Toronto, ON-based trap-soul hip-hop artist, Marcus Haran has unveiled his new single, “Otherside”.
In this case, it’s themes of addiction, abuse, and mental health, and it’s a stunning revisit to Haran’s very real, very raw lyrical storytelling roots found throughout his breakthrough LP — Marcus Haran: A True Story. a Soundscape to in-Difference. (2018). The 10-track conceptual album of jazzy, velvet vox was rife with truth-telling, touching on his life story being a Parisian-born Sri Lankan refugee, having vitiligo, and painful childhood memories of being used as a drug mule, and experiences with depression and abuse.
“This is a tragic love ballad,” he offers of “Otherside.” “It’s me telling the story of a fatal attraction between two people in love, but also the relationship between someone and the addiction that loves them.
“Making the music video for this was an emotional experience for everyone involved,” Haran shares. “Especially the actors portraying the two main characters: some reactions weren’t always an act…”
“Otherside” follows previous singles, “Hot Boy from Sri Lanka”, “Alejandro”, and more. Between them all, Haran deftly dips between styles with inherent ease, ultimately landing in a sound all his own.
“There’s the art and grit of Paris, and there’s the hip hop representing the street and cultural tones of my Sri Lankan Tamil heritage,” he explains. “There were tracks that were a ‘departure’ from my last album, a more fun, witty and clever side of me; I’ve let go of all my worries and neglects and created music in more of a dark, comical side that showed more of my sins, thoughts and upbringing.
“The new sound is Toronto. It is Canada. It is the world where everyone is welcomed.
“Although addiction, abuse, and mental illness in general are topics addressed in ‘Otherside,’ I also wanted to highlight recovery through understanding that there are options. My hope for this video is, if someone recognizes the situation, they can get help — whether for someone they love, or for themselves.”
Check out the video for “Otherside” below, and stay up to date with Marcus via his socials.
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
What’s up, everyone! My name is Marcus Haran, I’m a Parisian-born, Sri Lankan-made producer, artist & writer who resides in Toronto Canada. I’ve been producing and making music for over 15 years now, it’s become a huge part of my life, I use it every day for my therapy and soul-inflicting music sessions that I indulge into, seriously though… I’m in space when I make music, If you go back and listen to my previous work “a true story” You’ll know what I mean, lol
Tell us about the recording process behind “Otherside”?
It was an emotional state for sure, started writing this through the first phase of COVID-19. Was going through adaptive withdrawals. Just felt a lower frequency when making this song, but that frequency was used to heal and bring awareness to others who are dealing with, drug abuse, relationship abuse, and mental abuse, this song goes out to everyone that has dealt with this type of trauma.
What was the highlight of 2020?
The biggest highlight for me was that I spent a lot of time escaping reality through music and being able to use it as an outlet to let go of any doubt. Being able to collaborate and getting the attention of artists and producers from different countries was a cool start for the year, feels good to be appreciated for your music, you know?
What do you hope to accomplish in your career in 2021?
Make more music, raise more awareness. Be the best version of myself really. Do the next right thing. Looking to get out of Canada and travel to countries that have deep culture and make music with their tribes would be on my to-do list for sure!!
Is there anyone out there you’d like to collaborate with in the future?
I want to collaborate with people who have respect for the art and are phenomenal at what they do. I respect the art and the process while making it the most. But mainly, I want to work with producers and writers who are responsible for major hits around the world over working with other artists, as much as I would like to collaborate with all talented artists, I’d like to pay homage to everyone behind the scenes!!