Marcy Playground In The Studio With Odd Engineer

08/06/1998 3:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
Craig Rosen

(8/6/98, 12 p.m. PDT) - Marcy Playground have begun work on the follow-up to their breakthrough self-titled debut. To assist in the recording process, the band has recruited Steven Drake from Canadian pop outfit the Odds to serve as the engineer on the project, while Marcy frontman John Wozniak, who was credited with producing the band's debut, will produce the sophomore effort. Marcy Playground and the Odds are represented by the management firm Blake & Bradford.

According to manager Chris Blake, Marcy Playground road-tested several live songs during their recent tour. "Half their set has been new songs," Blake tells myLAUNCH. "They have about 20 new songs that they know forwards and backwards, so there won't be any of that second-album jinx."

The band, of course, almost experienced the jinx on their first album, which was released with little notice in February 1997. Strangely enough, Marcy Playground didn't really take off until their label went out of business. The album was initially released on EMI America. When the EMI label was shuttered, the album was picked up by Capitol, whichhelped make "Sex And Candy" a modern rock hit. "It was as different as night and day," Bradford says of the band's move from EMI to Capitol.

Bradford says Marcy's Wozniak and the Odds' Drake have "very similar personalities." The two musicians met when they shared the bill on tour. When MP's tour with Everclear hit Vancouver, Drake dropped by and the deal was sealed.

Drake is being brought in to "find some interesting sounds," Bradford adds. "He's very creative with sounds. John's got the production side figured out in his head." Drake's past engineering credits include titles by fellow Canadians Tragically Hip and 54-40.