“I know you wanna leave me,
Well I wanna leave me too.”

A singer doesn’t have to have sold 50 million records or sell out vile arenas in order for you to relate to them. Personally speaking, I cannot relate to someone singing in a fucking arena going on about how hard life is when they have been handed everything without even a fraction of despair, struggle and frustration. Most people are just money-making, blood-sucking hypocrites. Recent events have made me a bit angry, thus disliking so many. Some I know (sadly) and some that just…well they’re..shit. I know I’m awful but at least I don’t have a lying heart.

I love music that projects pain, honesty, love and all those ugly feelings. I cannot get my head around music that is “happy.” I’m not a miserable person, far from it. I’m presumed to be, so I just let them carry on. Just give me a book and some music.

There are only a few singer/song-writers that can project such ugly feelings in a way that makes them less vile, you know? You’ve got the likes of Townes Van Zandt to Shirley Manson to Bob Dylan to Lou Reed to Cat Power to Morrissey to Courtney Love. I’ve basically just listed my favourite singers.

Leigh Marble doesn’t write songs for those who want to hear 3 minute symphonies about cute puppies and pixies. No. Just no. Fuck that, it means nothing. He writes brutal and beautiful words from the heart. Before going into this, I read his bio THEN listened to his music; just to really feel the music deeper than I thought I would. His record, Where The Knives Meet Between The Rows was made during his (now) wife’s fight with breast cancer. A topic far too close to home for me, but shit..his words truly truly mean more knowing this. If I had heard this record a year ago, I probably would’ve dealt with my mum’s diagnosis in a better way. Basically, I wouldn’t have felt so..I don’t even know the word. But, Leigh’s wife is thankfully in remission and I wish them both all the happiness and health in the world.

Where The Knives Meet Between The Rows is a record I feel everybody needs to here. Even if it is just the once, that’s enough. I just want you to hear it : http://music.leighmarble.com/album/where-the-knives-meet-between-the-rows

I love dark music. Music that comes from a place where no one dares to go because they turn into a coward. The bravest thing a person can do is face anything and everything that troubles them. The first track on the record, Walk is one that I think I find the most connection with. I know what it is like to just walk and walk and walk until every bit of rage and any fucked up feeling leaves you. When something/someone gets to me, I usually just stick my headphones in and go for a walk. Or I go to the gym and walk forever on the treadmill. I just shut off, and go somewhere where nothing and no one can touch me. It’s comforting to know someone else feels the same. Even when you feel like you are the only one.

I want to get into Nail. Nail is 7 and a half minutes of honesty and heartbreak. You can feel every feeling possible. Take what you want from it. That’s probably all you can do. We all know someone who’s at the end of their rope, and we want to be at the end for them- telling them to keep going. I’d rather be that person than be the one wanting to reach the end. It’s easier to help another than help yourself. You can shut off when you’re being useful to another. When you see yourself as useless, you just want to call it quits.

I mean sure we do have some artists around that write dark songs just to seem “cool” but they don’t even believe a word they are singing. Fuck them. Don’t listen to them no more. Just stop. With Leigh, you know he believes in his words. And because you can pick up on that; you believe in him too. Being believable is better than being admired or whatever. You can admire anyone. But not many are believable. Maybe I’ve got it all wrong, but that’s just how I see it.

His music makes you take a look at yourself, and how you face your own battles. He makes you love the one you love even more, although you think you can’t. Sure it is overwhelming, but most good things in life are. He just leaves you in awe. I could quite happily sit here and type a summary about every song he’s ever done. I could analyse every lyric and tell you why it is so important. I could go on and on. I just think he’s fucking brilliant. It’s been a while since I felt this strange but wonderful connection to a singer. It’s good feeling, one most need to feel more often need to feel.

If you’re afraid of the dark feelings; stop. Just listen to his words. They’ll act like a reflection, and maybe you’ll feel less alone.