This is the story of a G Train heading to Queens, a couple making music with their ten-year-old son in Brooklyn, and something about Lana Del Rey. You’d think that sounds unrelated, but it’s a story built on happy accidents. This is the story of Marvelle Oaks.
Their new album, Fuzzzo, hums somewhere between dream and distortion: raw, minimalist, and spare, a perfect tension between beauty and fuzz. Fronted by Alex and Tess Demir with drummer Tom Marsh, the trio stirs up a glorious stew made from the holy ingredients of the Velvet Underground, Pavement, and the B-52s. Their Bandcamp reads, “We are indie rock. We are in love.” And honestly, we’re in love too.
★ Tell me about Marvelle Oaks, how did it all begin?
Alex Demir: We started out as a family band, pre-Covid, just messing around. My wife Tess on bass, our 10-year-old son Roman on drums, and me on guitar and vocals. We did covers at first, then I began adding my own songs. It was fun — we played a few community shows, gardens, McCarren Park, that kind of thing.
When Covid hit, my writing intensified. So did everything else. Roman also realized that playing in a band with his parents was completely uncool. Our first record, New Parade, has him on a few tracks, me on a few, and a DR-202 drum machine for the rest. That became the first Marvelle Oaks record.
Eventually the family-band idea ran its course. Roman wanted to do his own thing, and I wanted to push the music further. I love DIY, but the new songs needed more drive and groove. A guitar teacher once told me, “If you want to get good, play with musicians better than you.” That line stuck, and it led straight to Fuzzzo.
★ What does this new album mean to you?
AD: Means a huge exhale. These songs represent a time in my life that I need to move on from. I treasure them, they’re like little movies to me. I’ve got a lot of songs in various stages of progress that I’m really psyched about and can’t wait to get to the next record. Tess and I love working with Tom. He’s got an incredible feel and instincts, and we’re lucky to have him.
We actually met by chance. At the time, Tess and I were looking for a drummer to take our sound further. One morning on a packed G train, I ended up walking beside a guy carrying a Ludwig snare. I recognized him from a show at St. Vitus, said hello, and we talked all the way to 34th Street. His name was Tom Marsh, best known for a decade behind the kit with Lana Del Rey. I sent him a few rough demos the next day; he called back, and soon we were recording together. That chance meeting became the start of Fuzzzo, a project born from happy accidents.
★ What albums have inspired you, and how did they shape Marvelle Oaks’ sound?
Marvelle Oaks doesn’t sound like any of these bands, but each of them left a mark on me:
▶ Deep in View | Cola (2022): I love trios and writing for bass, guitar, and drums, that’s what Marvelle Oaks is. There’s so much space in the sound. Cola nails that balance, driving yet minimal. They influenced how I record, mix, and write. Tess and I saw them at TV Eye and caught Ben Stidworthy’s P Bass tone up front, it stuck with me.
▶ Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy) | Brian Eno (1974): This record has been with me since freshman year. It taught me it’s okay to follow weird impulses and take chances.
▶ Led Zeppelin III (1970): We in Marvelle Oaks love Zeppelin. I admire Jimmy Page not just as a guitarist but as a producer. I love the layering of guitars and even bass. On Fuzzzo, “AC1” has four bass tracks, “Oh My Days” has multiple guitars and basses. We didn’t set out for that, it just happened.
▶ Wowee Zowee | Pavement (1995): I love its beauty, unpretentiousness, big sweet guitars, and whimsy. I don’t fancy myself a great singer, yet this record showed me how to write lyrics, loosen up, and have fun.
★ How would you describe Marvelle Oaks in just three words?
No artificial flavors.
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