Today Aries Marquis, the mastermind behind the sensational hit “Motivation,” takes center stage in an exclusive interview with Concert Crap. It’s full of inspiration and little-known details about the song, as well as the details behind how he rapidly grew his audience to a loyal fanbase. Enjoy!
Hey Aries, congrats on your new release, “Motivation”! What can you tell us about this song that no one else might know?
Hey, and thank you for having me! Well, for a fun fact about “Motivation” that no one knows (and I am a little nervous about this tidbit): besides the many other women that inspired this song, there is a woman that I follow on IG, who is very inspirational to me. Honestly, she is my fav person on all of IG. LOL. Her name is Uche Mba. She works very hard and inspires many through her workout regimen, cooking, and lifestyle. She is empathetic, helping women see their worth, and also, a very vulnerable woman, and meek, yet very hardworking and goal-oriented. Her fitness brand is Fit To Strive, which is why I wrote the lyrics “When I see you ‘strive’ for the best in life…”. Huge shout out to Uche for being one that motivates me.
What are you most proud of around “Motivation” and your impact thus far on the music industry?
I am most proud of the thought that Motivation is a timeless song that will reach many, even if at a slow pace. The lyrics and delivery will keep the song relevant in the lives of those who actually appreciate the song. As far as my impact on the industry, I feel that I am making small ripples, but they are growing into waves. Lol. Listener base is growing, and my music style is needed, according to a lot of my supporters, so let’s hope I keep making an impact.
I read an interview on Pump It Up from 2020 where you said the advice you’d give aspiring artists is to make real music, stay focused, and market and promote consistently. Do you think that’s what’s allowed you to grow so rapidly over the last few years?
Yes, those words still ring true to me as we speak. Three years later, I still can’t follow the trends, and can only write music that I’ve experienced, someone else experienced, or real thoughts conceived in my mind. It has been VERY challenging, but focus is a daily battle with life’s distractions, but I can’t let up. Marketing and promoting? THAT is where the focus is most of the time: what content should I put out? How much for the budget? What else can I do to present this to the audience? Etc. Doing these things have brought me more followers, subscribers, listeners, and supporters; it has been overwhelming, honestly.
That’s one of the most fascinating things about your career, I think, is that you’re not only talented but seem to understand and respect the business side of things. Why do you think so many artists struggle with that side of things and what advice would you give them for making it work for them?
From unfortunate experience, I’ve had harsh discussions with a plethora of artists that believe the business side of this industry isn’t as important as the music, that you should only be able to ‘make music and that is all’, and forget about marketing, promoting, branding, etc. This is why very few artists find success in this industry; they forget that it is still a business. Any business requires you to learn it to the best of your ability in order to become successful within it. The only way to make this industry work is to change the mentality of thinking like a hobbyist: I only want to make music, and everything will fall in line. No, it takes hard work, strategy and planning, a lot of knowledge, patience, and consistency.
You’ve said that you believe this is a really exciting time in the music industry, where there are no limits and you see endless possibilities. I love that perspective because it’s so opposite of what you hear a lot of times. Knowing that, how do you plan to use this to your advantage?
I plan on using this to my advantage by being the ‘ruler of my destiny’, or in other words, I plan on using the creative and business freedom to develop myself, as an artist and brand, and build my fanbase how I see fit. The many liberties that we have, as artists, to grow, learn, and succeed is a dream come true for artists in the past. Moreover, social media and streaming gives us avenues to be able to make passive income without even touring. How could one not try to take advantage of these opportunities?
Another thing you’ve always done really well is include your listeners in the process. Polls, feedback, creating music for them. I think a lot of artists struggle with this in the early days especially when they have such a small fan base. How did you really cultivate and grow yours in those early days?
The way I grew my listener base was to focus on improving as an artist, and making really good music, while learning how to promote it. This is not to say that you change this once you start seeing movement, but early on, you see that your feedback is small, but still matters. A good example would be when I asked my followers what type of music they would like to hear more of: slower music like Phases and Daydream, or uptempo like Crush and Downpour. 100% said to keep it slow, and although less than 20 people said that, I, literally, produced my previous album, Experience, based on that, and the feedback was/is AMAZING! Now, I know my direction and my market!
You’ve also talked about your passion for non-profit work. Do you see a way you might combine your passions into that? Have you ever considered starting your own?
Fortunately, being a music artist allows you to build a platform, and make it whatever you want it to be. I am seeking to build a platform and brand based on empathy and positivity. From my lyrical content to my lifestyle, I want to be a light to many. With that said, between this and my faith, I want to help as many as I can. I am not in this just for my own personal gain, but to help the helpless and give empathy to the forgotten. Have I thought about starting my own non-profit? Yes, but I feel that helping others with their missions, first, is where I should be, right now, until I get the idea and focus on what non-profit work I want to do, because I want to do so much!
I read an interview from 2015 where you said given the choice you’d want to remain independent vs signed to a label. Do you still feel that way and why?
To answer this, I can say that my perspective on labels has changed since 2015. No longer do I believe that labels are the “big bad wolves” of the industry, but now view them as an avenue to expand your fanbase so much further IF you have the knowledge and leverage to garner the type of relationship with the label that allows all sides to win. Therefore, to speak plainly, I want to keep my creative control, my masters, and be the captain of my destiny with my music career, but would love and welcome the backing of a label (preferably under the Sony umbrella).
What’s next for Aries Marquis?
As of right now, I am working on a new song, which might be the final song of the year, because I am thinking of putting out an EP next year. I also have a performance in ATL at the end of Sept, so I will get more details on that. I am hoping to be performing more often. I miss the stage.
Thank you! Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Yes! You can follow me on all social media @ariesmarquis, or go to ariesmarquis.com to subscribe to my email.
For fans of: 90s R&B, Boyz 2 Men, Tevin Campbell
Follow:
Website I Spotify I Instagram I Twitter I Facebook I Youtube
Leave a Reply