Marcus Atom Shares Audiotree Live Performance

Today, Marcus Atom — the Chicago-based session drummer who emerged as a vocal powerhouse after featuring on Gorillaz album Humanz — shares an Audiotree Live performance showcasing tracks from his upcoming solo debut, Love vs. War (out September 21). Atom’s alternately velvety and husky tenor shines atop the snapping percussion and delirious funk of his backing band. Equal parts Boyz II Men, Anderson .Paak, and Sampha, the set heralds the arrival of a fully-formed artistic vision.

Listen to Marcus Atom’s Audiotree Live set in full here. 

Kicking off the performance with the album’s overture, “Son of a Bad Man,” Atom’s band brightens the track’s darker themes with glittering keyboard interludes. “After Hours” gives us a taste of his vocal power as he elevates from tender verses to an all-out chorus, while “Lonely” and “Love vs. War” take on turbulent love affairs in stride.  

With Love vs. War Marcus Atom pursues honesty within an enigmatic concoction of timeless soul, alternative rock, and futuristic pop that injects a dark sense of humor into otherwise earnest reflections on overcoming bad habits and growing into oneself. While lyrically it’s a highly personal manifesto, Love Vs. War’s adventurous production was built with the help of Marcus’s extended musical family. Alongside Dally Auston on “Feels Good,” the record features collaborations with Rich Jones(“Aye There”), beloved hip-hop duo the Cool Kids (“Real Ones”), and emerging Vegas MC Scane (“One”). 

Listen to “Feels Good” here, and keep an ear out for more from Marcus Atom.