Marsden’s Music Career in the Making
On July 29, senior Alexander Marsden released his long playing (LP) record called “Lucid Memory” on all music streaming platforms. An LP is used to describe an album that contains more than eight song tracks. “Lucid Memory” consists of 10 guitar and vocal tracks that range from alternative pop to indie pop. “Lucid Memory” became the title of the album because many of his songs were written from past experiences–both in school and in his process of being a musician–that distressed him mentally or emotionally. With the help of his record producer, Billy Mohler, and guitar instructor, Shawn Flemings, it took Marsden more than two years to complete and produce his album. Fleming admires Marsden’s growth in becoming a more advanced guitar player.
“Xander is just a fantastic guitar player,” Fleming said. “As a musician, [Marsden] has blossomed as a multi-talented artist. Excelling in songwriting, singing and being an impressive bandleader, he is always willing to learn new things and take on new challenges.”
Marsden initiated “Lucid Memory” before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic hit. His initial objective was to start constructing random chords to create a melody, which then led to the creation of songs that only contained instrumental music. Ultimately, they became five songs that were finalized with both chords and added lyrics. The lyrics to Marsden’s songs were created through a stream-of-consciousness writing technique. This is shown in the song “Make Amends” as he wrote down his initial thoughts and then developed them into the lyrics “Too late to say goodbye in the end / We drown sometimes just to make amends.” During COVID-19, he began to focus on producing more songs in his home studio to add to his LP album. Eventually, he made five new ones for a total of 10 songs that he hoped would be professionally produced.
“I started focusing more on music during [COVID-19],” Marsden said. “Lyrics were just flowing [out of me] as I played my guitar. Many of the lyrics took [one attempt] to assimilate into the finalized song. I showed my music to Billy Mohler and, ultimately, I think we clicked immediately.”
Marsden’s record producer, Mohler, is a Grammy nominated songwriter who has worked with music artists such as Lady Gaga, Sia, Kelly Clarkson and many others. He established a relationship with Marsden through Flemmings, which led to Marsden sending his song “Townsleep” to Mohler. Mohler saw enormous potential for Marsden’s talents, prompting them to start songwriting together and putting professional touches on Marsden’s songs. Mohler is thrilled with Marsden’s growth and development as a musician through the production of “Lucid Memory”.
“I am [extremely] proud of [Marsden’s] artistry and complexity [in his] music,” Mohler said. “He really stood out to me as a prodigy guitar player and is never afraid to let his music speak for itself. I can feel the story behind his lyrics and seeing him grow to his potential is very [captivating].”
Currently, Marsden is playing at gigs and venues such as “The Mint LA,” where he performed on Sept. 20 for his LP’s release party By playing at more gigs, he hopes to showcase his love for performing music. He feels an overwhelming joy for his success with “Lucid Memory” and is hoping to continue his music career as he works on a new album. Mardsen intends to pursue music during college, but is currently undecided as to whether or not he will major in music.
