Who are you and what is your role in the band?
I am Toby and I am the vocalist and primary song writer.
How did the band get started?
Marquis of Vaudeville began with two daydreaming children. Our guitarist (Bryan) and I grew up together in the middle-of-nowhere, Texas, sharing our childhood on imaginative adventures. We were always searching for portals to other worlds, so music was a natural progression for two creative small-town kids with vivid imaginations and nothing else to do but read, draw, and play D&D. In 2009, after years of honing our musical expertise and refining our tastes, we found that our vision was no longer a daydream. What started out as a creative outlet turned into a powerful way to convey a message – to express ourselves, to connect, and hopefully touch other people’s lives. When we discovered both Geneva and Noah, we found that not only were they both incredible musicians and amazing, genuine people, but they held the same passion for playing and the same work ethic for being the best we could possibly be as a band. There was magic between us instantly with us four. We knew in coming together for the first time that this group was meant to be.
Who are your influences and how do they play a role in your sound?
We find influence in all sorts of varied sources: dreams, art, literature, film, theatre; typically, indie, cult, fantasy/sci-fi, classic works, the fantastical, the out-of-the-ordinary, as well as the cosmos, love, liberty, mythology, mysticism, mystery, & magic. From the musical world, we’d have to say The Cure, Bowie, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Queen, Radiohead, Alice Cooper, Danny Elfman, Yann Tiersen, Ravi Shankar, music of other cultures from around the globe, 60’s psychedelic, 70’s Glam, 80’s Post Punk & New Wave. A great many of our influences can be dark, yet playful because that’s a bit of who we are.
As one would expect, our personal inspirations we draw from the many facets of life; usually dealing with dreams, rebellion, love, loss, hope, understanding, oppression, outcasts, isolation, mental illness, the internal struggle, perseverance, self-destruction, death, loneliness, finding & accepting one’s self, sometimes from personal experience, other times from another’s perspective. Our songs are quite often wrapped up within, & somewhat veiled behind, an imagined story dealing with some sort of fantastical idea such as discovering other worlds & alternate universes, The Sandman, star-crossed vampires, vengeful stage magicians, mysterious whimsical circuses, plundering gentleman highwaymen, intriguing labyrinthine understreets, mad scientist toymakers, or the anthropomorphic personification of death. As we said, dark, yet playful.
What has been your most meaningful experience being in this band so far?
That would simply be our fan’s wonderful responses and reactions to the music. When someone expresses how your music has touched their life in a positive way, then there is nothing more rewarding as a musician in our opinion.
Favorite memory from a show you’ve played or a place you’ve travelled?
Being an immense fan of the comic and film The Crow, we met and befriended the creator who’s been out to several shows. It’s always nice to see someone who influenced your creations getting something out of your art as well.
What do you hope to accomplish with your music?
We like to tell stories, and music affords us a way to tell them. We want to give people something to daydream about, give them hope, open their eyes, hearts, & minds, and we’ve found that messages can be more profound and persuasive when woven secretly within the melodies of music. Our new album The Tragic Valentine is full of storytelling, and we feel that the messages behind the overall story could be relative to anyone’s life.
Something about you that no one knows?
We solemnly swear that we are up to no good
What is next for the band?
We’ll be touring around supporting The Tragic Valentine and are looking at venturing overseas for a spell. We’re also going to be working on a new music video in the upcoming months, as well as a comic book and a potential musical based on the album. We always have something up our sleeve.
Anything else you want to add?
If you haven’t seen our first video off the album for We’re All Mad Here – an Alice in Wonderland-themed song on the surface about spiraling downward & out of control, then you should definitely check it out. The song presents a glimpse of mental illness and losing one’s mind while touching on being lost, but not alone – as everyone is a little crazy in their own way.
