Tasmanian punk artist Marcus Wynwood makes a striking impression on his first cut for this year, ‘Simulation’; his first release for 2023 and the lead single from his upcoming EP 'Killerbites', due for release on the 7th of December.
Fiery, post-punk vocals and abrasive, razor sharp guitars fill the song from the first few bars, with a pulsing snare pattern that drives the song throughout its runtime. The chaotic but somewhat minimalist instrumental lays the perfect groundwork for Marcus’s vocal style, which sonically falls somewhere between the belting wails of Frank Black (Pixies) and the aggressive quips of Joe Talbot (IDLES).
The track details Wynwoods existential view on modern life - questioning why we do the things we do, and whether anyone really know what’s going on. Many will notice the very obvious nod to Talking Head’s 'Once In A Lifetime', with Marcus repeatedly asking for the “beautiful house” he was promised. This aggressive, conversation-like delivery is hypnotising - drawing the listener in relentlessly for the entirety of the song, with no dead space whatsoever.
Speaking about the track, Marcus explained, “'Simulation' explores the idea that we are all living in a simulated reality. Are we really in control of our thoughts and actions, or are we just a character in some weird computer game? The song questions our purpose in life and shows that none of us really know what we are doing. As a kid I always thought that adults knew all the answers, but now that I’m kind of an adult too, I know that’s not the case – everyone is just making it up as they go along. I wrote this song in an afternoon, which is quite unusual, it’s like it just came to me all at once… almost as if someone downloaded it directly to my head. The music was inspired by two of my favorite bands: Pixies and Talking Heads. Take the red pill or blue pill?”
As the ex-guitarist of established punk act Captives, Marcus played shows across the country, playing alongside some huge names (Shihad, The Damned, COG, Tumbleweed, 28 Days, and The Sweet to name a few) in his time, as well as slots at festivals such as Falls Festival, Party In The Paddock and The Envol et Macadam Festival (Quebec, Canada). Marcus is an accomplished guitarist, currently on D’Addario’s roster of sponsored artists, and was featured in Australian Guitar Mags Guitarists to Watch list back in 2015.
As a solo artist he has received plenty of attention, playing alongside Ian Moss and Fanny Lumsden, and seeing media support from Hysteria Mag, The Music, The Partae and many more. On the radio side of things, Marcus has previously had a premiere through Triple M’s Hard and Heavy program, and has seen plenty of spins on Community Radio across the country.
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