Biography

Written and recorded on a 1966 Fender Stratocaster that reignited his love for the instrument, After Hours marks a first for Marion, an earnest, easygoing collection that revels in the simple joys of plugging in and playing. The songs are sweet and breezy here, pairing vintage soul grooves with mesmerizing, wordless melodies, and Marion’s production work is suitably subtle and restrained, stepping back in all the right places to let the album’s masterful performances speak for themselves. In another first, Marion teamed up with outside musicians on the record, bringing in a group of all-star players including renowned bassist Shahzad Ismaily (Yoko Ono, Marc Ribot) and famed Brazilian percussionist Mauro Refosco (David Byrne, Atoms For Peace). The result is Marion’s warmest, most magnetic work to date, an inviting, immediately accessible album that manages to balance thoughtful introspection and carefree bliss in equal measure. Born and raised in New Jersey, Marion first came to widespread attention with the release of Wondervisions, his 2011 debut. Delicate Steve’s 2012 follow-up, Positive Force, was met with similar acclaim. In the years that followed, Marion would go on to release two more highly lauded studio albums; record with the likes of Paul Simon, Amen Dunes, and Sondre Lerche; perform live with Mac DeMarco, Built To Spill, Dr. Dog, and more; have his songs sampled by Kanye West not once, but twice; and join the Black Keys on the road as a touring guitarist.