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Linsey Teggert talks to the Hartlepool five-piece about their playful sound and somewhat unique promotional style…
Image: Marketplace by Rob Irish
It may have taken Hartlepool’s Marketplace seven years to release their debut EP in Octoberof last year, but since shifting up a gear, the indie pop five-piece are on a roll and ready to present their second offering. No one could accuse the band of being all mouth and no trousers. Well, maybe the latter…
“The initial idea for the promo for this EP was meant to be very Kraftwerk – shirts and ties and stuff – it was all meant to be very ironic anyway,” explains vocalist and guitarist Evie Rhodes. “I was panicking in the group chat and saying I didn’t know what trousers to wear, and our manager David was like, ‘If you don’t have any appropriate trousers, just go trouserless.’”
It’s a strong look: leather jackets, shirts, ties, sunglasses and stoic expressions and then, short shorts. It’s reflective of the tongue-in-cheek title of their new EP, Marketplace Mean Business, and the playful, not taking themselves too seriously attitude of the band.
“I think we’ve always been a bit silly in the way we perceive ourselves and put ourselves out on social media,” says vocalist and bassist Joel O’Beirne. “The music has evolved with that, we were originally a bit rockier and took ourselves a bit more seriously, but now we’re just having fun and being ourselves and I think that shows and is easier for the audience to relate to. We’re just trying to have the best time possible.”
Despite the lack of recorded releases up until recently, Marketplace have been winning over hearts and stages for several years now, gathering acclaim for the irresistible spirit of their live performances, all bouncy energy and youthful exuberance. It may sound trite, but they really do exude the sort of sincere joy that is rare to come by, representing everything that genuine indie pop is meant to be.
Describing themselves as “disorganised”, the quintet credit funding from Help Musicians andtheir manager David Macnab (from fellow Teesside band Llovers) for helping them get their act together. “That funding put a fire under us to get stuff sorted,” recalls Evie. “We’d been sitting on a lot of the songs on our first EP for about two years before we released it.” (That EP was called Marketplace Have Made An EP! as a cheeky jab at themselves for taking such a long time to release anything).
“With the application for funding you have to create a timeline of when certain things will be done by, otherwise you don’t get the second half of the money to finance the rest of the tracks and fund the campaign for the release,” explains Joel. “David offered to help us – we’d had no masthead up until then – so he took charge and pulled us together. Now we’re just a well-oiled machine and David is the driver!”
The band have certainly managed to keep that momentum going with their second EP. Opener Contact Sports is toe-tapping, jangly indie pop with soaring harmonies, while Ode to Monty swoons with warmth. Closer Gooey Eyes sees Marketplace add a shoegazey elementto their sound with bursting synths and Evie’s gorgeous vocals. There’s a romantic theme tying the EP together, whether that’s online relationships (Reddit Man) or the uncertainty of abudding relationship (Contact Sports), but in true Marketplace fashion, they couldn’t resist presenting one of these love songs with tongue firmly in cheek.
“We wanted to write an earnest love song, but though we’re sincere we find it hard to be serious,” says Evie. “Our drummer Ross sent a demo over and said I should write a love song about celebrity gardener Monty Don, so Ode To Monty was born.” Despite the satirical subject matter, the track comes across as genuinely heartfelt, such is Marketplace’s knack for crafting a stellar pop song.
Since kicking things up a notch, the band have got some incredible experiences under their belt, including playing in Paris and recording at the infamous Abbey Road studios as part of a project with York St John University and BBC Introducing. “We’ve been a band for a long time now, and I feel like if we were somewhere down South, we’d have been given more opportunities and things would be different,” states Joel. “Being from Hartlepool, we’re all proud Northerners and it’s given us so much more drive. When we do stuff, it feels so much better to be able to say ‘We’re from Hartlepool and we did this!’ For me, being from a small town has given me more drive and pride.”
“I’ve been thinking about us being 17 and starting the band,” adds Evie. “Imagine if you told us then that if you just stick at it you’ll be going to Abbey Road! It makes me so excited for what else could be on the cards.”
