Hey Marseilles: 2016

For a decade, Seattle's Hey Marseilles has been one of the better kept secrets of the Emerald City, releasing two albums that were charged with an effervescent mix of folk rock, chamber pop and lyrical insight.But sensing that a real change in course was necessary for the band to break beyond Washington State, Hey Marseilles reduced ranks from a septet to a quintet and reached out to producer Anthony Kilhoffer, best known for his work with artists like John Legend and Rihanna. It was a leap of faith for both producer and band—and it worked.

Hey Marseilles’ self-titled third album finds the band ascending to a new level of artistic confidence, sculpting perfect pop gems like the breezy “West Coast” and “Eyes on You.” All five band members—Matt Bishop, Nick Ward, Philip Kobernik, Sam Anderson and Jacob Anderson—had a hand in writing music and lyrics. The collection also includes a cover of David Bowie and Brian Eno’s “Heroes” — planned for the album long before Bowie’s passing.

When Hey Marseilles visited FUV’s Studio A recently, Matt Bishop and Sam Anderson discussed the necessity of altering their approach, their admiration for David Bowie, and their self-deprecating Twitter hashtag “Producer Quotes” which documented some of Kilhoffer's more amusing in-studio critiques.

[recorded 2/19/16]