erin marcellina – The Concordian

The musician debuts their newest EP “Book of Open Tuning” in concert

Erin Marcellina and the band Hank’s Dream came together last Friday, Jan. 27, to create an unforgettable experience for their fans at the bar Quai des Brumes located in the Plateau Mont-Royal.

Unlike most performers who stay backstage before their shows, Erin and the band were at the front of house. They were greeting guests and introducing themselves to their dedicated fans, who consisted primarily of supportive family and friends. If they were nervous, there was no indication of it. The group couldn’t have looked more in their element.

“I was super nervous before the show. Everything was racing. But the moment I started performing, it was so much easier,” said Marcellina.

Marcellina kicked off their performance with the important piece “I Should’ve Told Him” on their newest EP. Inspired by one of their close friend’s suppressed memories of being sexually assaulted, the acoustic guitar paired with Marcellina’s soft vocals made for a tear-jerking performance and the perfect way to start the show.

This was followed by a noteworthy rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s hit “I’m On Fire,” which created a feeling of nostalgia for the older demographic and revisited personal memories for Marcellina’s father since they listened to this song religiously during a family trip in Ireland.

“I’ve been playing this cover my whole life. It’s a childhood song and very nostalgic to me. It was easy for me to place it in the set because I know I’m going to play it well,” Marcellina said.

They broke up their performance by entertaining fans with the song “Mommy” that has yet to be released. They expressed to the audience how the song stemmed from them being recently rejected.

Marcellina also sang a spectacular cover of “Suddenly I See” by KT Tunstall, which animated the crowd as they began to dance in groups on the compact dance floor.

“I chose this one because I had recently watched The Devil Wears Prada and this song was on the soundtrack,” said Marcellina.

Marcellina concluded their set by playing “Your Drug,” the last song on their latest EP, along with a special feature by Hank’s Dream who played accompanying instruments. The combination of Marcellina and the band created a unique take on one of their most popular pieces and demonstrated an undeniable connection between the band and themself.

“Hank’s Dream is made up of such talented musicians and they’re such nice guys,” Marcellina said. They added that this was their first experience performing one of their songs with a full band. “It felt like everything fit really well,” they said.

As soon as Hank’s Dream walked on stage, the crowd gravitated towards the front rows to watch them perform some songs from their self-titled debut.

They delighted their fans with an exceptional performance of Miley Cyrus’ hit “Party in the U.S.A” which caused the audience to break out into song, almost making it hard to hear the band at all.

This was Marcellina’s third concert and second time at Quai des Brumes. By the end of this show, they had definitely left their mark that evening.

With the hope of performing once again with Hank’s Dream and a single on its way, Marcellina is truly making a name for themself.

Photo by Alexandra Blackie

The Concordia student has treated fans with the incredible EP Book of Open Tuning

Erin Marcellina has treated fans with the incredible EP Book of Open Tuning that she just released at the beginning of November. After struggling with writer’s block and trying to perfect her sound, she has taken yet another step into the indie/folk world. Erin sat down with The Concordian to talk about the meaning behind her powerful lyrics.

While her 2020 album Wait for You is about a love story inspired from the relationship she was in at that time, Book of Open Tuning deals with deeper subject matter. The EP starts off with the song “I Should’ve Told Him.” This track may be mistaken for a breakup song but is actually inspired by a story dear to Erin’s heart. A close friend of hers had recently confided in her about some suppressed memories of being sexually assaulted by one of their close friends. Immediately, Erin was impacted and wanted to use her music in order to help her friend heal.

“She was telling me about this story and she had texted me these words which are the lyrics of the bridge; He was my best friend, how could he do this to me, it was a year ago, how could he? These words just hit me in a very powerful way and all I wanted to do was turn this into music to allow her to heal and have her story told,” said Marcellina.

Like all musicians, she wanted to create music that would touch people and that they could relate to. “I Should’ve Told Him” is not only a song that can help her friend heal from her experience, but can also help so many women who have been through the same trauma feel less alone.

Being inspired by her friend’s courage to share her story, she created the last song on the album, “Your Drug.”

“Your drug is pretty much about putting everything on the line and wanting to become something more. The two songs are basically affiliated with one another.”

Differing from the two other songs on the album, “Hot In Here,” Marcellina’s favourite song on the EP, is a transitional piece discussing the matter of seasonal depression. This track stemmed from a simple conversation with her roommate about the temperature in their apartment and the acceptance of change. Although present throughout the entire album, the acoustic guitar paired with the layering of Erin’s beautiful vocals resulted in the feeling of comforting loneliness.

“It was inspired by me and my roommate talking about the heating in our apartment. We were asking ourselves why it was so hot in our apartment yet so cold outside and why can’t people live with the fact that things change. We had this discussion and I thought that it was a good idea for a song.”

Although both of her albums were released just two years apart, they couldn’t be more different. Not only is the subject matter vastly unrelated, her recording skills have developed greatly over the past couple of years.

“I think I’m the most proud in the growth of my mixing and my recording. It’s still the same me that wrote Wait for You but I’m mature and I’m better at what I do. It’s still the same style, just better.”

Marcellina is completely independent when it comes to producing her music and does most of her recording from her bedroom. Although not the most conventional equipment, for optimal sound proofing, she records her songs underneath her duvet cover and recorded “I Should’ve Told Him” entirely in her bathtub.

There is no lack of talent within Marcellina’s family, her mom being a music teacher and her dad being a member of the Ontario metal band Shock. She began her musical career when she was three years old with classical piano and then eventually taught herself the guitar. When she performed at a school concert at the age of fourteen, she knew this was a path she wanted to continue on.

“I think my biggest inspiration would be my dad in his forties still going to rehearsals every week and practicing his guitar every day. It was no way in a professional way, it was just for the love of it.”

While giving Book of Open Tuning the appropriate amount of time to receive the appreciation it deserves, Erin is working on some new content for her fans with the possibility of features from other artists as well. If this new EP is any indication, this is just the beginning of her break into the music industry.