Freeing the Spirit

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Sunday 11 Nov 2007 (Michael Bugeja - The Sunday Times of Malta)

It was back in 1998, during my DJ residency at the now-defunct Rock Café in Paceville that I first heard Marvic Lewis perform. The occasion was a tribute concert held in memory of Paul Borg, the unforgettable frontman of party-rock band (and local heroes) The Unexplained who had recently passed way. Marvic, backed by the rest of Paul’s most recent outfit, Easy Engine, sang a handful of rock classics, the most prominent number being a cover of Led Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love. The crowd present, myself included, was clearly impressed. Since then I have come across Marvic a few more times in my years of covering the local scene. With her sister Olivia she’s been part of the highly entertaining William Mangion Band, sang backing vocals for local Pink Floyd covers band Deep Waters and also fronted the short-lived So Chronic, whose handful of singles showed lots of promise. She also provides the backing vocals for acclaimed world music combo Tribali.

An avid rock fan, Marvic’s next musical step was one she decided to handle on her own. Working under the name of Indigo, she got together with various musicians with the specific task of producing a new set of songs that would form the core of her debut solo album, Struck. Released in 2006, the album was well received by critics and spawned several promo singles that garnered regular radio airplay locally. Musically, she had adopted a stronger guitar presence along with a Gothic affinity. She often refers to her music as Goth-Psych, a description induced as much by her musical inclinations as by her personal philosophy. The end result possesses a defined, perhaps tactfully measured, sense of mainstream appeal; a rock-based blend of catchy tunes that evades the clutches of predictable pop-rock, arranged to reflect a kinship that owes more to the early wave of British female-fronted Goth bands than the more obvious contemporary examples.

There is also a lyrical depth to the album, something that Indigo attributes to her perspective on life. This, according to her website, has to do with facing whatever life throws at you and being able to empower yourself with the positive elements that come along. Another determining factor is her readiness to use whatever mood she may be in to inspire her creativity. This was especially important in the variety of emotions that feed the songs on her album. Forever in search of new experiences, Indigo spent a good part of the past year abroad, the most recent being her trip - as part of the Tribali line-up – to perform at the legendary Glastonbury Festival in the UK. An undeniably unforgettable experience, it also served as a catalyst in her solo career.

In fact, since coming back, she has been totally immersed in her next project, which will be unveiled this Saturday at The Alley. Based on one of the strongest tracks off her album, Indigo will be releasing a music video for the song Scarecrow. The song has also been re-recorded, the new version, which can currently be heard on the radio, possessing a heavier slant. The video is based on a script that Indigo has been working on for several months; one that translates the song’s cry for freedom of the spirit and triumph over a materialistic burden through imagery representing the past, present and future of the subject. Indigo was also involved in the location and wardrobe planning for the video, while Jean Pierre Gatt of Picture Box was in charge of filming, direction and post-production.

The video launch will also coincide with Indigo’s first live performance proper, and for the event she will be backed by drummer Steve Muscat, guitarist Chris Mintoff and bassist James Saliba; all seasoned musicians in their own right and all well-known on the local music scene.

Indigo will be performing live at The Alley on Saturday 17 November.

Indigo website