By: Staff
Marcia releases a gripping new release, "Ghost," a deeply emotional single that blends soulful R&B vibes with raw storytelling.
This track captures the essence of heartbreak, resilience, and self-discovery, offering listeners a powerful anthem of independence. Recorded in London with the skilled touch of producer Alex Dopierala, "Ghost" features lush instrumentation, smooth melodies, and Marcia's signature velvety vocals. Mixed in Scotland and mastered at Metropolis Studios, the song's polished production complements its heartfelt lyrics, creating a hauntingly beautiful soundscape. "Ghost" is a standout addition to Marcia's discography, setting the stage for what’s to come in her highly anticipated upcoming album.
You can find this release on any major platform, see below for links to take you straight to some of the profiles. Make sure to playlist, stream and share "Ghost" by Marcia.
We had the chance to catch up with Marcia for an exclusive interview in "The Cage" Music Blog.
Here’s how it went:
Begin Interview
Hello Marcia, we’re thrilled to have you for this interview! We’ve had a blast diving into your music and exploring your work, and now we’re even more excited to learn more about you, both as an artist, and as a person.
We caught your Instagram performance at @rnbfinest, and wow, what an incredible vibe! The stage looked amazing, the crowd was so into it, and your performance was absolutely beautiful. It seems like you're constantly performing, more than most artists we follow, so huge congrats on that! It's such an impressive achievement. We'd love to know, what does performing mean to you personally, and how do you feel it has helped elevate your career?
Aw, thank you!! Yeah, the stage there was amazing, the guy had only just finished setting it up the night before. Thank you, yes especially this year I’ve performed quite a few times. I wanted to perform as much as possible so I could get used to singing my own songs to people. Before I started releasing, I had only performed cover songs live, I didn’t realise how much scarier it would be singing my own lyrics to people. It’s like a whole new dimension to consider – not only do you worry about singing and performing well, but you also worry if people like the actual song and what it’s about and if they’re connecting with it. I really enjoy performing, I’m very shy generally but I think it pushes me out of my comfort zone in a good way. I love sharing music with people, meeting new artists and friends at shows too. I think performing a lot and at different venues has not only helped me with my confidence in my craft but has also encouraged me to network more when I might usually shy away, and I think it’s been a great way to get more content for social media which is always helpful now that we tend to find new artists online these days.
How does performing live compare to recording in the studio for you? Do you prefer one over the other?
Well, I love both for different reasons, however, not much beats the feeling of listening to your brand-new tracks on the tube on the way home from the studio. I really enjoy making songs and trying out different melodies etc, it’s so fun! I think it’s more chill in the studio because your producer is used to you making mistakes etc and doing weird vocal warmups as that’s all part of the creative process, so you feel less pressure than when performing live. The buzz you get from performing live is addictive though, although it can be very nerve wracking, it is so rewarding when people start to sing along to your songs and are enjoying your music.
We saw your visualizer for 'Me and You (Official Visualiser)' and first of all, we have to compliment you on the beautiful vocals, what an absolutely lovely song. The decision to use the city backdrop was such a great choice, and the text message bubbles made it so fun to watch. It’s such an exciting and terrific visual experience! Can you share with us what it took to bring this video to life?
Thank you!! ‘Me and You’ visualiser was kind of a surreal, meant to be moment – Paris was not the original plan! We were originally going to shoot the video just outside London but a couple weeks before, my photographer was offered a big job he couldn’t refuse in Paris. He asked me if there was any possible way that we could change the shoot date, but I’d already booked it off work so jokingly I was like “why don’t we just shoot it in Paris”. To which him and the videographer were like “I’m keen!” I called my bestie Natasha and was like “wanna come to Paris next week?” and she was in, so we started booking flights and hotels etc straight away! It didn’t feel like real life as one day I was making sandwiches in a coffee shop and the next, I was walking around Paris shooting my music video! It was my first time in Paris, and I think ‘Me and You’ was the perfect song to shoot visuals for in the city of love, it’s like a beautifully toxic love song. We had so much fun shooting this, just walking around we found so many perfect locations for the video. We completely obliterated the original budget, but I wouldn’t change anything about it, sometimes you just have to go for it and worry about everything else later. Hopefully one day a similar opportunity will present itself and I can go and make more art somewhere equally as beautiful.
Listening to your new song, we noticed some really specific situations that would break anyone’s heart. How does 'Ghost' compare to your previous release? Was this song written about a particular person, or is it a blend of experiences merged into one track?
‘Ghost’ is about the same guy as all my previous releases. The song is about one of the worst nights of my life. I’d been seeing that person for about 5 years, he invited me to his, ‘forgot’ and took a girl home from a party. She answered the door when I arrived. As you can probably imagine, everything went downhill from there. We were never official so it’s not like he cheated, but it was the disrespect that hurt me the most. I met him when I was really young, and I think he definitely took advantage of my naivety. I think ‘Ghost’ is my most brutally honest song so far, I was really upset when I wrote the lyrics and didn’t hold back.
There’s such power and authority in your decision to leave this person. We're so used to hearing sad songs, but this one is bold and empowering. What message do you hope your fans take from this experience?
I just want people to hear this song and be like “I’m gonna ghost that f*ckboy too!!” Don’t ever let someone make you feel like you’re not good enough or second best or like you’re crazy. Don’t keep sticking around for the disrespect. It’s never too late to just walk away. When someone shows you their true colours just believe it, no more making excuses for them. Choose yourself, don’t even give them the airtime to try and redeem themselves or worm their way out of their lies. Sometimes silence speaks louder than words.
