Armed with a brand new single and video celebrating the very best in his divine vocal fluidity and nostalgic RnB presence, Marion Park kindly took part in an interview. We talk about the latest singles, the upcoming album, his plans for live shows, and plenty more. Here’s how it went.
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Hi Marion – thanks for the interview, and huge congrats for the brand new single and video. To introduce things, where are you right now, and what have you been busy with this past week?
Thank you so much, well currently I reside in Seattle, WA, but I frequent back home to New York often, Brooklyn to be exact. My friends and family are all back in New York so yeah, I’m always home and this past week I have been gearing up for my next single release called Peace Of Mind, so a lot of preparation in the back end. Things like getting the visuals and digital marketing right and also plans for after the release.
Tell me about Till The morning – how did you write the song, is it self-produced, and what’s the story behind it?
So, I took a trip to Stockholm Sweden at the beginning of June 2024 to visit a friend that I hadn’t seen since 2017. We hung out, partied and had a really good time and of course experiencing the culture was new to me and it was a cool experience but we also had some conversations which led to me writing Til The Morning. Because of our cultural differences I learned American boys talk too much and Swedish girls (well some lol) just like to sit in silence. I think it’s like this European seriousness, of “I’m too cool” or “Don’t do too much”.
While it’s attractive I like to think that having a personality is way more interesting then being “too cool” and mind you she had a dope personality but I have messed with some beautiful women with zero personality, Yeah I’m not into that. And of course we, you know haha Til The Morning I don’t wanna give too much there but yeah go check out the new single, It explains pretty much my trip there.
This track was not self produced. When I got back to America I was contacted by a producer name T1mi from Russia actually via Instagram, well I think he contacted me before I left America but I didn’t see it until I was back at my recording studio in Seattle. I think he discovered my music via IG and contacted me to work. I told him I’d be down to hear some of his music and I took a listen and was amazed at the sound. His production was the sound I had been looking for, smooth dark, R&B TrapSoul. I think this was the 3rd beat I heard in the pack and the melody just came to me.
Your vocals are sublime, the kind of nostalgic RnB tone that isn’t found as often these days. Who were your earliest influences, and how have you honed your vocal ability over time?
Thank You so much. My earliest influences was Michael Jackson, 112, Boyz II Men, Brandy, Tyrese and Usher. I personally wouldn’t say I’m a Sanger in comparison to these vocalists out here with the crazy riffs and runs haha but I can hold a note pretty well, and singing a lot is the best practice. Understanding your tone and what instruments compliments your voice.
You released your debut back in 2019, what’s been the biggest change in your approach to songwriting and building a career since then?
My biggest change in songwriting since 2019 has been getting more personal in my music. In 2019, I was writing music that I felt resonated with people everywhere who had struggles in their relationships and personal lives, but leading up to this album and after breaking up with my ex music became more personal. I finally have something to talk about that is my personal experience.
I think in the journey of becoming an artist and building a career you will at some point go from just enjoying music, the sounds and creativity and how fun it can be, to it becoming a real personal outlet and it being sort of an open journal for people to read.
The new single is from the upcoming album After The Heartbreak. How does ‘Till The Morning’ tie into this theme, and what can fans expect from the longer project?
Yeah, so the project is about Love, Sex and Heartbreak. And Til The Morning tackles that “Sex” part of the album but it is more of a personal reference because this girl that I went to see I knew before my ex and I thought maybe in another lifetime I’d get to experience something with her and it happened in this lifetime. I was in a 6 in a half year relationship so never say never lol.
A lot of relationships are meant to end. I think this is the “dark coming to light” side of the album when we’re talking about the theme of the album, because this is an experience that happened after my breakup.
What made you change your artist name from AHVE?
Honestly I loved the name “AHVE” – I made it up because I wanted to create the artist I wanted to be. For me it was complete creative expression as if I was creating a new human, But, I was back and forth with the name “Marion Park” and paying homage to the park I grew up going to and the place that made me who I am.
Another reason for the name change was no one could pronounce it. I was called Ave, or Ahvee lol, And I pronounced it (ah-vey) and Alexa and Siri wouldn’t play my sounds so that may have killed a lot of streams on that end. I had to say Alexa play Lost Possessions by Of, lol. I had to change it.
Peace of Mind is also releasing this week – how does this differ stylistically and emotionally from the last?
Thank you for that question. Stylistically it differs introducing some light to the album. The album is pretty dark and I feel this is a mood booster to say the least. I’m half Jamaican so the Caribbean sounds I felt needed to be on display at some point on this album and growing up listening to reggae the sounds of Barrington Levy and Bob Marley were so uplifting I had to give this song as much light and positivity as possible.
Emotionally, Peace of Mind is about getting to a place, no matter where you are in the world to your significant other, whether its a wife or husband, boyfriend or girlfriend, them being able to make you feel at peace away from the troubles of the world.
Is live performance something you’re working on – can we catch you on stage any time soon?
Yes! I am currently working on putting together a live show for fans. Especially my fans overseas who have asked if I would ever come to Germany or Brazil, and yes there will be. There was a time where I didn’t care to perform live and I just wanted to write and give the world something to listen to, but as time went on I felt this was creatively selfish to myself and to fans who appreciate artists in their rawest forms, and that’s performing live.
I have performed once as a featured artist with my boy NVY Jones LKR opening a show for Conway The Machine from ‘Griselda’ in 2022 and that was too much fun! I think doing my own live show is long overdue!
What are your thoughts on the current mainstream music industry, and what values or traits do you hope to bring to it?
My thought’s currently on the music industry is, it is what it is. It’s either you join a fraternity where you are used and abused or you build your brand, awareness and business and you take on a partnership with labels.
I understand that smaller artists who bring nothing to the table are at a big disadvantage so you are on the label’s time and dime. You have to bring something to that table for things to be close to being fair.
I am focusing on myself independently. My values are, grow organically and try not to get cheated on the way. I hope to bring some sort of newness to R&B. The only thing I can try my best to be is myself.
What’s the best piece of advice you were ever given?
My late vocal coach Ankh Ra said to me after his vocal lesson. “A lot of things can change in 6 months, Consistency is Everything is this industry.” He also said “Try not to be too different, people are afraid of what they don’t know and shy away from things that are too different, so remember in music that familiarity is important, people resonate better with things they are familiar with”
Is there anything else we should know?
The Album After The Heartbreak Releases September 13th, or Friday The 13th. This is an independent project and I know people are hell bent on numbers and I just want to get the music out. I do most and sometimes all of the marketing myself. The music video directing and editing myself.
I gave up asking people I know for support but I do know who my day 1s are, all the support I get from people I don’t know is amazing and a blessing and this album is for you. It’s for someone going through a break up and who is wondering what happens after the heartbreak. There is light at the end of the tunnel.
I started a brand in 2016 call Lost Kid New York, it began as a clothing line for skateboarders because I skateboard, for 10 years now, and my quote I would always say is “At some point in time everyone feels lost, its okay to take time and find yourself” – LKNY
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Find Marion Park on Instagram, TiKTok, Facebook, X or visit his Website.
