Local musician and U.S. Marine Justin Marchand released his newest album The Sandbox Sessions last Friday, April 17th. As part of the local music scene, Marchand has collaborated with Ryan Dunlap on his album It Is What It Is, performed with his own band Jarhead Jones, and has played at Ye Olde Durty Bird, Andy’s Bar and Grill, among other local venues.
After listening to a bit of the album, “Winter ” stood out as a dynamic, blues-rock track with Marchand’s guitar front and center. After having a run of horrible winters the past few years, many northwest Ohio residents will resonate with the emotions in this anti-ballad, dedicated to the harshest season.
“Winter” is an intensely soulful track indicative of the full album – a blues-heavy examination of the lives of veterans after they return home from active duty.
I see you had a Kickstarter for your album. Where did you first hear about that site?
I discovered Kickstarter through my friends and local musicians, Ryan Dunlap (who provided backing vocals on the album) and Joe Woods, who have recently had projects successfully funded.
I love the guitar on your album cover. Did you have the decals done before or after you were deployed?
The decals on my guitar came from the patches of uniform pants from my fellow soldiers. I thought it would be a cool idea to have a memorial guitar that honored our fallen. It took about 30 soldiers donating their patches to completely cover the body of the guitar.
Where were you stationed overseas?
I have been stationed in Okinawa, Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan.
How long have you been working on the album?
It took me about a year and a half, on and off, to complete my album. I have a busy schedule and it was difficult coordinating schedules with other musicians who played on the recording.
Who did you have in mind as the audience when you were writing these songs?
I want as many people to hear my album as possible, but for me these songs are specifically for anyone that has ever served, been killed or injured in combat, loved a service member, or felt the long-lasting effects after returning from a tour. Writing these songs has been very therapeutic for me. If people enjoy the music, I hope to use it as a platform to raise awareness of veteran suicide, which currently plagues our nation.
Justin would like to thank Brett Dennison of FireFly Studios, and local musicians Jason Goss, Kyle Turner, Adam Meinderding, Eric Taylor, and Carmen Miller. You can find out more about Justin Marchand and his music on his Soundcloud page. If you’d like to order a copy of The Sandbox Sessions, contact Justin on his Facebook page.