When writing about something so personal, do you find it difficult to strike a balance between vulnerability and empowerment?
I think there’s power in vulnerability, it makes us human, it’s something that people can relate to. I think relatability is crucial in songwriting, it needs to be personal enough so people can feel the lyrics but also be catchy, so they sing along and enjoy it too! I don’t even think I wrote this song with the intention of it being empowering, I was just saying how I truly felt in that moment… but I am really happy that it’s being interpreted as empowering.
We’ve listened to several of your songs, and they all live in the R&B space. They’re absolutely terrific, but we’re curious, have you always been attached to this genre, or have you experimented with others?
Thank you!! Honestly, before I moved to London for uni I only really listened to music that was in the charts. I used to love singing Adele, Jess Glynne, Paloma Faith or Emile Sandé songs. My go-to open mic song was Alicia Keys ‘If I Ain’t Got You’ but that was before I really knew what R&B was. My flatmate, who was also doing the same vocal degree as me, got tired of me always listening to the charts and was like “I think you’d love r&b” so she started playing it all the time and she was right - I quickly became obsessed! Now it’s all I want to listen to and sing.
What was your emotional state when you first penned the lyrics to "Ghost"? How did the personal experience behind "Ghost" shape your approach to writing and recording it?
I walked into the studio a few days after that terrible night and was like, “we need to make a fuck you track”. I was still super upset/angry and I trauma dumped the story onto my producer, (sorry Alex!) and he said he couldn’t believe that happened in real life. We came up with a few different chord progressions, but one was really resonating with me. I went home and the melody and lyrics just poured out of me. I just told the story. It was probably one of the easiest songs I’ve written because I was just being so honest, I no longer gave a f*ck about that person.
How did working with producer Alex Dopierala influence the direction of "Ghost"?
Alex straight away understood the vibe/mood I was going for. He’s a perfectionist and always pays great attention to detail so will keep going with a musical idea until it sounds exactly how we imagined.
What was the most cathartic moment for you while recording this song?
Probably singing the line “your d*ck is whack” – very therapeutic. Although we had to do a few takes because we both kept laughing.
Can you tell us about the moment you decided to "ghost" that person? How did it feel to turn that into a song?
The exact moment I decided to ghost him was when he was driving me to the train station, he was acting like absolutely nothing had just happened even though I’d been crying all night and the other girl had literally left his house shouting and crying. While he was driving, he said he won’t see me for a couple weeks because he’s going on holiday, and I just thought “actually you’re never gonna see me again”. It just made sense to turn it into a song, it felt like a relief almost to have finally made that decision – it had been coming for a long time prior.
What does "Ghost" represent for you as an artist, beyond the specific story it tells?
‘Ghost’ reminds me of what I am capable of when I’m completely honest in my lyrics and I put my mind to something. I’m proud of it, it’s my favourite song so far. When I listen to it, I always feel at peace with my decision to ghost him because it takes me right back to that night as if I’m still there. I’ll never forget how hurt and disappointed I felt in that moment, you never truly know someone.
How did recording in London, mixing in Scotland, and mastering at Metropolis Studios add to the final sound of "Ghost"?
I really like the final sound of ‘Ghost’, I think it’s good to switch it up sometimes and try new things and work with different people, it’s always good to have some fresh ears on a track. Hopefully everyone will enjoy the sound quality of this one.
Do you feel like this track marks a turning point in your personal growth or artistic journey?
Yes, I think this track has allowed me to be more daring with my lyrical content and is my new standard for future tracks I’m working on.
How do artists like Amy Winehouse and Summer Walker inspire your vocal delivery and songwriting style?
I’m hugely inspired by Amy Winehouse, no one will ever compare. I love the way she told stories in her songs and just said things for what they were, no sugar coating – I think about this a lot when I’m writing. She never sang a song the same way twice – so musically talented. I love the way Summer Walker sings, it’s like she’s so over it but so real – melodies for days. I think vocally I love the way Kiana Ledé sings, she has a very powerful voice and I love that her songs are a bit spicy these days too.
Do you think this single reflects a new direction in your music, or is it a continuation of what you’ve been building?
I think this song is a continuation of what I’ve been building, there might be a slight shift now in that I’m more bold and more daring, so I think naturally I’ve improved but I’m still going in the same direction.
Do you see "Ghost" as a standalone piece, or does it set the tone for your future releases as an album or EP?
‘Ghost’ may have inspired a few more tracks of a similar nature. That’s all I’m going to say on that for now.
What’s one lesson you’ve learned from your experience with this song that you’d pass on to other emerging artists?
Be a perfectionist with your own art and make sure it sounds exactly how you want when it’s time to release. Don’t be scared to try something daring or a bit vulnerable as people will relate to honesty.
What's next for you after "Ghost"? Are there any other projects or releases on the horizon that fans should be excited about?
I don’t have any dates to give out just yet but just know I’ll be in the studio working on stuff for you!!
Marcia, thank you so much, we appreciate you taking the time to talk to us!
Thank you so much for having me – I’ve really enjoyed talking about all things ‘ghost’ and music!
End Interview
We’re happy to have shared Marcia’s exciting journey with you and uncovered such inspiring insights about their creative process.
Now, click the links below to experience their incredible work firsthand!
Check out this latest release and listen to more of Marcia on Spotify & YouTube.