Singer Songwriter Activist Ricki Marvel Shares Exciting New Music Recorded with Members of Looming

Jeff Williams:
Welcome to Community Voices. I'm your co-host Jeff Williams and we are in the studio today with Ricki Marvel, singer-songwriter, activist, pronouns she, her, hers. And Ricki, how in the heck is it going?
Ricki Marvel:
It's going great, Jeff!
Jeff Williams:
Have you in the studio here today? Figured you could talk about any things, well really anything that you want to. If you want to talk about any current things or a little history or...
Ricki Marvel:
Well first of all, I am a local singer-songwriter, rock'n'roll performer. I'm also active in the local LGBTQIA+ community. I am the Shades Group Facilitator at Phoenix Center.
Jeff Williams:
Okay, Shades Group Facilitator.
Ricki Marvel:
Yes, it's a group specifically for black and brown people, people of color, and we get together and we share stories and we create connections.
Jeff Williams:
Right on.
Ricki Marvel:
It's every 2nd and 4th Thursday out on 2nd.
Jeff Williams:
How do they get a hold of somebody to become active in that?
Ricki Marvel:
You can just show up 5:30pm on the 2nd or 4th Thursday, 120 East Scarritt.
Jeff Williams:
120 East Scarritt so people can just come.
Ricki Marvel:
There's information on the website, phoenixcenterspringfield.org or you can also message the Phoenix Center Facebook page.
Jeff Williams:
Okay, go to the Phoenix Center, go there, that's where you'd be able to find the information about that? Okay, cool. Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt, just wanted to get a little background!
Ricki Marvel:
No, that's great! And I'm also a chair for Black Pride, which is a part of Springfield Pride Fest. We're trying to create a new group of LGBTQIA celebrations. So, we're raising money for Black Pride. We had a survey to get some input from the community and we're just going to have an open discussion. There hasn't been a consistent celebration of queer people of color, black and brown people. And we're just trying to start something that is going to be consistent, because it's really important for people to celebrate. We get to see ourselves. People get to see themselves celebrated. That's extremely important. My music kind of like I have been using the term indie rock. I kind of came up early aughts (2000s). I had a cool older brother. We grew up with music. With the music that I got into that helped inspire me to write was more like 90s, early 2000s indie rock, kind of like my favorite band is Spiritualized. So, my music's kind of like Yo La Tango, Built To Spill, Granddaddy, that kind of thing. But it's my own thing. I'm not trying to imitate anybody.
SONG: ‘Everyone Hates Me’ by Ricki Marvel:
Laid on my back again These heavy rocks I was doing fine until this one made it hurt to stand on my own This feels like it's all my fault with these heavy rocks I cave on in to myself and this voice in my head starts to convince me that everyone hates me, everyone hates me. Everyone hates me, everyone hates me. And well, it's not that everyone hates me. The song is about intrusive thoughts. My mind tells me everyone hates me. I know it's not true, but just listen to the rest of the song. In a day or two I'm a republican But the joy always slips through I long to feel it again The love I know will come back here again But today I sat here beside me so Today I cry Today I cry Because everyone hates me, everyone hates me Everyone hates me, everyone hates me Everyone hates me, everyone hates me Everyone hates me, everyone hates me See me around. I'm tired and I'm broken down. It's true. You'll see me around. I'm tired of roaming round this game. Everyone hates me. Everyone hates me. Everyone hates me, everyone hates me. Everyone hates me, everyone hates me.
Jeff Williams:
Like at different times, your music is kind of electronic based, synth based. But other times it’s more guitar driven. So, it's cool. You got like a range, it's not necessarily this or that. It seems to jump around. That's cool.
Ricki Marvel:
Yeah. I just follow the songs, you know, if I feel like playing piano, I'll do that. This last album I made, I wrote mostly on acoustic guitar. I demoed it the old-fashioned way on cassette. And then I taught my band the songs and then we recorded it live in one room. And then I did all the overdubs.
Jeff Williams:
Okay.
