THE MARION CRANES
THEY’RE NAUGHTY, THEY’RE SEXY AND THEY SING ABOUT PENISES AND BOTTOMS. THE MARION CRANES TELL MARC ANDREWS ABOUT THEIR “HOMO-POP/COMEDIC EROTICA” MUSIC!
DNA: Talk us through the band’s “psycho” name choice.
Dane: Before we started making music we were bored and watching a lot of Bates Motel on Netflix. We are both diehard horror fans and since Janet Leigh is one of the original scream queens decided on The Marion Cranes. [Janet Leigh plays Marion Crane in Alfred Hitchcock’s original 1960 feature, Psycho]. It also rolled off the tongue so nicely.
Do you have day jobs as well as being budding international pop stars?
Dane: I work in community services and Glen works for a film production company.
How would you describe your music style? Glen: We make alternative/pop songs. Our genre is hard to define as each track is quite different. Your Dog Is Dead was written as a punk track, whereas Tiny Little Kisses is more pop/folk and Sexy Motivation is a techno/ dance anthem. There’s something for everyone. We try to voice themes and ideas gays have long been forced to suppress. By translating this into mainstream music we hope this will make our LGBT, and non-LGBT, peers feel more comfortable voicing their own without judgement, with absolute compassion and, most of all, a sense of humour.
Dane: I’d call us homo-pop/comedic erotica. We tend to write about things in our everyday lives. Neither of us are serial daters and both quite emotionally sound, so it’s hard for us to go full Taylor Swift [laughs]. Some of our lyrics might be uncomfortable to listen to but they’re from the heart.
Where do you fit into the musical scheme of things on the charts?
Dane: I’d be happy with a number 7 hit, followed by a charity single and a Christmas album.
Glen: We’ve only just released the EP and because of the subject matter unsure how it’ll be received by mainstream.
Dane: Getting to Eurovision would be great, but that’s very long term.
Who were your heroes when you were growing up?
Glen: Mariah, but not the Mariah we know today, the old-school-rolling-around-in-thegrass-with-a-check-shirt Mariah. Fantasy is one of the best pop songs ever. It’s the track I go to when I want to get a party started. I used to imagine we could be boyfriend and girlfriend. Dane: When I was young I was obsessed with Christina Ricci, especially with those braids in The Addams Family.
You’ve done an EP. When can we expect a full album?
Glen: We turn around tracks really quickly so I don’t suspect it will take long for us to nail an album. We’ve only just released the EP so we’ll be spending a bit of time translating that for stage and creating sexy stage antics and surprises to show our fans a really good time. Dane: I’d say six to nine months for a full
album, if we knuckle down.
Is world domination part of your game plan? Glen: I prefer to be dominated!
Dane: World domination, doll domination – we’re not fussy. We just want people to listen and enjoy and have a giggle.
Who’s your bromance?
Glen: Dane’s my bromance, my brotein shake and embroji!
Dane: Glen’s my bromance, my brotum and my brostate!
The Lost Language Of Cranes is a classic gay book and movie. Do you know it?
Glen: No, I just googled it and ordered a copy online.
Dane: Me too, I’ll read it once Glen’s finished. Sorry if we’ve let anyone down here.
What do you get up to when you’re not making music?
Dane: Order a lot of take-away food and watch movies, drink with friends, go to work and the occasional Grindr date if it doesn’t fall through last minute.
Glen: Listen to a lot of music. I go about the most part of my day wearing headphones.
If you were in charge of the world what changes would you make?
Dane: Obviously gay marriage and equality for all and I’d welcome all refugees. I’d also make it a criminal offence to remake a movie more than once every 20 years and criminalise tropical house cover songs – minimum penalty, life in prison. Glen: I’d encourage everyone to giggle more.
What advice do you have for Madonna regards her career?
Dane: Go back in time, put some more thought into your last three albums. I don’t think the reason she gets backlash is because of her age, it’s because the songs she’s making just aren’t very good anymore. Glen: Call us!
Do you have a workout regime?
Glen: We are both naturally sexy, but sometimes I do push-ups, three sets of 35, which is why my chest is unproportionate to the rest of my body. I also like to run.
Dane: I go to the gym about once every two weeks, if you can call that a regime. We’re everyday people. I’m not buff and I don’t want anyone else to think they have to be.
What’s one thing that might surprise people about you?
Dane: I have a metal spine. It doesn’t set off metal detectors at the airport though.
Glen: Ninety-six percent of my wardrobe comes from thrift shops – I look good!
Dane’s my bromance, my brotein shake and embroji! – Glen