Marjorine talk debut LP ‘Is Mayonaise An Instrument?’

Words by Kendall Deckert

Photos by Julia Norton

We recently got the chance to chat with Brooklyn-based psychedelic rock band, Marjorine who are celebrating the release of their debut studio album, Is Mayonnaise An Instrument? out now on all streaming platforms. Below is the interview with Best Left Magazine contributor Kendall Deckert.

Best Left Magazine: What is one thing that inspired the band most to make your album ‘Is Mayonnaise an Instrument’? Are there albums each of you want to credit for influencing your sound?

Marjorine: I’ve been writing songs for around 12 years now, and some of these songs have been kicking around since the very beginning. We’ve got a backlog of something close to 100 songs at this point, so when it came to recording our first album it was important to think about which songs fit specific sounds and styles. In the end, these 10 tracks fit into more of a garagey/punky sound, compared to some of the more krautrock and dreamier stuff we will be releasing on future records. In terms of biggest inspiration for this record, probably Twins by Ty Segall and Beards, Wives, Denim by Pond were two of the biggest influences.

Best Left Magazine: What do you think brings you together as a band when making music?

Marjorine: I think we have a strong connection via shared influences, but also our own individual influences tend to shape how we come together with a cohesive sound. Matt, our drummer, is the most accomplished musician of all of us (check out his project No Fun!) and he helps keep us on track when we are messing around with bits here and there. JD (guitars, synths, flute) brings a lot of color to the process, and he has a lot of funk and jam band influences which give our tracks a breezier and lighter feeling at points. Dave (bass) really knows how to hold down the low end and groove, and we’ve been making music together forever so he knows typically what I’m going for and how to slot in the perfect bassline. As for me, I try to make the main ideas of the songs clear, whether it’s a melody or vocal part, and leave some sections open for us to experiment and collaborate more on where the song goes next. 

Best Left Magazine: Do you think  the process of making a debut album made you closer? What did you learn about yourselves as a band?

Marjorine: We definitely learned a lot during this process. It was pretty arduous for me to finally lay some of these tracks down to tape and commit to these being the final versions. I’ve recorded various versions of these songs over the years, so it was tough for me to finally let go. In the end I took way too much time dawdling over edits and mixes, when really we should’ve just gotten the record out there sooner. But we learn. The importance of process can’t be overstated, and we’ve learned that we want to be more methodical when recording moving forward. 

Best Left Magazine: What was the process like when naming the album and titling songs?

Marjorine: The album title has been kicking around for a few years now, so that has always been in the back of my mind when putting these 10 tracks together. In terms of song names, most came pretty easily. Sometimes we confuse “Otherside” “Other Mirror” and Dirty Mirror,” especially when putting together a setlist for a show. “Rotarians 45” was always called Rotarians. It’s the first song I ever wrote. But in 2021 Dave and I rearranged it and sped it up, and combined it with an old song we wrote called “4/5.” We then added the 45 to the end of it, to reference this, and also the fact that it’s probably the 45th version of the track so far. 

Best Left Magazine: How would you describe your album's theme and the emotions behind it? 

Marjorine: Since these songs were written over such a long period of time, it’s difficult for me to pinpoint one major theme to the record. I think it can be pretty angsty at times? Which isn’t a bad thing, considering how I like to use music as an outlet. Typically the lyrics are either addressing myself, or someone close to me as I navigate relationships and grapple with life etc. 

Best Left Magazine: Are there any artists who inspired you when making the album?

Marjorine: Definitely the aforementioned Ty Segall and Pond. And then plenty of the Beatles, Velvet Underground. Can’t forget about Kikagaku Mayo, The Brian Jonestown Massacre and Thee Oh Sees as well. 

Best Left Magazine: Your single 'Otherside' sets a hypnotic tone that is nostalgic of new wave for the album, how did you decide on a vibe?

Marjorine: That’s funny to hear you think it sounds like New Wave, as it’s always been more of a garage/punky type track to me. When I wrote it, it just seemed like a quick and catchy garage track. Then when I started demoing it the riffs and bass line just fit in well, and felt like they needed to be surrounded in this warm bed of fuzz and distortion.

Best Left Magazine: Is there anything about your previous tour or living in Brooklyn that inspired the making of your music for this album?

Marjorine: We were very hot in our studio last summer while recording. The AC was out, and we were doing 8 hour days in the studio at the time. I think that definitely played a part. Probably the biggest local influence was our daily trips to a bar during our breaks to cool down with a delicious frozen drink called the Frose Canseco. If you can’t tell I’m a big fan of word play. 

Best Left Magazine: If you could collaborate with another artist, who would it be? Would you ever consider exploring more genres or do you feel that you've found your sound within rock? 

Marjorine: If we can collaborate with any artist, I would probably say Lou Reed. When Marjorine first came to be as a project I was pretty obsessed with Transformer and listening to it constantly. Living artist, I would have to say Kim Gordon. I think they both perfectly epitomize NYC rock music. We have a few new projects on the way, one that is a bit more space rock, another that’s more punk and garage but just songs about dogs. I’ve actually released a few tracks in the past which are more dreamy/electronic. “Salton Sea” came out in 2021 and Mattress 4 U came out in 2022. Earlier this year I was working on some followups to this sound which will include some more dreamy and ethereal krautrock stuff and lots of synths. That will hopefully come out later this year. 

Best Left Magazine: Lastly, since the release of the album, do you feel motivated as a band to make more music? What comes next in your artistic process?

Marjorine: Definitely more motivated. Releasing this feels like an enormous weight has been lifted from my shoulders and now it’s time to buckle down and release the next one. Hoping this is just the opening of the floodgates with tons of new stuff on the horizon.