After a long pause, Detroit’s Marcus: the Apex Predator! returns with Newborn Fossil—a raw, reflective EP shaped by time, grit, and brotherhood. We caught up with the band to talk rebirth.
1. First
off, welcome back! After a bit of a hiatus, what inspired you to fire things
back up and record Newborn Fossil? Was there a specific moment when you knew it
was time to return?
Thanks for the
welcome and for taking the time! I think there comes a point where creative
people with a brotherhood feel a natural compulsion to get back to doing what
they do best. Nick and I have played together for a long time in several bands.
I had some song structures from pre-COVID that we had already begun to work on,
and others that came to me during COVID times spent indoors. And after COVID
had robbed us of momentum, and we got through recording an EP with our other
band, Float Here Forever, we felt we had some really good stuff. By 2023, we
knew it was time to buckle down and finish what we started and we were really
determined to get it done.
2. You’ve described your sound as sitting between the melodic and the
aggressive, the thoughtful and the fun. How do you strike that balance in your
songwriting? Is it instinctual, or something you consciously navigate?
I think it's a very natural thing, at least for me. The songs that grab me the
most are those that have a darkness or a sadness, but are also hooky and
beautiful. I see no mutual exclusivity in musicality, angst, and beauty; to me,
they're natural fits together in song.
3. Detroit seems to be more than just a hometown—it feels baked into your
identity. How does the city shape your sound or ethos as a band?
We appreciate that connection! There is definitely a Detroit pride and a
Michigan pride that permeates people from around here. I believe there is a
certain strength in feeeling overlooked and underrated. And when you combine
that with a strong work ethic and honest passion, big things can happen. I
think that's where the musicality and grit collide in our music and help make
M:tAP!sound like M:tAP!
4. The Fury of Almost made a splash back in 2018. How do you feel Newborn
Fossil builds on—or breaks away from—that debut? What’s evolved in your
creative process since then?
I think the biggest difference is having Sean on board this time. I played bass
on The Fury of Almost, which I really enjoyed. But Sean is a phenomenal
player--much better than I am--and it definitely relieved a lot of the
recording burden for me with him taking it on. Dave and Jake at Tempermill also
did a tremendous job of pulling the M:tAP! sound out of us on these songs.
5. The new EP’s production team features some Detroit heavyweights like Dave
Feeny. How did working with him and Jake Shives elevate the recording process?
I was really pleased with the work Darrell Bazian did on The Fury of Almost, and that should be acknowledged. At the same time, having Dave and Jake in our backyard and willing to work with us was something we couldn't pass up. Jake listened to the first record and he was immediately in tune with our style and influences. We talked a lot about At the Drive-In, Queens of the Stone Age, Jawbox, Death from Above 1979, and others. He was lock-step with us in what elements to emphasize--just enough polish to prove that we know what we're doing, but just enough grime to show we didn't forget who we are.
6. Let’s talk lyrics—what kinds of themes or stories are you digging into on
Newborn Fossil?
Any specific tracks that hit especially close to home?
A lot of this record is about coming to terms with time, age, and legacy. It's
hard not to feel like a lot of what I have known slowly slips away--my
interests and experiences seem dated to some, my kids are growing up too fast,
and I wonder how I'll be remembered through all of it. Plenty & Shine is
especially impactful for me. It was difficult to record because it's mostly
about fighting hold onto those fleeting moments and fearing the best times
could be behind me--definitely not the most fun thing to sing about, but again,
there is a beauty in that too.
7. “What Say You?” earned some serious praise back in the day. Do you feel
any pressure to follow up a track like that, or do you thrive on doing things
your own way, regardless of comparisons?
It was gratifying that What Say You? got some good spins and press. But I
try to approach things like the best song you've ever done you haven't done
yet. I'll always love that tune, but I also think there's a better one out
there--maybe even on Newborn Fossil!
8. How did Sean Bondareff (Kind Beast) come into the picture, and what has
he brought to the band dynamic on this release?
Detroit has a cool interconnectedness about it. Nick played with Sean in
Leaving Rouge (with Kind Beast singer, Sean Hoen) and in Nick's project, Singer
Soldier. I knew of Sean from his music, but Nick introduced us in late 2023
with the idea that Sean could jump on-board for the new EP. Sean is a terrific
bass player, a great guy (very humble, smart, and funny), and was awesome at
helping to cement the songs and punctuate their rhytmic strengths.
9. You’ve been described as blending “guts, brains, musicianship, and
stories.” Which of those ingredients do you think fans are responding to the
most right now?
Great question. I never know for sure--hopefully at least one of them! I think
there's something in M:tAP! for music fans of a lot of different persuasions.
Based on some of the feedback, I think the "guts" seem to stand out
for a lot of folks. But I also gather that people appreciate the mix of those
elements that we bring. Whatever they latch onto that's positive for them, I'm
all for it.
10. What does “Newborn Fossil” mean to you as a title? It feels
paradoxical—fresh yet ancient. What’s the story behind it?
It's actually based on the introspecition I went through when I finally got to
see one of my all-time favorite bands, Jawbreaker, a few years ago. I imagined
being at the concert and having a conversation--maybe even a
confrontation--with my younger self. We're both hearing the same song as
different people, but hearing it the same way. It's as if the younger me was an
old soul and the older me refuses to grow up--but one fulfills the other. I
love to write about those kinds of juxtapositions.
11. With 2025 looking like a big year for you, what can fans expect next?
Will we see M:tAP! hitting the road, dropping more music, or something else
entirely?
We'll see what the live show front looks like; I would certtainly love to
unleash them in a live setting. But either way, we're definitely going to work
on more music. I've already sent some new song structures over to Nick and I'm
excited to bring them to life. We have a ton of music left in us, and it's a
blessing to be able to share it. We don't plan to wait another 7 years!
12. Last one—if you could time-travel back to 2015 when Marcus: the Apex
Predator! first formed, what advice would you give yourselves?
Find ways to keep moving forward. Work, family, global pandemics, and life happen and understandably slow things down sometimes. But I really wish that we were working on our fourth or fifth record by now. So, here's to making up for lost time!
Marcus: the Apex Predator! (@marcustheapexpredator) • Instagram photos and videos
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