Daniel Marella is an emerging singer/songwriter within the Southern California rock and roll scene, making waves with a fearless fusion of boldness and sincerity.

Originally hailing from the Bay Area, his music weaves his experiences, blending the demanding expectations of academia and extracurricular pursuits, along with the memorable moments from his beer-soaked years as a Division 1 swimmer and music major at UC Santa Barbara. This unique combination fuels his lively and dynamic performances, characterized by their rowdy nature, yet tight and sharp execution.

Based in Los Angeles, Marella also drums for a diverse range of artists. Yet, his true passion is the Marella project, which holds a special place in his heart as a cherished and personal undertaking.

In this interview spotlight, I chat with Marella about the new single, AI in music, dream collabs, and more.

Full Q&A along with links and music below.

This AI thing is getting way out of control. I have students using ChatGPT to write death metal songs about country music…and country songs about being sad. You can feed some Ais a text prompt and create a Hollywood-quality short film. How do you feel about this new wave of technological innovation?

I think artificial intelligence can be super cool at times – although I’m not sure about the combination of death metal and country music. I think it could be used as a very valuable tool at times for artists to use as a spark of inspiration, or for computer scientists to figure out what’s going on with their code. However, for the most part, I think it’s really scary. You really do question what is original and what is authentic at times. I haven’t used it for music, but I’ve seen short videos of AI music, and it already sounds really good at such an early stage of development. I do think it is a potential threat to musicians and songwriters alike, and its danger outweighs the potential good it can bring, in my opinion.

I know it’s hard…but what’s your favorite song and/or favorite artist of all time? If not favorite, in your top 3?

Oh boy! This one is tough, but I’ll give you both but with a small twist. I’ll give you my top three bands of all time, along with my top three songs right now. My sort of 1a and 1b favorite bands of all time are Green Day and The 1975. Both represent different times of my life, an angsty teenager who plays the drums and idolizes Tre Cool, and a young adult learning the ropes of ‘life.’ Number 3 is a little harder for me to pick, but I’ll lean towards the pop-punk side of my music taste and go with Yellowcard. I saw them on their farewell tour, and Ocean Avenue was one of the most formative records in my life.

The first of my favorite top three songs right now is definitely Cutting Thru The Country by Medium Build. I discovered this band about a month ago, and man I’ve been hooked. I think the development of this song is brilliant from a melodic standpoint, as well as the production choices they made. This guy has got the sauce for sure.

The second has to be Good Luck, Babe! by Chappell Roan. I’m not sure what Chappell put in this song but it’s gotta be crack. My gosh, the lush harmonies, string-led instrumentals, and driving drums make you feel like you’re driving back from a first date on an all-time high. So good.

My third is Cheerleader by Porter Robinson. I’m usually not the biggest fan when it comes to EDM, but I sure am a Porter Robinson fan. He definitely toes the line between EDM and what sounds like electronic indie to me. I feel like this song falls right in the wheelhouse of electronic indie and pop punk, and just has the keys to my heart.

This is the first new single from your Marella project in a couple of years – were you trying to accomplish anything specific or different with this project? What’s the back story?

I wasn’t necessarily trying to accomplish anything specific other than releasing a song that I really believe in. In my short career, I’m not sure that I can say that I’ve ever been all in, or a huge believer in a song that I’ve written – this one is just really fun.

In May 2021, amidst a pandemic-disrupted collegiate swim season and personal chaos, I often found myself in the music world within the clutter of my desk. Teaching myself guitar and bass, navigating production tools, and most importantly, sharing moments with friends like Kian Browuer, who brought a fresh chord progression for a new song, “520Kian” – now I Think She’s In Love With Me. Despite our different musical backgrounds, our collaboration flowed effortlessly, resulting in verses and choruses that captured our shared longing for sunnier days.

For three years, “520Kian” remained a demo on my desktop until I shared it with Max Bienert, one of my best friends and producer – we embarked on transforming the demo into a fully realized song.

What drives you to create? What keeps you going, especially on the bad days?

Writing songs and creating music keeps me away from my bad days. A day spent in the studio, in my room, in my garage studio (still in progress), or behind the drum set on stage can never be a bad day. It’s my sanctuary, safe space, and where I feel like I truly live. There are harder days than others, for sure. But I feel blessed to have the opportunity to create when I want, perform with my best friends, and collaborate with so many people worldwide.

If you could collaborate with anyone – dead or alive, famous or unknown – who would it be and why? Please plug them with a link so readers can check them out.

It’s got to be Matty Healy from The 1975. Controversial, I know, but this man has created some of the best records of the 2010s, and I don’t think will be stopped anytime soon.

Where is the best place to stay connected with You?

Instagram for sure. @danmarel Here you see me trying to portray myself as a musician but mostly posting dumb photos of me and my friends.

Any upcoming live dates to plug?

Nothing publicly announced, but for sure this summer in Southern California.

I appreciate Your time. Want to say anything else before we sign off?

Nothing else but thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me today and stream Marella 🙂