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Marian Call

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Marian Call
Performing at the KSKA Day picnic in 2011
Performing at the KSKA Day picnic in 2011
Background information
Born (1982-02-24) February 24, 1982 (age 42)
OriginGig Harbor, Washington, U.S.
GenresContemporary Folk
OccupationSinger-songwriter
Instrument(s)vocals, typewriter, rainstick, keyboards, bass
Years active2007 – present
WebsiteOfficial website

Emily Butler (born February 24, 1982, Gig Harbor, Washington), better known by her stage name, Marian Call, is an American singer-songwriter based in Anchorage, Alaska. Call has released three studio albums: Vanilla (2007), Got to Fly (2008), and Something Fierce (2011).

Call is known for her songs containing themes of geek culture, as well as her rise to popularity through the use of the Internet and social networking.[2]

Career

Call graduated from Stanford University in 2004 with a Bachelor's Degree in composition and vocal performance. She relocated to Alaska, where she spent two years waiting tables, learning the craft of songwriting. Inspired by the commentary track for the Firefly episode "Objects in Space", she wrote the song "Dark Dark Eyes" and shortly after booked three days in a studio to record what would become her first album, Vanilla, initially a side-project for family, friends, and small Alaskan audiences. However, when fans discovered some of her early tracks on her MySpace page, she realized she was accumulating a fan base.[3]

Call with Veronica Belmont at ComicCon 2010.

One of the events that led to Call's accumulating fan-base came after she entered and won the Sing a Song of Saffron[4] contest. The contest was held by a fan blog for the television series Firefly, and Call won with her song "It Was Good for You, Too". One of the judges of the contest was Christina Hendricks, who portrayed the character of Saffron, and had this to say about her winning entry, "She sounded just like me! It was fantastic, I really thought it was a good song even if you don't know the character."[5]

In February 2008, Call announced that she would be going on tour for the first time, playing at venues in California and Texas. [6] Nine months of her tour (June 2008 – March 2009) were spent on bus, which she named the Millennium Tortoise, traveling between the Western US and Canada, before returning home to Anchorage in July 2009 to begin work on her album, Something Fierce.[7]

Before starting her tour, Call started the Song of the Month Project,[8] a project that she continued while touring. This project lasted for twelve months and included songs such as the tongue-in-cheek "I Wish I Were a Real Alaskan Girl" and "We're out for Blood", a song commissioned by the creator of the film Zombie Cheerleading Camp.[9][10]

In November 2008 Call was commissioned again, this time for a full-length album, by the science-fiction prop replica company Quantum Mechanix and Black Market Beagles.[11] The album, titled Got to Fly,[12] was Call's first record deal, as well as the first and only album under the Quantum Mechanix label.The songs on the album reflect several aspects of geek culture, with such songs as "I'll Still Be a Geek After Nobody Thinks It's Chic" as well as songs inspired by the television series Firefly and Battlestar Galactica.

While primarily a vocalist, she occasionally uses a typewriter for percussion as well the remains of her cat Zippy which are stored in a small tin.[13] She also performs at concerts using a rainstick, which she had autographed by Nathan Fillion and Alan Tudyk, most notably known for their roles in the television series Firefly.[14]

Donors' Circle

In March 2009, Call announced the Donors' Circle,[15] a way for fans of her music to invest in her, not for any financial return, but the return being the art itself. Members of the Donors' Circle have access to several raw samples of music from her upcoming album Something Fierce as well the opportunity to interact with Marian directly, and to give her feedback on the progress of the album.[16]

49>50 Tour

Marian Call displaying her CDs in 2010.

In the spring of 2010, Call announced her 49>50 Tour, a do-it-yourself national tour where Call would drive across the country stopping to play at the cities her fans have requested. The title of the tour, while mathematically incorrect is done so purposely to reflect her Alaskan pride, as Alaska is the 49th state. The goal of the tour was to play in every state, whether at public venues or at small house concerts.[17]

In December 2010, she achieved her goal of playing all the states within the year, and managed to include several Canadian provinces.[18]

Marian Call European Adventure Quest!!!

As a means to visit all her fans in Europe, in June 2012 she created a kickstarter project to fund her tour[19]. It was a great success (being 570% funded). Marian is currently in the process of obtaining her work visas,etc.

Women of Ragnarock

Marian has also made several appearances with Molly_Lewis and The DoubleClicks on their tour.

Discography

  • Vanilla (2007)
  • The Song of the Month Project (2008)
  • Got to Fly (2008)
  • Something Fierce (2011)

References

  1. ^ Gig Harbor musician to play in Tacoma, 2008-10-28
  2. ^ Williams, Jenny (2010-06-27). "Marian Call House Concert, or The Importance of Music in Our Lives". Wired. Retrieved 2010-06-27.
  3. ^ "Profiles in Fandom: Singer-Songwriter Marian Call". Whedonverse.net. 20 June 2010. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  4. ^ "Sing a Song of Saffron and win stuff!". Bashing in Minds. Retrieved 2007-05-31.
  5. ^ "Sing a Song of Saffron winners". Bashing in Minds. Retrieved 2007-08-06.
  6. ^ "On pickles, touring, fan power, and Zippy (part I)". mariancall on Xanga. Retrieved 2008-02-19.
  7. ^ "20,000 Mile Playlist)". Marian Call’s Official Blog. Retrieved 2009-07-13.
  8. ^ "The Song of the Month and other news". mariancall on Xanga. Retrieved 2007-11-01.
  9. ^ "Zombie Cheerleaders? Bring it On!". mariancall on Xanga. Retrieved 2008-02-01.
  10. ^ "Zombie Cheerleader Camp (2007) (V)". IMDb. Retrieved 2007. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  11. ^ "New Album!!!!!1! Songs for Nerds Like Me". mariancall on Xanga. Retrieved 2008-11-08.
  12. ^ "Got to Fly Geek Tribute Album by Marian Call". Quantum Mechanix. Retrieved 2008-11-08.
  13. ^ "Fan Power & Zippy pt 1". Marian Call’s Official Blog. Retrieved 2008-11-08.
  14. ^ "Alan, Nathan, PJ Haarsma". mariancall's photostream. Retrieved 2009-04-18.
  15. ^ "In Which Marian Offers More than Ever Before". mariancall on Xanga. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
  16. ^ "Marian Call Donors' Circle". Marian Call Music. Retrieved 2009-03-25.
  17. ^ "Coming Soon to a Backyard Near You: the 50 States Tour". Marian Call's Official Blog. Retrieved 2010-03-26.
  18. ^ "Just Taking Inventory". Marian Call's Official Blog. Retrieved 2010-12-01.
  19. ^ "Marian Call European Adventure Quest!!!". Marian Call. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
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