Category: Features

Set to release their new EP Day In Day Out later this month, Utrecht band Jo Marches deliver captivating electronic soundscapes, propelled by the soaring, dreamy vocals of front-woman Johanneke Kranendonk.

We caught up with Kranendonk to find out more…

Hi Jo Marches, welcome to Get In Her Ears! Can you tell us a bit about the band?
We’re a band from the Netherlands playing synth drenched psychedelic pop music. We released our first single and EP in 2016.

How did you initially all get together and start creating music?
It all started with me looking for a new approach to my songs and sound. I was playing with a band that had a more singer-songwriter approach, and I kind of missed the loudness of my first bands. I was really looking for a way to combine pop melodies in songs and a strong sound, but I wanted to stay away from the use of heavy guitar and drum sounds. At a showcase festival I was then introduced to David Hoogerheide. His ideas on producing really spoke to me, so we decided to spend a day in my home studio. We finished our first single that day and so we started working on the EPs. The live band was formed after the recordings.

Your new EP Day In Day Out is out very soon – can you tell us what it’s all about? Are there any themes running throughout the EP?
The EP is about letting go of old ideas and the fight to create room for development. There are so many ways in which we all limit ourselves because of common ideas on how we should be dealing with life. I was seeing people around me desperately looking for meaning but at the same time stubbornly holding on to old ideas or habits, addictions, scary religious stuff, depression and loss. For example ‘Clearing’ is about a discussion I had with a friend about inequality between men and women. I really tried to open his eyes on this subject but he kept referring to scary, nearly religious, self help stuff, making the whole conversation impossible. It freaked me out and I kind of got obsessed by reading and watching everything I could find on cults and religious sects. So that’s all in there, in one song, haha.

You’ve been compared to the likes of Tame Impala and Bat For Lashes, but who would you say are your main musical influences?
We definitely were a fan of the Tame Impala records! Other influences are Broadcast, Blonde Redhead, Caribou, The Dø and Portishead.

How is your local music scene? Do you go to see lots of live music?
I live in Utrecht but the other band members live in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Holland is quite small so you can easily get to another town for an event.

And what can fans expect from your live shows?
Loud synthesizers, melancholic swaying and dimmed lights.

As we’re a new music focused site, are there any new/upcoming bands or artists you’d recommend we check out?
Ooo, where to begin?!  I love Munya from Montreal! And you should check out Kalulu from The Netherlands. L CON from Toronto has just released a wonderful record too! And if you have the chance to see Blue Crime live go see their show – they’re an awesome band!

And how do you feel the music industry is for new bands at the moment – would you say it’s difficult to get noticed?
In a way it is difficult to get noticed but I love the opportunities that online streaming services such as Spotify create for DIY artists. It’s easy to share your music with people all over the world and that’s pretty cool!

Finally, what does the rest of 2018 have in store for Jo Marches?
Foremost the release of the EP and next video. And I’m leaving for Berlin next week to start recordings for our first album. At the end of the year we’ll also be doing a few shows opening for a really cool band. Really excited about that!

Huge thanks to Jo Marches for answering our questions!

Day In Day Out, the upcoming EP from Jo Marches, is out 26th October.