“Any good song can be interpreted in any genre or style,” Jeff Marino
Music genres have been both a blessing and a curse for many musicians. On one hand, they give people a quick idea of the type of music you play while making it easier for record execs to market their artists. On the other hand, it can often push musicians into a specific sound and cut off creativity in other areas. Plus, all the sub genres make it even more difficult because bands can fit into so many categories.
So does a band really need to focus in and concentrate on a specific genre? In my experience the answer is no. I find it much more useful to be able to explain to fans and potential fans which artists you are similar to. For example, telling someone you are an alternative rock band is like telling someone you like cheeseburgers. But if you tell someone you sound like a mix between Jimmy Eat World and Jason Mraz with a hint of Social Distortion added in, then WOW! Now you just told me that you love to eat a double double with spread and ketchup only from In-n-Out burger!
The next stop on our journey found us in the Garden State where we talked with Jeff Marino from The One & Nines about his songwriting process and get his take on music genres and song structure.
McCoy: When did you first start writing music and what instruments if any do you use in the initial raw stage of a song?
Marino: As far as I can remember, I first started writing music in the 2nd or 3rd grade before I played an instrument. I had a band with a friend and we would sing and make the sounds of the band and instruments vocally - it was pretty cool. I usually start on guitar because that's the only instrument I know how to play really. I would love to be able to write on a piano, but I don't really have regular access to one where I could take the time to learn it well.
McCoy: Where do you get your inspiration from?
Marino: Everywhere! Listening to music that I love to start with, or music that catches my attention or catches me off guard is my inspiration. Also, different film styles and books or just walking down the street.
McCoy: Do you tend to stick to just one genre (rock, alternative, rap,etc...) or do you jump around a bit?
Marino: I don't want to limit anything in anyway, so I don't try and write with any genre in mind. The idea of one genre can be a hinderance in my opinion. Any good song can be interpreted in any "genre" or style. That used to happen all the time back in the 40's, 50's, & 60's. A good song is a good song no matter who sings it or what the arrangement is or what label is put on it. If you start off writing a song and say 'I want to write in this genre' you're gonna have problems right off the bat because you're putting limits on yourself.
McCoy: Have you ever hit a dry patch where you wondered if you had anymore songs in you?
Marino: Not exactly. It sometimes takes a while to finish a song and it'll sometimes be a while before I come up with something I really dig. This causes me some frustration because I want it to happen NOW. But if you keep at it in some way on a regular basis, eventually something will come along.
McCoy: What roadblocks have you run into during the writing process and what do you do to overcome them?
Marino: Writing lyrics - that takes the most time for me. Sometimes you get 'lucky' where 3 verses will just pop out, but that's usually after working on something and not getting anywhere for a while. It usually takes a while to flesh out some kind of complete thought or image and with a day job and all other life obligations it takes even longer and you don't get to spend as much time as you'd like. There's no tricks that I know of to overcome that. Again just keep doing it and eventually things will take shape. If I'm stuck with an idea and don't know where to go with it, I often look to music that I like or catch something in a movie I like that will spark an idea. But ultimately, all you can do is ride it out and keep chopping away.
McCoy: Do you find it easier to write the music or the lyrics, and how do you overcome the more difficult portion of the process?
Marino: It usually starts with the music for me. I'll have some sort of riff or melody that I'll shape into a song and almost always the lyrics come last. I'm always jotting down ideas for lyrics. Sometimes just a couple words, sometimes a few lines. Eventually some of those things will be used and expanded on. It's not always the same. Sometimes I have a chorus with no verse, sometimes a verse with no chorus, but for the most part I'd say the music comes first. As far as overcoming the difficult part of the process see question 5... again keep at it. I look for ideas and inspiration in different places, and eventually it'll all come together, or you'll realize the song as you thought it was is not meant to be and it will take on another form.
McCoy: What is the general song structure that you use? Intro, verse, chorus, etc...
Marino: You can't use a general structure, I can't anyway. This also ties in to what I was saying about genre. I can't start with anything specific like that because you're limiting your ideas and where you can go with the song before you even start. And that just leads to dead ends in my experience. You have to feel it out and focus on what is the best arrangement for that particular song.
McCoy: Do you use a lyrical or musical bridge in each of your songs, and how important do you think the bridge is to the song?
Marino: It depends on the song. I have a few songs where there is no bridge, not even really verse/chorus, more like part A and part B. Again it depends on what the song calls for. If the song needs a bridge, then it's important. If it doesn't need a bridge, then it's not important. What's important is not forcing anything and finding what makes the song.
McCoy: Is there a general theme/mood that you find yourself writing about more than others? Love, happiness, sadness, etc...
Marino: Not necessarily. Depends on the day I guess, and again depends on the song. Some songs I come up with are more visceral than others and ideally give an impression of a certain theme or mood depending on who's listening. But I usually try to hit on those universal things like of course love, happiness, sadness, or dancing, or food... but ultimately some kind of struggle is usually in there, or at least I try and incorporate that in some way because that is what interests me most in the best songs. Some kind of struggle or search, who wants to listen to a song about how easy things are?
McCoy: If you look at a song you wrote when you were first starting out and compared it to a more recent song you have written, what would be the biggest difference?
Marino: I haven't really thought about that much. More focus I suppose, something written when I was younger a lot of times would be kind of all over the place as opposed to now where I try to have a tighter focus. Although a lot of things I write now will start out less focused and I won't consider it 'finished' until it's come together more. But I also haven't had a band to play with as regularly as I do now, so there were a lot of songs from when I was younger that I never actually got to see materialize. Fortunately, I play with a great bunch of musicians on a regular basis now and am able to take more songs farther than the tape recorder in my bedroom.
McCoy: What has been the biggest change in your writing style over the years?
Marino: I can't say exactly because my influences have always been pretty steady and as time goes on you try and expand on that. My confidence has grown if that counts as a change.
McCoy: Do you have any songwriting tips for our readers?
Marino: I wouldn't consider myself an expert songwriter by any means and I still feel there's a long way to go. I guess that's what I would tell someone if they really wanted a tip from me, is to always understand that there will always be a lot to learn, and never close your ears or eyes or nose to anything. I think anyone can write a song. If you want to do it then you can do it, but you have to sit down and put in the time to do it.
McCoy: If you had to pick one song that you were the most proud of writing, what would it be?
Marino: I'm proud of all of the songs that I've finished, I don't think I can single one out. Each song has something in it that I'm impressed that I came up with. It can be very difficult to finish a song, so any song that I feel I've gotten to that place I'm proud of for that reason.
McCoy: Where can our readers go online to take a listen to your music?
Marino: www.theoneandnines.com
Name: Jeff Marino
Band Name: The One & Nines
City/State: Jersey City, NJ
Website: www.theoneandnines.com
Years in Business: 4 years with The One & Nines
Jeff Marino The One & Nines