London gothic crooner Oliver Marson announces new EP and spirals into the absurd on new single 'Jeremy'
Oliver Marson announces new EP 'Into The Darkness' - out 14th November on High Road Records
Watch visualiser for new single 'Jeremy' HERE
WATCH, 'Jeremy'
https://youtu.be/BgNiNVHRdWY
STREAM, 'Jeremy'
https://linktr.ee/olivermarson
"Unique piece of weirdo pop"
The Needle Drop
"Decadent style of synth pop...with sardonic charm, and off-kilter melodicism"
Under The Radar
"Marson manages to deftly blend nostalgic rhythms with modern lyrics about the malaise of late capitalism"
Rolling Stone
(29th July) London-based avant-crooner Oliver Marson today announces his new EP 'Into The Darkness' - out 14th November on High Road Records. With the EP announcement, Marson is today sharing the gothic art-pop grandeur of new single 'Jeremy' - alongside an accompanying visual directed by Eric J Liddle (Walt Disco, No Windows).
A chaotic descent into the absurdity of modern self-optimisation, 'Jeremy' was inspired by a real-life article on the rise of LSD microdosing in the workplace. Having already drawn comparisons to Sparks, Nick Cave, and Alex Cameron, 'Jeremy' is a slice of lurid pop from the edge of a nervous breakdown.
“My sister sent me the article and just said: ‘You should write a song about this," Marson explains. “It opened with: 'It’s Monday morning and Jeremy begins his day. He takes a cold shower, drinks a cup of tea with a bowl of muesli, does some stretching and takes 10 micrograms of LSD before leaving for work.' I thought that was a fascinating and terrifying idea. There’s this pressure to perform in an office at 200% at all times, so much so that people are forcefully disassociating from their reality. The second part of the song is a descent into that paranoia and madness."
Over warped guitars and theatrical orchestration, Marson follows his protagonist from caffeine-fuelled precision to paranoid collapse. As he puts it:
“The song is essentially a commentary on toxic extremes of self-optimisation, especially in the corporate world. It's about how people might try to transcend human limitations for success, only to lose themselves in the process. With inspiration drawn both from real-life reportage and art rock soundscapes, it paints a vivid, empathetic, yet critical portrait of modern disconnection."
Drawing influence from the lyrical frankness of Lou Reed and the dramatic scope of Scott Walker, 'Jeremy' unfolds like a psychological short film. Complete with descending chord patterns and slinking basslines that mirror the character’s unravelling mind, the track closes with the looping, haunting refrain: “you’re one in a lifetime” - a tragic mantra that lingers long after the song ends.
The track heralds forthcoming EP 'Into The Darkness' - which features an intriguing collaboration with Jessica Winter. Where Marson's previous releases have examined the grotesqueries of British modern life through satirical detachment, this new era is a plunge inward - reckoning with grief, and the existential confusion that arose in the aftermath of a breakup.
“While the EP originates from a place of desperation, the process of creating it became an act of transfiguration of the soul and an internal healing of these emotional demons. The EP is about the raw act of exposing myself, embracing vulnerability, and being utterly honest with my feelings. My aim was to transform this darkness into something beautiful. There is a part of myself that only truly comes alive when I'm making music. That is where I find the value, and it's in the creative process that I can fully tap into and express the rawest, most vulnerable, and sometimes darkest corners of my being."
'Into The Darkness' threads together themes of tech obsession, identity dissolution, and gothic romance, with tracks tackling whistleblowing, collapsing systems, and deluded self-help culture. 'Jeremy' is one of several modern archetypes brought to life on an EP that explores what it means to lose control in a world obsessed with performance.
Following 2023’s debut 'Why Did I Choose This?', which earned praise for its theatrical wit and outsider pop stylings, Marson's signature croon and energetic shows have earned him a cult following in the UK. In 2024, Marson supported John Maus, Kirin J Callinan and Jack Ladder in the UK and Ireland, having previously shared stages with acts including Tempers, Max Baby, Vanity Fairy, Enjoyable Listens and The Big Pink.
Marson has previously collaborated with Jorge Elbrecht (Caroline Polachek, Japanese Breakfast), Charles Cave (White Lies), Jazmin Bean, Fred Macpherson (Spector) and worked with producers such as Joshua Rumble (Black Country, New Road).
His work to date has seen press support from The FADER, The Needle Drop, Loud and Quiet, Brooklyn Vegan, Rolling Stone, Wonderland, Under the Radar Magazine, Billboard, as well as radio airplay from BBC Introducing and BBC 6 Music.
Oliver Marson's new EP 'Into The Darkness' is out 14th November. New single 'Jeremy' is out now.
'Into The Darkness' - EP artwork & track list
Download Hi-Res Assets
1. Whistleblower
2. Madeline (feat. Jessica Winter)
3. Jeremy
4. Into The Darkness
LIVE DATES
25 July - Hull, Parish
08 Nov - London, Paper Dress Vintage
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