Artist Colin Marks
By:
After making the connection between the sickly, slick artwork on both Aborted and Whitechapel’s new releases, Blistering.com just had to hunt down Colin Marks and find out what draws the man to the darkside (not "darkish" as MS Word is currently trying to persuade it to do. Damn machines, bring back movable type).
Blistering.com: First of all, what age are you and where are you based?
Colin Marks: Twenty-nine and based in London, UK
Blistering.com: Where did the name “Rain Song” (his website is www.rain-song.co.uk) come from?
Colin: I’m not too sure to be honest. It’s just a name I thought up years ago when I first set up a site for my art. This was before I started working with bands and was just doing art for myself. I think I wrote down a bunch of different ideas, and the rain song name just seemed appropriate so I stuck with that.
Blistering.com: What background do you have in art/design/photography?
Colin: I studied at college in a Fine Art course, although it was pretty general and covered the whole spectrum of art and design. Then I went on to a more in depth course in illustration. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but this felt like the right way to go. The stuff I was creating back then was very different to how I work now. I used a lot of paint, collage, ink and stuff. Still quite dark but on a much larger scale and a lot messier. I didn’t get into computers and Photoshop until much later. Same with photography. I dabbled a bit with cameras but I didn’t really know what I was doing until I eventually bought a decent camera and started figuring out how to use it. Now it’s one of the most important parts to my work. I still use the paint and other mixed media but it’s not the main feature, more for textures.
Blistering.com: When did you start doing artwork for bands?
Colin: Not too long ago really. I’ve done a few projects here and there but it’s only within the last year that it’s picked up to the point where I would call it a career. I think my break was with The End. Relapse flew me over to Canada and I spent a week crashing with a couple of the guys in the band shooting some band shots and photography for the record. It was a lot of fun, and slightly bizarre at the same time. That was a big project for me and I got a lot of positive feedback on the back of it. I think that’s when people started to notice my work. It gradually developed from there onwards.
Blistering.com: Apart from The End, Whitechapel and Aborted who else have you worked with?
Colin: I recently worked with Jeff Loomis of Nevermore on his solo record, and Nevermore too actually on their upcoming DVD. Then there’s new albums from All Shall Perish, (The) Plasmarifle, Woe Of Tyrants, Sylosis, the last Red Death CD, and there are quite a few bands I’m working with at the moment including My Cross To Bare, Trigger the Bloodshed, and Lazarus A.D. among others. It’s going well.
Blistering.com: Are you linked to any labels or do you work freelance?
Colin: No, it’s all freelance. I find labels seem to come back to you or recommend you if they’ve worked with you before and were happy with the outcome.
Blistering.com: Do you approach bands or do they approach you?
Colin: I’m quite fortunate to have had a few releases that got a lot of attention and I worked with a few labels that I get along with so I think bands approach me because of that. When I was initially trying to start up I would contact bands by emailing a few samples of my work and hoping they get back to me. I think that’s how The End first saw my stuff. It’s probably not ideal but it worked out ok. You have to get your work seen somehow.
|
