It is no coincidence that “Night Marchers” was the first tune that songwriter Rob Reinfurt heard from the avant-groove band, Medeski, Martin and Wood; a band that has been influential in the way he approaches music.

Fast forward ten years. Selfish wandering and social promiscuity was taking it’s toll and Reinfurt got knocked out. It was clear that passionless pursuits had no place in his life. He battled with the law and himself. The angst summoned songs and they came in droves: Rock songs, fuzz, reminiscent of the ones which rattled his teenage years. His first creative pursuit, The Weekenders, became his outlet for this expression.

As the grip loosened, the music which greeted him started to morph, becoming more psychedelic, musky and soulful.

In this interview spotlight, I chat with Night Marcher about the latest project, motivations, challenges and more.

Full Q&A along with links and music below.

Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)

I’m from Albany, NY originally and live in Salt Lake City, Utah now. I’ve drifted in and out of genres, but one element always remains the same, and that is the groove. I tend to gravitate towards groove oriented music and try to incorporate that into everything I do. On this latest record, things drifted into a psychedelic realm which felt right.

What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?

I bought a drum set in college and became totally immersed. I had no idea what I was doing, but I loved jamming with friends and felt a strong draw to improvisation. The moment where everyone is listening to each other intently and simply reacting can create these magical moments. It’s addictive.

Shortly after college, I moved to Utah and was pretty motivated to start a band, but at the time it was tough finding like-minded musicians, so I eventually gave up. A few years later, I got into some trouble with the law and life got real tough. I picked up my guitar again and starting writing a ton of songs. Up until then, I never really wrote songs or sang for that matter. That event really triggered my new path back into music. I had no control over it. I literally couldn’t fall asleep at night and I would write myself to bed. Eventually, I had to create an actual outlet for these tunes and The Weekenders were born. That was my first real band.

Luckily, songs continue to make their way to me and the process of writing and recording is so fulfilling….I think that’s what keeps me going.

How is this new release different than previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?

The first release, Modern Maze had a bit of a soul vibe going on. I was shedding my past and really felt relieved to be done with probation and court so the songs that came out of that period were more soulful. Plus, I wrote all of those tunes (except for one) on guitar.

The guitar was my primary songwriting tool and I wanted to move away from the same riffs and chords. Like many players, I was stuck in the box. So, I bought an old upright piano and started playing to my favorite records (Miles Davis, Kind of Blue…..Marco Benevento, Invisible Baby….) Without really knowing how to play piano, I just started writing a lot of songs. I had no idea what I was doing and simply let the sound guide me, creating chords I could never imagine playing on a guitar. In total, I wrote 7 of the 11 songs on piano.

The theme of the record continues where Modern Maze left off. As time marches on, people are more connected than ever but the digital connection often disregards understanding and empathy. This 24/7 connection has grown tired, the social and political climate has gotten dirtier and people are snapping. The divide continues to grow and has become more apparent than ever. The sleeping prejudice has awoke. No one is taking the time to step back and listen to each other. The Us & Them mentality is being constantly fueled and with access to more information than ever before, we are oddly entering a new age of unawareness.

Here is a lyric from the title track Us & Them and the concept behind the album cover:

Appear to disappear
Reality is getting thin and fabrications trump the facts
No one knows who is who. We’re pointing fingers in the blind
Yellow news and canned replies

After the songs were written, I played most of them live as a duo with my friend and drummer, Shaun Thomas. I recorded these in my home studio, then I added the bass, guitar, keys, synth, tagishoto, percussion, vocals, etc. This became even more of a solo effort than the last record since I ended up playing most of the instruments. In the end, I brought in some musicians for small parts and overdubs here and there. I mixed the record with Andrew Goldring, a great songwriter and producer in Salt Lake City, who also contributed some guitar and drum parts. Then we sent the tracks to Philip Shaw Bova (Feist, Bahamas) to master.

Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this oversaturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?

The challenge is breaking through and connecting with fans. There are a million bands all with the same digital access, so there is over-saturation. No one knows who we are and no one cares – I get it and accept it! But, in order to keep creating art and elevate the music, you need fans. Fans really drive the whole industry and bands bitch all the time about the current music industry, but it’s irrelevant…… it really just comes down to finding your fans and connecting with them, and technology can facilitate that. At the end of the day, as artists, we need to do a better job of connecting with fans and that doesn’t mean just posting on social media. It means using your art and creativity to drive that. Facebook is not going to do that for you!

Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?

• http://www.nightmarchermusic.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/nightmarchermusic/
• https://www.facebook.com/nightmarchermusic

Anything else before we sign off?

I felt like I was a bit too professional in this interview…..guess the questions warranted it. So in the spirit of being human, I’m just like the rest of you, except, I have a tapeworm, I’m obsessed with dumplings and often find myself bowling. Ciao!