Oliver Marson is a jack of all trades in the music scene, dissecting both pop music and the dark societal underbelly with inspiration taken from Serge Gainsbourg, Scott Walker, David Bowie, and the sinister stylings of Lee Hazlewood.
Marson, a multi-instrumentalist who writes and records his own music, hopes to release his forthcoming new album in October. For this release, he sought the help of producer Jorge Elbrecht (Japanese Breakfast, Tamaryn) for mixing duties.
Now, heralding the autumn arrival of the LP, Marson has debuted his melancholy new single and accompanying video, “Silent Heaven,” which casts depression as the ghost children in the 1890s M.R. James tale Lost Hearts, who haunt a youth sent to live with his reclusive alchemist cousin. The music stylings for Silent Heaven were heavily inspired by Scott Walker and The Smiths.
“I like MR James novels very much because it is about being haunted,” says Marson. “And the song itself was inspired by a lot by this but in terms of dealing with depression.”
Marson edited archive footage from the 1973 ITV adaptation of the story for the video.
Watch below:
This is a detour from Marson’s last offerings: a cover of Tom Waits’s Goin’ Out West and a satirical look at 1980s greed in Manipulator. Marson’s signature croon, thoughtful lyrics and sophisticated delivery, however, transcend his DIY work ethic, and deserve recognition.
“Though I write my own parts and record them all myself, I put together a band in 2021, and we were able to do shows in Manchester, Nottingham and in London with promoters Parallel Lines and Lanzarote Works,” Marson notes. “We’ve been able to support bands such as Ghum and White Devil Disco (formerly the bassist of Fat White Family). Thank god for email!”
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