Getting to Know… Ren Marabou | Interview 🎤

For the 96^th interview in our Getting to Know… series on The Musical Hype, we chat it up with the compelling Irish musician, Ren Marabou.

A ccording to Ren Marabou, “Every track [I create] brings something new and I’m always finding new direction.” Cool! The Irish musician is the subject and interviewee of the 96^th interview in the Getting to Know… series on The Musical Hype. 96 interviews already? #Flex 💪  Anyways, maintain the focus on Ren, in addition to providing some insight into his sound and unique qualities, he informs us about his solo ventures following numerous experiences as the member of a band, one of which remains active: “I kicked off my solo career in early 2020 to explore other genres and release as much music as I can.” Enough introduction! Let’s jump right into Getting to Know… Ren Marabou: Interview #96!

Let’s get this started off right. For those who may not be familiar with you, what would you say makes you distinct or unique? How do you rock the audience’s socks off?

I guess I create a distinctive sound by subtlety blending the influences I pull from many different musical genres. Every track brings something new and I’m always finding new direction. My live show is full of energy, intense, raw, fun and loud.

Okay, let’s explore some juicy backstories. How did you start your career and what were some of the goals or the visions you had early on?  

I’ve been lucky enough to have played with some great Irish bands – Kerouac, Marabou and currently still, Peralis. I kicked off my solo career in early 2020 to explore other genres and release as much music as I can.

Let’s talk more about goals.  Have your goals or your perspectives changed since first starting out? What do your aspirations or goals look like now?

Thankfully everything is still on course from my original goals. My solo music has actually been very well received and greatly exceeded my initial expectations. I have amazing supporters. Thanks everyone!

Everybody is influenced by somebody else. Who would you consider some of your biggest musical influences and how are they influential?

Richie Kotzen is my biggest musical influence on both my playing and the way I approach the industry. RK’s guitar playing is very unique in its technique and style. He’s arguably one of the all-time greats. His vocals, song writing, and work ethic are also second to none. Other music influences would be Bush, Silverchair, George Lynch and Incubus.

Ah, the fun stuff.  What’s your craziest tour story or the wackiest thing that’s happened during a performance?  Feel free to be creative.  

The wackiest thing to happen on stage would definitely have to be the time I was playing an open-air festival/Crafts Fair in Germany and a bright yellow parrot flew over and landed on my mic stand staring at the audience. I proceeded to sing into my mic with the parrot two inches from my face for the rest of the song. It flew off when the crowd started clapping and cheering but still to this day, I could swear it was repeating the lyric’s I was singing. It was an amazingly surreal moment to say the least. Turned out the parrot belonged to a stall vendor at the festival and the parrot’s name was Tequila.

Up until this point in your career, what would you describe as your favorite song you’ve recorded or performed live? What makes that song special?

My favourite song I’ve recorded so far in my solo career would have to be my new single I am about to release, “The Fools Truth.” Lyrically it’s a song I wanted to write for quite a while. It is probably a very relatable subject matter for listeners. If ever you have needed to find the strength to climb out of a bad situation, this song is for you.

Is there anything else awesome, cool, or left of center the world should know about you? Secret talents or surprising tidbits?  

Maybe an interesting fact some might not know about me is that I was the founder of Irish record label Face Melter Records. We closed up shop a good few years ago, but we had a great run that lasted many years working with bands from all over the world and some of the best bands Ireland had to offer.  We were very fortunate to have great success, but our main acts disbanded and our crew moved onto other endeavors. Great memories.

Closing this thing out, what are you currently working on, promoting that you can share with us or want us to know about? We love secrets, but there’s no pressure. 

I’m currently working on my new album, Significant Progress, which is set for a release date this summer. I have released three singles from Significant Progress so far this year, “For the Failings,” “Rocket Boots,” and “Morning Waves” which are available on all major platforms including Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Music and Deezer. The official music videos for all these tracks can be found on my Ren Marabou YouTube channel. All my news and release updates can be found on my Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok pages. Loads of new music in the works so keep an eye out folks.

Thank you so much for sharing taking the time to answer these questions, and best of luck moving forward. 

 Photo Credits: Brent Faulkner, The Musical Hype, Ren Marabou