Updated May 2022
Marlon Roudette is unarguably one of the most original Caribbean-influenced music talents to have emerged on the international scene over the past few decades. The London-born, British-Vincentian singer-songwriter achieved international success, particularly in mainland Europe. Roudette’s 2011 hit single New Age from his debut solo album Matter Fixed reached number one in Austria, Switzerland, and Germany. By recent count New Age video, a song co-written with the prolific hit-maker Guy Chambers has over 20 million views on YouTube. There is no doubting Marlon Roudette‘s enormous talent as an instrumentalist and wordsmith. Yet the question of why some artists do not attain global reach equal to their musical output and talents is never a simple answer.
Marlon Roudette’s creativity is inevitably influenced by his strong pedigree. His father is Cameron McVey, the British music producer who has worked with the likes of Neneh Cherry, Sugarbabes, Massive Attack, and All Saints. Mom Vonnie Roudette is an artist, educator, designer, and activist-advocate. Mom is Dominican-Trinidadian and moved young Marlon and sister Aiko Roudette to the Caribbean as children, settling in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. When Marlon was seventeen, he moved back to London, teamed up with his friend Preetesh Hirji and formed the band Matta Fixed. By then, his musical and creative exposure had developed on a strong arc, influenced by reggae, soca, soul, hip-hop, rap, and jazz. Marlon Roudette’s motifs of the steel pan and the Vincy flag are ever-present in his live performances, videos, and imagery.
Two years after the release of the first solo album, ACU|BIEN caught up with Marlon in late 2014, as he was hard at work on his second solo album. We are honored to hear from an artist who is adored throughout Europe and many corners of the world and continues on his path to finding his way into the hearts of larger British, Caribbean, and perhaps North American audiences. The saying that “a prophet is not without honor, except in his own country” has rarely had more merit.
Q. Marlon, tell us a little about this second solo album you are currently recording. Are we to expect a departure from your trademark fusion of genres: reggae, hip-hop, soul, jazz, and blues you have become known for through ‘Matter Fixed’ and previously Matta Fixed?’ Any new collaborations?
A|“Thanks for having me first of all. It’s impossible not to fuse the genres that I’ve grown up around but I hope the new album will be proof of the continuous evolution that I feel and hear in my music. We haven’t decided on collaborations yet, but I tend to find the ones that happen naturally to be the best. The Matter is never fixed!”
Q. As a musician, songwriter, and also fan of music, how have your influences changed from the fresh-faced youth breaking into the scene in 2005, compared to the artist you have become?
A|“I think I’m more open to new influences now. Life becomes less black and white as we age. Less right and wrong. The relentless touring has added depth to my voice. I also appreciate how fortunate I am to make a living in this industry. As a youth, you tend to think you deserve it.”
Q. You talked of the Matter Fixed as a ‘personal vibe, telling your life as it is.’ With the passage of time is there a track or tracks from the album that was so personally powerful, maybe in its message or meaning that just didn’t resonate with the public because it didn’t get enough airtime or mileage commercially?
A|“There are so many factors that determine whether or not a song will be a commercial hit and most of them revolve around chance. It still hurts that New Age wasn’t as big in the UK as it was in Europe because everyone who heard it loved it. Sometimes the music game is very political, but you know that when you start so it’s no excuse. I’m honestly humbled by the hits that I have had and I find each one to be its own little miracle.”
Listen to New Age
Q. It has been about 7 years, thousands of road and air miles since Living Darfur and your involvement in the ‘Save Darfur Campaign.’ Have succumbed to compassion fatigue and if not, what global or socio-political challenges are close to your heart now?
A| “If anything my compassion has grown with time it’s just that I’ve found other ways to do my bit that are less public. I was shocked at the jaded response to charity movements after the Save Darfur campaign so I figured another approach was needed. However I constantly get messages about the good that song has done, so there was a positive outcome.”
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READ ALSO Marlon Roudette Exclusive Interview: “When the beat drops outs.”
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Q. As an emerging Caribbean-centric lifestyle brand ACU|BIEN is about “changing the way we view ourselves and each other, and changing the way the world views the Caribbean.” Is this something you relate to personally or creatively, and if so how?
A| “Yes definitely. Culturally we have so much to offer in the Caribbean and it’s that uniqueness that the world wants to see. Every time I show up on stage with a steel pan and a Vincy flag people gravitate toward something they have not experienced before. Fresh. Original. Heartfelt. I’m constantly telling young producers and artists to harness that originality”
Q. Marlon, would you attribute the socio-political vein in your music to the limited commercial successes you have achieved, so far, in the UK? Or is there some other explanation why Britain has yet to fully embrace Marlon Roudette as one of its modern creative forces?
A| “Perhaps you’re right. I’ve never been good at the networking/red-carpet schmoozing that seems to be required here at times. Maybe it’s just a matter of musical taste and for whatever reason, it’s not to the media’s liking. There are so many great male vocalists in the UK that sometimes it’s hard to find a place. I’m incredibly grateful for the success I’ve had outside England and I get to be anonymous in my hometown of London which has been essential to many of my lyrical inspirations.”
Q. On a lighter note, at ACU|BIEN we are adamant about helping to redefine what the world considers a luxury Caribbean lifestyle. What is your ultimate idea of Caribbean luxury?
A| “Mmmm, I appreciate a fine beverage on the deck of a nice yacht in a secluded bay somewhere in St Vincent or its jewel islands, the Grenadines. However, I can easily swap that for a Hairoun and some old talking in a rum shop near my childhood village of Peniston on the Leeward coast!”
Q. And finally, Marlon, do you have a working title for the new album, and when can we expect to see it drop?
A| “No working title yet and I’m getting nervous about finding the right one!! I’m aiming for the first half of 2014 for a release, but creativity is an unpredictable mistress!”
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For Marlon Roudette fans, the MatterFixers album Matter Fixed is perhaps in the vein of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill – a body of work one returns to time after time that re-resonates with new life-love experiences. Matter Fixed has been on my playlist since it dropped in 2011. For us in the Caribbean Diaspora, we older transient Caribbean people who often reminisce about home, the album track Riding Home echos of a simpler pre-smartphone age of seeming innocence, long gone.
What do you think? Does Marlon’s story resonate with you in any way? Share your thoughts!
Listen and download Marlon Roudette’s album Matter Fixed
Originally published December 2013
Nice musician.
I like that song very much.
Thanks for the nice post.
Really great Im happy that there are still people who embrace the Caribbean lifestyle and music. Bringing something fresh to the scenes every so often
Where is Marlon Roudette now? what is he doing? why can’t I find anything about private life? (apart from Caribbean origin and parents curriculum) how can we listen him in a life concert? where can I find last interview?