‘5 Questions With’: Marco Tamimi
“Over the last year so many people have longed to be with their loved ones again, and that’s one of the main sentiments behind ‘Rose’.”
Hailing from Cambridgeshire, now London-based singer-songwriter Marco Tamimi is truly one to watch. Describing himself as a “sad boi singing sad boi bops“, the artist is quickly establishing himself as force to be reckoned with in the UK pop sphere, catching up to the likes of Mimi Webb and Griff. Marco’s carefully curated brand of pop paints a vivid picture of his innermost thoughts and feelings, allowing listeners to feel every word he croons. After he spent the past two years writing and recording new music, he is now finally unveiling new releases – and his brand new offering ‘Rose‘ is a first taste of it.
Read the full interview below…
EQ: What’s been the most memorable moment in your musical journey so far?
M: My debut single ‘Different Eyes’ somehow racked up over 3.5 million streams on Spotify, which is absolutely crazy. I released it three years ago and it was stuck on about 10,000 streams for ages and no one was really listening. Then about a year and half ago the numbers just spiked and most of the streams have come since then. I think we’ve done 2.5 million this last year alone, which is mad to me. I wrote that song in my bedroom and now it’s been played millions of times, I can’t believe it.
EQ: You describe yourself as ‘a sad boi singing sad boi bops’ – can you tell us more about that? Do you draw inspiration for your songs from your own experiences or everywhere around you?
M: It’s a bit tongue in cheek to be honest. My songs tend to be along the lines of sad heartbreak music, so I like to balance that by poking fun at myself a bit. Yes, I write sad songs, but I’m actually a happy guy most of the time! Crazy, isn’t it?
In terms of inspiration behind the songs, that tends to be a mixed bag. Often I’m writing about things that I’ve directly experienced, although not always. Sometimes that can be drawing on a really fresh feeling or emotion, but other times it’s me writing in hindsight. That hindsight can sometimes be months, or even years, later. I love honest songwriting, because I feel like it’s the best way to connect with people. That doesn’t mean that I never write about things around me, or stuff I’m not directly involved in. I definitely do that as well, it’s just that I find writing about genuine experiences the most rewarding.
“Yes, I write sad songs, but I’m actually a happy guy most of the time! Crazy, isn’t it?”
– Marco Tamimi
EQ: So tell us about your new single ‘Rose’ – what’s it all about?
M: I called the song ‘Rose’ because a rose is often a symbol of love, but also ‘Rose’ is actually someone’s name. I don’t think many people realise that I’ve actually named the song after the person it’s about. I guess they know now. Ha!
Simply put, it’s about missing someone and the little things that you love doing with that person. There’s a lyric in the song which goes ‘I would trade all these late nights for an hour spent with you, drinking on my sofa, three glasses from sober, listening to JP Saxe with you’. All those lines are real things that I love doing with this one person; the things you sometimes take for granted in a relationship, the feeling of just being in each other’s company, and really missing it. Over the last year so many people have longed to be with their loved ones again, and that’s one of the main sentiments behind ‘Rose’.
EQ: What’s your guilty pleasure song?
M: I was hoping you’d ask me this question! I have no shame in admitting that I love Taylor Swift. ‘Love Story’ is a banger, I absolutely love that song. My friends and I once got a noise complaint from a neighbour because we were playing it too loud on our speakers. I find it really nostalgic for some reason. Is it a guilty pleasure if I don’t feel guilty about it?
EQ: What else have you got planned for this year? Anything you can unveil already?
M: I’ve got a few exciting things in the pipeline! A few more songs should be out later this year and I’m hoping to announce some live shows. I’ve got a support slot at the Shacklewell Arms in London supporting CHERITON in October too, so people can get tickets to that by going to my Instagram.
Listen to ‘Rose’ below…
Spotify/ Marco Tamimi
Stream ‘Rose’ HERE
Follow Marco Tamimi on socials:
Instagram:@marcotamimimusic
Facebook: @marcotamimimusic
Twitter: @Marco_Tamimi
Tik Tok: @marcotamimi