Zechs Marquise

Zechs Marquise is a four man band from Texas and can be described as a magnificent band that was brought into the music world by the Rodriguez-Lopez family. Marfred and Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez, with their childhood friends Matthew Wilkson and Marco Smith are doing probably one of the most satisfying works in today’s psychedelic scene. Zechs Marquise’s bass player Marfred Rodriguez-Lopez answered our questions about this magical band, in addition he shared one of his luscious dreams with us. (Correction: Zechs Marquise is now a 5 piece band having added another of the RLP brothers Rikardo Rodriguez-Lopez on Keyboards)

“It sounds like music from outer space.”

Offprint: I know that your name comes from a character in an anime called Mobile Suit Gundam Wing. All of you guys into anime culture? Is this a kind of pastime activity for you?

Zechs Marquise: Not all of us. My brother and I were into to it in our early teens. I continued following it a bit from until I was about 21 or so, then I lost touch with it completely. 

Offprint: All of you guys grew up together as far as I know. Can you describe the feeling of making music together after all those years?

Zechs Marquise: It’s great, there’s nothing like it. Knowing each other for so long as we have has helped us become better friends to one another and a much tighter, well rounded band.

Offprint: It’s really hard to describe your music. How can you describe your own music to someone who have never heard of your songs before?

Zechs Marquise: “It sounds like music from outer space.”

Offprint: Do you think that Texas has any influence on your music?

Zechs Marquise: In a sense it does. We’re fans of western films, specifically Sergio Leone. When we think of the old west we think of Texas and sometimes that comes out in our music. We live in El Paso, it is very isolated from the rest of Texas. It’s closer to Albuquerque, NM and Phoenix, AZ than it is to any major Texas city. It has a very isolated feel. 

Offprint: Almost two years have passed since the release of your debut album Our Delicate Stranded Nightmare. Are we going to hear some new stuff from you guys this year?

Zechs Marquise: Absolutely! We just finished recording our new albumGetting Paid. We encountered some problems during the recording unfortunately, causing a few delays. Now we’re waiting to get it back from being mixed and mastered.

Offprint: What were your inspirers in the song-writing span of Our Delicate Stranded Nightmare?

Zechs Marquise: Films primarily. We thought it would be cool to write somewhat of an ambient record. Our version of a score for a film that doesn’t exist physically but is in the head of the listener. We drew ideas from all kinds of film genres: Sci-Fi, Western, Blacksplotation, Foreign, Animation, Kung Fu. None of it was written prior to recording it, except for MagMar. 

Offprint: After almost two years, what do you feel about Our Delicate Stranded Nightmare? What would be different if you guys started to record it today?

Zechs Marquise: We all feel good about it. Especially for something that was only an idea, something that had no preparation. If we started recording it today, it would be more refined. It lacked a bit of direction, the idea was there but it needed to be tighter, more solid.

Offprint: You have amazing merchandises in your website. Did they come out as your own ideas? I loved the Super Mario one especially.

Zechs Marquise: That’s one of our favorites. It depends, some are our ideas but most are collaborations with artists we know, primarily Zeque Peña. Sonny Kay has done one for us as well as our good friend Matt Poe.

Offprint: What’s the advantages of being a part of Rodriguez Lopez Productions?

Zechs Marquise: Having a label to put records out on and the distribution to get them out there and being on the Sargent House management roster among other things. Cathy manages some great bands and there is this very “family” feeling about everything. We’re all close with our families and that’s important to us.

Offprint: You have played with some of our favorite acts like Daedelus, The Gaslamp Killer and The Album Leaf. So, which band is your dream band to share the stage with?

Zechs Marquise: It would have to be Battles or Mastodon, or both. All three bands on the same tour. Those two bands can shred.