Hot on the heels of their recent singles ‘Partners In Crime’, ‘Prisoner Of Love’, and ‘Black Magic Girl’, South African Flash Rockers Marene unleash their thrilling full-length album Rising After Midnight.
This album filled with and exhilarating lineup of fun, cheeky songs that capture the essence and spirit of Marene, proving they can blend multiple genres into one (that get stuck in your head for days)! The band confidently and competently delivers a commanding earworm with infectious riffs and driving beats, designed to keep you on the edge of your seat!
Marene comments on the album
“When you release an album, you draw a line in the sand and say – this is us! It’s a statement. EPs are for experimentation and getting a feel for the recording process, but when you put an album out, you define yourself as an artist. With ‘Rising After Midnight’ we knew we wanted to deliver a timeless production that captures the essence of classic music, as evidenced by tracks like ‘Reckless’ and ‘Take Me Under’.”
“These songs embody the heart and soul of our musical roots, embracing a sound that resonates with our artistic identity. However, as artists, we also felt the urge to explore new territories and draw inspiration from modern rock.”
“This led us to craft a unique track ‘Divide’ that takes a daring left turn from our usual style. With this song, we wanted to push boundaries and experiment with fresh sounds, giving the album a dynamic range that keeps the listener engaged throughout the journey.”
“As we pieced the album together, we placed great emphasis on diversifying the sounds of each song. Our intention was to ensure that every track stands on its own, with its own personality and emotions. We wanted listeners to experience a sonic adventure, where each composition offers a distinct experience, taking them on a captivating and multifaceted ride.”
You can stream / download the album HERE.
Marene comments on the artwork for Rising After Midnight
“The artwork for ‘Rising After Midnight’ depicts a couple, somewhere between the 1920s and 1940s, dumbfound by the towering theatre in front of them showing a marvellous show ‘Rising After Midnight’. If you followed the story through the singles to date, you would have noticed that the couple had to go through a great deal to make it to the show or film screening.”
“The woman escaped with the help of a gentleman, her lover or partner, to dance on the rooftops as they make their great escape. They were ‘Partners in Crime’. Unfortunately, the gentleman ended up being trapped or arrested and he became a ‘Prisoner of Love’.”
“Luckily, with some ‘Black Magic’ (Girl), she was able to break him out and they could finally go to ‘Rising After Midnight’, their beloved show. To an extent, the artwork depicts the journey of the album, the hard work, effort and risks we had to take to make it happen.”
Alan Simmonds (Recording & Mixing Engineer) comments
“Over the past 6 years, I have watched the band grow from a group that overcompensated to a professional act, and being able to help them become the band they are today makes me proud. This album is the product of years of work and love, and I am proud of them.”
Tyler Duggan (Vocals, Rhythm Guitar & Producer) comments
“This album has been the culmination of 6 years of hard work. Most of the songs have been staples of our live shows for years and after refining them, we’ve been able to create an album that we’re all extremely proud of.”
“The Album was recorded over 3 weeks and mixed over 5 months, we really focused on getting all the details perfect in each song. Marene has a deep history of many line-ups and obstacles in our way, but with this album and lineup of the past few years, I feel like we’ve finally broken through all the walls. Look out world we’re Marene and we’re Rising After Midnight!”
Maronay Todkill (Vocals & Keyboards) comments
“This album was petrifying to record. There is something about finalising your decisions with the music, I mean, we have been playing some of these songs as a band for more than two years, excluding all the renditions there were before us with the previous line-ups. The first few days in the studio were tiring and scary, it felt like there was just so much work and so little of us.”
“Eventually, Alan made magic happen. When we heard the first track, which was Partners in Crime, the first single of the release, I felt overwhelmingly content. Like what I heard in the song was what we played on stage. For a moment I asked myself “We did that?” As we got the songs back one by one from mastering, it became very apparent that we changed. Our sound changed, but it changed with intention. Rising After Midnight is only the beginning.”
Ozzey Padayachee (Bass Guitar) comments
“As the bassist of our band, I am thrilled to share with you the culmination of our musical journey in the form of our debut album, “Rising After Midnight.” This album represents a defining moment for us as artists, a statement of who we are and the sound we want to embrace.”
“It has always been a dream of mine to put out an album and with this release that comes to fruition. It is the culmination of years of hard work and grinding away in rehearsals. One day when I’m old and grey I can say to my kids “Look at what your dad made!”. This is a journey that started for me way back in primary school where I discovered rock music and wanted to be part of that history.”
Arian Helm (Lead Guitar) comments
“I couldn’t be more excited to announce the release of our first official album ‘Rising After Midnight’. This album has been such a pleasure to record, bringing in all sorts of new elements that MARENE has to offer in terms of musicality. A lot of crowd-pleasers are finally going to be released within this album such as ‘Nightcrawler’ & ‘Turn It Up & Rise’ as well as some newer material that we are very proud to share with the world.”
“This album has a great contrast in terms of black and white or dark versus light as there are many light-hearted songs with a positive message as well as darker-sounding songs with a heavier undertone, but at the end of the day, each one of these tracks is subjective to the listener and that is how we like to write our songs. My personal experience in the studio was magical and very unforgettable.”
“It was an absolute pain to record the lead guitar tracks and solos because, I wanted to get them to be perfect, but it was also a great release of pleasure once I was satisfied with what we had by the end. There are some serious bangers in this album that I hope everyone has a great time listening to. We put in a lot of hard work and effort into this album, and we have so much more to offer to the world and for our fans in the upcoming future.”
Witness the spectacle that is Marene live at The Daisy Jones Bar on Saturday 9 September in celebration of the launch of Rising After Midnight. The band will be supported by special guests Doc Zimpali and Cistamatic. Rejoice in amazing drinks and food as they rock the night away into the crisp Stellenbosch! Get tickets HERE.
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