Ricki Marvel:
So, it's me doing my thing, which live, more of a rock trio. Yeah, just guitar, bass, drums, and it's a raw sound. And we recorded, there was a practice that inspired me greatly. I got together with this band to teach. These songs were kind of electronic with guitar on top. And then we got together and I bought this Oh yes. And I got this new guitar and then we practiced twice. On the second time we recorded… this and blew me away. It was perfect. We dug that up and we're putting it out with some fresh vocals and nice job on mastering from a Chicago mastering service.
Jeff Williams:
Where'd you record it at?
Ricki Marvel:
Miles T Shirts.
Jeff Williams:
Oh, did you? Yes! Nice.
Ricki Marvel:
Yeah, just in that practice room, you know.
Jeff Williams:
I remember when we first, we had, I had this, I'd play with a combination of amps. One was a Lab amplifier. I don't even know if they make Lab amps anymore. It was called a Lab L7. It was cool. It had some built in effects on it along with a Crate amplifier… I'd use together. Our sound was kind of, I had a lot of like, used a lot of flange affect. And then I remember we just decided, it's like, hey, maybe we should get Marshalls. It was crazy because I was like, oh my God, this Marshall is just like opened up this whole new thing. It was more like just grit, but I love the kind of the power or whatever that it had. It's nuts, man. It's kind of crazy.
Ricki Marvel:
Oh, it changed everything. I think before I played that amplifier, I was just using the effects. It was like direct with a distortion pedal. So yeah, it changed everything.
Jeff Williams:
It's crazy how it does. I don't mean just Marshall. I'm not trying to, but just the right thing for what you're feeling at the time, you know. So I want to go back a little bit. I remember we played a show together. A solo thing at The Pharmacy Gallery and Art Space. It was like a Musical Chairs event. That was just you solo, right? Just you on keyboards? It was you playing, and me, the band Boone was on the show and Evan Mitchell's One Man Band was also on that Musical Chairs show.
Ricki Marvel:
Yeah, was Kate Lane there?
Jeff Williams:
I think Kate Lane was a different time. Another one of those though, yeah. But that was cool. You were kind of up in the top area of the gallery. This was when The Pharmacy was still by Jack Stolt’s (automotive shop) and you were up in that balcony area. A lot of lighting things were kind of going on. Timothy Donavan Russell was in charge of the lights of that. But I just thought I've still got old video of that. I don't know if I've even sent that to you. If I dig it up and find it, I need to send it to you because it looked cool.
Ricki Marvel:
I was performing songs for my first EP, which was kind of a synth pop thing. Some of it's got a little Joy Division… a little shoe gaze feel.
Jeff Williams:
The way the lights were in there. It was perfect for it. It had the right ambience. It was really cool to me. As far as when you first named some of the things… when you first got into music… was it pretty soon after that you wanted to then start making your own music?
Ricki Marvel:
My brother, Alexis, who's also in town, who plays with Black Magic Johnson, Soul Experience, John Crisp. I grew up going to his gigs. And he was doing jazz and blues and that kind of thing. And I was like, he's the musician. I thought, I'll be a visual artist. So, I took visual art at the Art Institute in Peoria with Preston Jackson.
Jeff Williams:
Oh! Right on!
Ricki Marvel:
I actually learned a lot about being an artist that way. But what happened later on is I started going to punk shows in Springfield. I was like, oh, I can do that.
Jeff Williams:
That's exactly how it went.
Ricki Marvel:
Then I started getting into more bands that were kind of like started that way.
Jeff Williams:
Right on. So with Preston Jackson… how old were you when you were doing that?
Ricki Marvel:
Around 9-10.
Jeff Williams:
Really? Wow. That's, so was it in the Contemporary Arts Space? Right on the Peoria riverfront?
Ricki Marvel:
It's the same. You go there, and it's the same space I went to as a kid.
Jeff Williams:
Wow, man. Yeah, that stuff is, I remember the first time going in there, I was like picking up some of his paintings for a show and just, it was the first time that I met him and just kind of walking through and just seeing the amount of things that he was working on at the time, either paintings and sculptures in the middle of all of his projects. And it's like, man, it was just so impressive to me that it's like somebody just put so much stuff. I still can't put that much out. It's crazy! It's inspirational though!
