PauseAndPlay.com - August, 2002
Hometown:
Worcester, Mass., now based in New York.
Album:
"Limited Lifetime Guarantee" (RCA; release date: June 25).
The Sound:
Classic-rock-influenced singer-songwriter.
Producer:
David Werner, who also co-wrote all 11 tracks with Copely.
First Single:
"Surprise."
Other Tracks:
"Cellophane," "Right to My Head" (featuring Tracy Bonham on violin), "Truth and Oil," "Crystal Clear," "Magic Box," "Slow," "Won't Let It Happen Twice," "How Do You Know," "Backslide," "Brutal Light."
Web Site:
http://www.marccopely.com
Something to Know:
Copely was severely injured in a car crash several years ago; he suffered head trauma, two fractures in his left arm, a broken left wrist, a dislocated shoulder, bruised ribs, badly injured back.
On the Accident:
Copely - "A car accident will change your life, and it's a relevant thing for (the press) to bring up, and it shouldn't be ignored. But I'm trying not to have that be the focus of the whole thing."
1. We hear you got a chance to work with Carole King. How did that come about?:
Copely - "I was really fortunate to be a part of Miles Copeland's songwriting camp in France. He feeds everyone really well and gets you up really early. Everybody hangs out and writes songs. I got really lucky to be invited, and it was a week before I started my record. My jaw dropped when I met Carole; I didn't get to write with her in France, but we really hit it off and decided we'd write together when we got back to New York.
"We both took a day off, and we got together at her place and wrote a song. I was too pertrified to pinch myself. We started with a beat; she made some coffee, and she comes walking up behind me and hits me on the shoulder and says, 'You know, I have to go to the bathroom. When I come back, you'll probably have a verse done, right?' I was like, 'Ahh, ahh ... okay. Yes, ma'am.' I think she scared me so into writing something. It was magic, it was great. It was so educational for me."
2. Just how does a new artist survive in this hit-driven industry?:
Copely - "RCA's been really good with me about (artist development). I think people are starting to realize they need to develop artists. We're starting to see great songwriters and talented people get back into the public eye. There's a lot of killer writers out there."
3. Tell us about "Surprise." Is this guy a stalker?:
Copely - "(laughing) You know what's really funny about that, everyone has their own take on it. I'm actually going to start leaving it alone and not explaining it, because everyone's got their own view. We all know this person; it kind of comes from the fact - I was writing it with David (Werner) - and we were jamming out on a groove, playing around with it, and my whole thing, 'You know, I just want to write songs and make a record where the songs are really honest.' I wanted it to have a particular amount of vulnerability and truth to it. I think writing some of the more romantic songs, it's almost easier to say 'Oh, we broke up, but I miss you,' and I just thought there's a whole other side to this for me, and when you get dumped on your ass, you get angry. You get absolutely fucking out of your mind. I wanted to be honest about it, about what it feels like to get thrown on the ground, so to speak."
4. What's the significance of the album title?:
Copely - "I got the title from a George Carlin book, called 'Rain Droppings.' He had this Top 10 list of oxymorons, all these things like 'partial cease-fire' that made absolutely no sense. Someone said to me the other day, 'Let's stop at this place, it has gourmet fast food.' I was like, 'Wait a minute! What are you talking about?' I just started laughing.
"I saw 'Limited Lifetime Guarantee' and I thought of different things, like the life of the artist. It's the drive and fight to have longevity, and also it can be seen with what happened with the accident for me. That plays a part in the title as well. I thought, 'This is exactly how I feel'; it basically states my entire life."
5. Your musical hero?:
Copely - "Bob Marley."
6. Do you download songs? If so, do you feel guilty about it?:
Copely - "I don't download songs. My laptop is my door stop."
7.Your favourite TV show of all time?:
Copely - " 'Curb Your Enthusiasm.' "
8.Who's sorely missing from the rock and roll hall of fame?:
Copely - "Django Reinhardt."
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