I joined a band in high school, and I always did my solo thing. I like solo work because I’ve found that it’s very hard to rely on other people to take their career as seriously as I do. I released my first solo EP in 2006, and I’ve been working my ass off since then.
Looking back at your career, what stands out to you as your proudest moment?
I have a few. Winning my first Hamilton Music Award for the “Break Me” EP. It’s from my hometown, and I try to stay humble, but that was a proud moment and a great feeling.
Another moment was just last month when I won an Independent Music Award for my documentary, “Walking Proof.” That was something I spent…well, let me put it this way–I made the record in two weeks, then spent a year making the documentary that was about making the record in two weeks. I was glad to see that great some recognition.
What’s been one of your biggest failures?
I subscribe to the idea that there are no failures, only lessons, and that success is built on multiple failures. But I would say that my own lack of knowledge over the years of how things really work, and being my own worst enemy.
Back when I made the “Break Me” EP, I didn’t really know what I was doing. I didn’t know how to properly release it, or how to promote it. It probably didn’t reach as many people as it could have reached. But hey, you have to pick yourself up after something like that and keep creating.
Four things artists should be doing today to grow their fanbase and move their careers forward:
- Play live. It’s obvious, but both super important and hard.
- Write the best material you can write. And if your best material isn’t great, learn to write better material. I don’t mean technically, it’s not about chord changes–you have to have heart. The people that are seeking out independent music are people that generally want something more than what they are getting in mainstream music. You can’t fake sincerity, honesty, or truth, and we need to give fans those things.
- Don’t pay attention to what other artists are doing, or about the most popular music of the day. No one likes a copycat, you’ll be so much better off when you let it come from the heart. The most-honest songs are my best songs, and my most popular songs.
- Get yourself a website. You can contact my good friend Ross at Electric Kiwi to get started. We all have social media and that’s great, but independent artists need a centralized place online so fans can find you. It can be a simple website, but let that branch out to your other social platforms like Facebook and Twitter, not the other way around.
The best ways to reach Marcio:
On the web:
http://www.marcionovelli.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/marcionovelli
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/marcionovelli
Intro Music:
Walking Proof
It’s Not an Excuse, It’s a Reason (2012)
Marcio Novelli
Outro Music:
Doctor, Please
It’s Not an Excuse, It’s a Reason (2012)
Marcio Novelli
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