Ricki Marvel:
Yeah, he taught me a couple things, but he taught me, “you have to feel it”.
Jeff Williams:
Yeah.
Ricki Marvel:
I just carried that through. So still the same.
Jeff Williams:
Yeah, I love it. Once again, we are in the studio with Ricky Marvel, singer-songwriter, activist. She's just coming in and talking a little bit about history of her coming up events. You'd played No Kings festival.
Ricki Marvel:
Oh my gosh. That was something else because like I was, you know, I got asked (if I wanted) to play this? I said, sure, I'll bring my acoustic guitar and whatever, we'll figure it out. And that morning, it was in the newspaper! I figured… Oh I better bring my electric with the Marshall. And wow, yeah, that was fantastic!
Jeff Williams:
Yeah.
Ricki Marvel:
It was great to see everybody out! Actually, I'm putting out some new recordings.
SONG: ‘Conundrum’ by Ricki Marvel:
Take. out the sheets. And the endless for escape. Now I have the key. Hold my breath, count to three. Now what I'm worth. That you tried. Ain't coming home. Gone to work. Everything's fine. Now. What I'm worth. Take the pill. Ease the pain. Now I am worth more than you say. Don't know what I mean. Or, what I'm worth.
Ricki Marvel:
I was going through a lot when I wrote those songs.
Jeff Williams:
Yeah.
Ricki Marvel:
But I just feel like giving the songs room to breathe.
Jeff Williams:
Just let them so people can interpret them the way that they feel to interpret it. Which I got, I totally understand that. People ask, people ask me sometimes a lot about that too. So, I know sometimes like.
Ricki Marvel:
Yeah. Well, on this EP, these are songs I was going through a really tough time. and they're very direct. I started writing more directly. My songs previously were pretty, I don't know, just (me) trying to fit things in. And then when I went to write and record those songs, I just wanted the audience to get what I'm talking about. but make it obscure enough that they can put their own meaning to it.
Jeff Williams:
Sure, their own voice to it. Yeah, that's understandable.
Ricki Marvel:
So, there's three songs on there.
Jeff Williams:
Okay.
Ricki Marvel:
Conundrum, Everyone Hates Me, and No Regrets.
SONG: ‘No Regrets’ by Ricki Marvel:
Jesus Christ, I am cold. So built a fire to keep me warm. Stared its flames. And where I'm holding to A thousand years of this cold I've waited so long and I feel old The past is gone Forgotten memories If I were to start again I wouldn't hesitate I would Do it again! Jesus Christ, I am strong My fire burned all night long No of its flames, I can see my way This world and her pretty ways A thousand years and it's gone I've waited so long but now I'm home And it's too bad you can't see me shine Into this world.
Ricki Marvel:
And yeah, this recording, you can actually hear (me) at the end of No Regrets. There's a bit of me being really excited because it was the second practice (that) we did these songs. After that practice, I'm like, I got to record an album with these two.
Jeff Williams:
Nice, with Brandon (Carnes) and Jess (Knight). Yeah, for sure. Who also are in the band Looming amongst other bands… they've got a lot of projects going on!
Ricki Marvel:
Oh yeah.
Jeff Williams:
For sure. Do they have a permanent studio sort at Miles T-Shirts?
Ricki Marvel:
They have a room with a computer and a drum set and various musical equipment. I think all kinds of bands practice there, record there. That's where we practice those songs. We were a band together when we recorded my last album, Just Happy to Be Here. That's where we tracked the live band.
Jeff Williams:
All right, once again, we are in the studio with Ricki Marvel. She's talking about some of the things coming up. And well, yeah, thanks a lot for coming in!
Ricki Marvel:
Yeah, it was a pleasure, Jeff.
Jeff Williams:
Always a pleasure, definitely. We'll talk to you later! Community Voices is a production of NPR, Illinois.