Taking their name from a mashup of Harold Hill and Marian Paroo, two characters from the Broadway musical The Music Man, Marian Hill are Jeremy Lloyd and Samantha Gongol, along with saxophonist Steve Davit.

Touring in support of their debut full-length release, Act One, Marian Hill played a show at First Avenue in Minneapolis, but not before stopping at The Current for a session hosted by Mac Wilson.

For a band who take their name from a Broadway show, it's not surprising they put special effort into their stage design. "We definitely made a big effort to create a world that is distinctly Marian Hill," Lloyd says. "At the show, we've got this set that we've been bringing around that is these three backdrops; they're very art deco in style and there are lights behind them so that the light shines through the patterns and it really feels like our own stage world and we hope to bring the audience into that, just like on the album."

The art deco design is appropriate, given Marian Hill's musical style, which the band members describe as an homage to lounge music, or to '20s and '30s cabaret. It is that connection that inspired Marian Hill's recruitment of saxophonist Davit.

Act One, Lloyd explains, is a sonic journey through the many relationships and emotions people tend to experience in their early 20s. Some of the songs go to dark places, but the single "I Want You" concludes the album on a bright note. "It's the only song in major on the record, and it's by far, it's the most upbeat and optimistic," Lloyd explains. "It's a really special way to end the record."

Use the audio player above to listen to the complete in-studio session with Marian Hill, which includes the performance of a previously unreleased track, "Oh Yeah I Love You."

Songs Performed

"Down"
"Oh Yeah I Love You"
"I Want You"
Songs 1 and 3 are from Marian Hill's 2016 album, ACT ONE, available on Republic Records. "Oh Yeah I Love You" has appeared in Marian Hill's live set but is previously unreleased.

Hosted by Mac Wilson
Produced by Anna Reed
Engineered by Michael DeMark and Jalen Russell
Visuals by Nate Ryan
Web feature by Luke Taylor

Resources

Marian Hill - official site

Related

• Review and photos: Marian Hill at First Avenue