Marco Benevento Album In Unchartered Territory

Marco Benevento “bridged the gap between indie rock and jam bands way before there were thinkpieces on it” (BrooklynVegan), but with new album Let It Slide (out 9/20 on Royal Potato Family), his fusion extends far beyond those realms. As KCRW affirmed, Marco “rarely stands still,” and on the title track, his “epigrammatic vocals” carry his self-described “hot dance piano rock” into uncharted territory. 

Check out lead single/video “Let It Slide,” unreleased track “Oh Baby Can’t You See” live on Adult Swim’s FishCenter, and his latest, undeniable “summertime groove” (FLOOD). Think you’d be up for an NYS feature? Here’s some more primer: 

From walking his goats to hanging with four pet peacocks named after Back to the Future characters, the eccentricity of Marco is real, and even stronger onstage. “No one sees the keyboard quite like him” (LA Times), and that “experimental ecstasy” (NPR) has led to work with Dan Auerbach, Kevin Morby, members of the Grateful Dead, and a circus of others. However, Let It Slide marks the first time he’s relinquished studio control of his own music.

Introduced via dear friend Richard Swift (who was set to mix the LP before passing), Marco made Let It Slide with producer Leon Michels (Sharon Jones, Adele, Lana Del Rey, Lady Gaga). An unexpected, upstate NY bromance ensued, and Marco’s trust in Leon ultimately informed the album’s core: free yourself to be yourself. Citing influence in Can, ESG, Childish Gambino, and Mulatu Astatke, he dug deep into his lyrics, exploring acceptance, desire, and regret, while embracing the moment – an impulse to cover piano strings in gaffers tape created the LP’s main muted sound (along with the Binson Echorec, the tape machine behind 1970s Pink Floyd).