In our latest conversation, MarMar shares a glimpse into the personal connections that shape his life and his music, starting with a simple, yet deep love for heartfelt interactions. “I love hugs. I try to keep heartfelt relationships with those around me and that’s essential in my life. I love deep conversations and connecting with those I love; I’ve always been that way honestly,” he reveals. This warmth and authenticity not only define his personal life but also deeply influence his creative process. In our interview, MarMar talks about the journey of creating his new EP “Feel Okay,” a project that not only reflects the complexities of his own mental health struggles but also aims to resonate and help others dealing with similar challenges.
photography by Juliette Tarnus
Last time we spoke, you discussed how each song you create reflects a particular feeling or phase in your life. How do you see your latest debut EP “Feel Okay” in your ongoing music journey?
“Feel Okay” is a large chapter of my life. Sometimes I’m happy that it’s one that is coming to a close. It was a part of my music journey that held a lot of doubt and fear. I’m thankful to be doing a lot better than I was when I started the creative process for the EP. I actually think I started the first track for the EP last May, so it’s been about a year of my life that has been put into these 6 tracks. I see this as a story that had to be told, and now it has been told fully, which was important to me and my team.
You’ve shared that “Feel Okay” is a very personal EP dealing with your experiences with OCD. How did you translate such a theme into music?
It’s been tougher than I can say. Often having OCD gets in the way of me even making the music in the first place. So I tried to be as honest as I could, and not let it get in the way. I tried to just share what I was going through and that seemed to be cathartic in a way.
“I think it is extremely important to discuss mental health topics with my music. It’s a genuine nightmare.”
You mentioned the difficulties in singing, mixing, and mastering “Feel Okay”. Could you elaborate on these challenges?
I really tried something different with the vocal editing specifically. It’s a layer of my higher vocal and my lower vocal, and getting those to cooperate was a challenge. I think sometimes I still listen back to that song and wish I had done things differently, but it’s always like that with musicians I suppose. Basically this song involved a lot of technical experimentation while trying to make something incredibly honest at the same time.
How important is it for you to discuss topics like mental health in your music? Do you see your work as a form of advocacy or therapy, not just for yourself but also for your audience?
Love this question. I think it is extremely important to discuss these topics with my music. Sometimes people don’t see how synonymous mental struggles and creativity can be. Especially with OCD, the disease is essentially an over creative mind that thinks of every worst case scenario. It’s a genuine nightmare. So anyway, I think it was definitely therapeutic to express that through some of these tracks, and I pray it has the same effect for others listening.
“The EP was such a calculated and thought out body of work. That was difficult but fun to be a part of, and helped me to make it more personal actually.”
In our last conversation, we also discussed the spontaneity in your music creation. Was the process for “Feel Okay” more planned due to its personal nature?
Definitely. I think I used a totally different process from when we spoke last. The EP was such a calculated and thought out body of work. That was difficult but fun to be a part of, and helped me to make if more personal actually.
The EP has such a warm, embracing vibe. Does this reflect your personal approach to interactions? For example, are you a fan of giving hugs?
(Laughs) good question. I love hugs. I try to keep heartfelt relationships with those around me and that’s essential in my life. I love deep conversations and connecting with those I love; I’ve always been that way honestly.
The most important thing in life is?
Sharing Light.
