Interview With Aries Marquis

What’s up Aries Marquis! How are you?

“Doing well! Excited for this interview, thank you for asking.”

How did you come by your stage name?

“My stage name is my first and middle names. I always heard that my name was unique, so what would be better than to use my own name to represent me in a unique way? When people hear Beyoncé, or Marvin Gaye, their own names stand out, and I would love to be in the same category of uniqueness as far my name goes.”

When did you discover your love for music and what made you realize you wanted to pursue a career?

“I have always loved music, even at a young age. I grew up listening to different artists between my parents, relatives, radio, and music television. Between soul, Pop, R&B, and Gospel, I had tons of artists that I fell in love with: Michael Jackson, DeBarge, Freddie Jackson, Eric Benet, Daryl Coley, and tons more. Although these artists (and more) molded me into the music artist that I am now, I didn’t decide to make music a career until I was in my early 20s, due mainly to the fact that I didn’t even know I could sing, let alone, write music or perform. My dad heard my vocals on my call-back message on my phone, and he called me, surprised at what he heard, telling me that I could be in the industry, as an artist, and just to groom music skills as a writer, and I would reach success. At this time, I realized that I might be able to do not only love music, but actually create it.”

To whom or what do you accredit your style of music creation to?

“As of today, I can definitely credit my style of music to my listeners and fans. I reached out to listeners in their inbox, I set up a poll, I took feedback, and was told that they want to hear slower, balled-like music, and that is what I create. With that, I look to some of my inspirations like Maxwell and H-Town to give amazing vocal performances on every song that I write and perform.”

On your current project, how did you come up with the concept?

“My current project, titled Experience, was thought about as two concepts: one concept surrounds the fact that I have gained so much more experience between now and my last album, Salvation: The Arrival. I have , through so much experience, gained plenty of knowledge and wisdom as an artist, whether it’s in how to write, record, produce, or perform, or market my music. The next concept is based on the true experiences I’ve written about in this project, even though all of my music is based on true experiences. This is basically an ode to my music (past, present, and future) being based on my life’s experiences, and not just lyrics being sung for commercial success, having nothing to do with my life, or anyone else’s.”

What are some of your greatest challenges and your greatest attributes when it comes to making music?

“Some of my greatest challenges when it comes to making music is trying to implement my sound with today’s contemporary sound. I grew up in the 90s, and the sounds of the 90s, and before, have become a part of my musical nature. Moreover, I am not too fond of many sounds today, because I feel the lack the passion and relevance of former eras of music. Nevertheless, I still have to implement a sound that is up-to-date, while not being to “trendy”, but implementing a classic sound that is not to outdated. Two of my greatest attributes when it comes to making music are simple: my voice and my lyrics. If all else fails, I still have a voice that has been confirmed, by many listeners, to be legitimate enough to reach masses, worldwide. I believe those which say such. As far a my lyrics, I see, through my listeners, that I impact lives. I sing about things that so many can relate to, whether it be pain, love, hardships, or hope, and I receive so much feedback and positive responses of many people letting me know how they are going through what I am singing about, or how it touched them in some way. These are the attributes that I most definitely cherish about making music; putting together a great story, while singing from the bottom of my soul to reach people’s hearts and minds.”

Are you the best at what you do?

“I don’t feel that I am the best at anything but being me, and doing me. I keep a meek heart and I let the fans and listeners decide on which level to lift are lower me. I let my music, and my persona to speak for itself. Outside of that, I am simply being the best “me.”

What are your plans in the near future as far as music goes after the release of this new project?

“After the release of this new album, I plan on taking a small break from music for about a month, or two, because I have been writing and making music, non-stop, since 2018. After that, I plan on collaborating with some producers and a music artist, dropping some singles, and also getting ready to re-release revamped versions of my previous albums, Imperfections, and Salvation: The Arrival.”

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or shout-out who may have helped you with completing the new project?

“Yes! I would love to thank Producer, Tia Soundoff, for the masterpiece production on the song, “Ghost”! Her work is amazing, and I’m looking forward to more work with her in the future! I would also like to thank the listeners to inspiring me to create this project, because this was thought up, specifically , based on the type of music they want to hear from me!”

What music advice would you give to your younger self?

“The music advice I would give to my younger self would be to go with the tide of the industry. The one thing I learned later was that if the industry is surrounded by streaming, and the best way to become successful is through streaming promotion, then do not expect to become successful solely from downloads. If downloads are the way the market operates, then I shouldn’t try to expect fans and listeners to buy physical singles. Once I learned to go with the market, and what the fans gravitate to, then I started to see the success and impact my music could make.”

What suggestions/advice do you have for other artists like yourself?

“The main piece of advice that I stress, drastically, is to STAY HUMBLE. By personal experiences, you go so much further when you keep your head low, and your heart humbled. It creates bridges and connections that are extremely useful, and you can go so far with a humble attitude. Next set of advice is to not make excuses. I have run into so many artists that come up with more reasons not to reach success than reasons to do so. I have learned that if music is really your passion, you must do whatever is necessary to push your music to a higher level. Where there is a will, there is a way, and you simply have to create a plan, and execute, staying consistent, and focused, which are my two other pieces of advice: stay consistent, and focused. Do not stop, just regroup, see what works and what doesn’t, and continue to execute, but DO NOT stop, and stay focused! Do not let distractions sway you to anything else if music is truly your passion. Stay locked in, and go for it!”

You can stream Aries Marquis new album below: