INTERVIEW: ​An Inside Look at MARINA CITY'S Rise

By: Joe Brunker

   I lived in Plainfield, Illinois for a large portion of my life. I was living there when I started my first band, Over The Sun in 2014. I had no idea what I was doing, or how we would grow from the burbs. It was really awesome to know that there was another rising rock band that was also from my neck of the woods. It gave me inspiration to jump in, feet first. I would see signs, outside of the old Durbins, that would say, "Marina City Tonight at 7." 

  Being a novice in the scene, I reached out to Marina City on their facebook messenger, and was very surprised to get a quick response. I asked if I could pick their brains on how to navigate a world that I had no understanding of. Lead singer, Ryan Argast, responded quickly and was very encouraging! While we never were table to coordinate our schedules for a meeting, I kept watch of their amassing achievements and rooted the guys on from afar. 

  I watched as they won competitions and created some awesome music along the way. I reached out to Ryan again for an interview on Bell and Company podcast. He was able to come out to the studio and left us with some great wisdom in the interview. While I have made my way down to Georgia, I still root Marina City on! Their growth through adversity has been a major source of encouragement! 

  Comprised of bandmates Ryan Argast, Todor Birindjiev, and Eric Somers-Urrea; they continues to grow their reach and inspire many others. I added them to my list of bands that I would like to interview. I am glad Ryan was table to carve some time out for this interview! Before I get to the questions, I will tell you my favorite song of theirs. My personal favorite from Marina City is definitely the emotional depth that I find from "Better Weather!" Don't just listen to that song, but all of their catalog. You won't regret it. 

Joe:
  You have been Marina City for quite some time! How long has that been?
Ryan:
  It’s a complicated question to answer because yes we named the band in 2011 but didn’t tell the world until 2012, then experimented a lot in 2019, then lineup changes in 2023 we reinvented ourselves to what we are now. It feels fresh to us while also feeling very comfortable in our own skin.

Joe
  With the compiling years and different bandmates; what has kept you going through it all?
Ryan:
  The love of music is very strong between the three of us. We all make a living through music even outside of the band whether it’s gigging, touring, our producing other projects. Music isn’t a hobby. It’s barely even a job but a lifestyle. It’s as important to us as air is. Also, we’ve grown up together. My daughter knows the guys as her uncles. We all stood in each other’s weddings. Our wives are friends. It’s a family. Even the past members are still around in different capacities.

Joe:
  I noticed you guys have been thriving with Wisconsin fans the last few years. How do you continue to foster the communities of fans that are further away from home?
Ryan:
  We aren’t much of trend chasers. We probably could be a little more hip to the newest thing but we really believe in connecting with people through our music and performances. Our music typically tackles heavy moments in our lives and our live performances gives us an outlet to really express these emotions. If you’re a fan of the band chances are we’ve had a real conversation together. It’s not just us 3 in the band. It’s a whole community. I think when you connect with people through your art, through your performance, and through conversation you can foster a great community wherever you are.

Joe:
  If you could put one moment from your band's musical career into a time capsule, for future generations to see; what moment would that be?
Ryan:
  Of course I’d want the sold out shows, the national anthems, the tv performances, etc but I think it’s more important for people to see the moments that kicked the snot out of us and how we bounced back. We’ve had our car broken into, been stranded in the middle of the Montana mountains, had boomers steal from us, walked away from high profile record deals. Those moments made us the men we are today more than the sold out shows.

Joe:
 How has raising a family changed the way that you navigate the music scene?
Ryan:
It’s not easy to balance so much but I think it’s important that you don’t think of your kid as a burden but as a new friend who can experience the things you love for the first time. My daughter is very young but has already traveled all over the country, seen shows, plays music with us, dances, etc. she absolutely loves what my wife and I love and it’s because we have her part of it. I also think as a parent your “me time” is very limited so you work extra hard in the little time you have to be more productive. I’m learning more and more the goal wasn’t to be famous it was to make and sustain great art. If I wanted to be solely famous I’m sure there is a new prank on TikTok I
could try.

Joe:
  Have you guys ever gotten any comparisons to other artists that you guys just didn’t agree with at all? What artist(s)?
Ryan:
  Through the years it’s been different but recently we’ve gotten Nine Inch Nails meets Fall Out Boy meets Audioslave. That’s been really awesome to hear.

Joe:
  If ever, how do you guys deal with creative differences from within?
Ryan:
  I think we are at a point now where everyone has a role in the band and are the leaders of that role but if I suggested a drum part for Eric even if he’s not into he’ll try it and then collectively the 3 of us will decide if it’s right. We are mature enough now to not fight for our idea just because it’s our idea. We want the idea to be the best for the band. That takes a lot of time. A lot of fights. We had a lot of band pow wow meetings together to get here haha.

Joe:
  Are you going to be singing the national anthem anywhere, soon?
Ryan:
  Nothing on the books now but the best part of my job is that at any moment something exciting can happen. So who knows!

Joe:
  Any new releases, or major event happening soon? Let the fans, new and old know.
Ryan:
We are playing at Rochaus in West Dundee on Dec 21 and then releasing a new EP top of 2026 expect a big announcement soon! 

You heard it from the front man, folks!! Keep your eyes peeled for any new updates from the band! Thank you to Marina City, for the opportunity to spread the word.