Marc Martel
Marc Martel is Canadian musician and singer. He was born in Montreal, Canad… Read Full Bio ↴Marc Martel is Canadian musician and singer. He was born in Montreal, Canada. He's a member of christian-rock band called "Downhere"
"One of my earlier memories of music is my mom sitting at the piano late at night, playing us to sleep with Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata,'" Marc says. With a father who preached and led worship and a mother who led the church choir and played piano, Marc was raised in a music-intensive environment.
His parents instilled a love for music in him that followed him throughout his childhood through eight years of piano lessons, through Disney duets he would sing with friends, through hours he spent alone teaching himself guitar all the way to a small college in Saskatchewan, where he formed the band Downhere with his roommate Jason Germain and a few close friends in 1999.
"Our friendship was always based around music," Marc says. "We really hit it off musically... we realized we shared a lot of the same taste in music, while also bringing different influences."
Downhere developed their sound while touring on behalf of the college, which would send them out on the road with production, lighting, sound, and even a vehicle and trailer. After four years of college, the band left their Canadian roots behind and relocated to Nashville, TN, where they signed with Word Records. Downhere has since gone on to win multiple Juno Awards and a Dove Award. They have released 10 albums, including their latest release, On the Altar of Love, which reflects a different approach to songwriting than their previous releases.
"For me it used to be all about being musically complex and artsy," Marc says. "And then I had a real perspective-shifting experience. At one of our shows there was a little girl standing front-center with her mother. When I said the next song was "How Many Kings," her face lit up as she looked up at her mom and grabbed her hand. She sang along to every word. I thought to myself, 'I've got to write more songs like THAT.'"
In September 2011, Marc entered a competition to join Roger Taylor, original drummer for the legendary rock band Queen, on stage for the Queen Extravaganza Live Tour. Throughout his career with Downhere, concertgoers have often approached Marc insisting he sounds just like Freddie Mercury, legendary singer of the rock band Queen.
"I don't think I've done a show in the last five or six years where five to ten people haven't come up to me and said, 'Hey, anyone ever tell you that you sound like Queen?' or 'that guy from Queen' or 'Eddie Mercury,'" he says laughingly. "In the list of great rock signers, he is considered one of the best if not the best and it's always just a huge compliment when people tell that to me."
It seems that Downhere concertgoers aren't alone in their thinking, as Marc's entry for the Queen Extravaganza contest, a video of Marc singing along with the Queen classic "Somebody to Love," generated more millions of views on YouTube after being up for only a few days.
Whether it's onstage with Downhere or on a computer screen, Marc has a message and a voice that has captured millions for the past decade. Through music, Marc is after the one thing people are always looking for a connection.
"There is always time for exploring new soundscapes and interesting arrangements…but the song has to connect with people or there's not much point to it. I'm really trying to stay in that magic equilibrium now as I write, the union of intriguing artistry combined with strong human connection."
"One of my earlier memories of music is my mom sitting at the piano late at night, playing us to sleep with Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata,'" Marc says. With a father who preached and led worship and a mother who led the church choir and played piano, Marc was raised in a music-intensive environment.
His parents instilled a love for music in him that followed him throughout his childhood through eight years of piano lessons, through Disney duets he would sing with friends, through hours he spent alone teaching himself guitar all the way to a small college in Saskatchewan, where he formed the band Downhere with his roommate Jason Germain and a few close friends in 1999.
"Our friendship was always based around music," Marc says. "We really hit it off musically... we realized we shared a lot of the same taste in music, while also bringing different influences."
Downhere developed their sound while touring on behalf of the college, which would send them out on the road with production, lighting, sound, and even a vehicle and trailer. After four years of college, the band left their Canadian roots behind and relocated to Nashville, TN, where they signed with Word Records. Downhere has since gone on to win multiple Juno Awards and a Dove Award. They have released 10 albums, including their latest release, On the Altar of Love, which reflects a different approach to songwriting than their previous releases.
"For me it used to be all about being musically complex and artsy," Marc says. "And then I had a real perspective-shifting experience. At one of our shows there was a little girl standing front-center with her mother. When I said the next song was "How Many Kings," her face lit up as she looked up at her mom and grabbed her hand. She sang along to every word. I thought to myself, 'I've got to write more songs like THAT.'"
In September 2011, Marc entered a competition to join Roger Taylor, original drummer for the legendary rock band Queen, on stage for the Queen Extravaganza Live Tour. Throughout his career with Downhere, concertgoers have often approached Marc insisting he sounds just like Freddie Mercury, legendary singer of the rock band Queen.
"I don't think I've done a show in the last five or six years where five to ten people haven't come up to me and said, 'Hey, anyone ever tell you that you sound like Queen?' or 'that guy from Queen' or 'Eddie Mercury,'" he says laughingly. "In the list of great rock signers, he is considered one of the best if not the best and it's always just a huge compliment when people tell that to me."
It seems that Downhere concertgoers aren't alone in their thinking, as Marc's entry for the Queen Extravaganza contest, a video of Marc singing along with the Queen classic "Somebody to Love," generated more millions of views on YouTube after being up for only a few days.
Whether it's onstage with Downhere or on a computer screen, Marc has a message and a voice that has captured millions for the past decade. Through music, Marc is after the one thing people are always looking for a connection.
"There is always time for exploring new soundscapes and interesting arrangements…but the song has to connect with people or there's not much point to it. I'm really trying to stay in that magic equilibrium now as I write, the union of intriguing artistry combined with strong human connection."
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Marc Martel Lyrics
8th Wonder You are flawlessly flawed Like a story of the ancients Such …
Bohemian Rhapsody Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Caught in a…
Dead Ringer Dead ringer, dead ringer, dead ringer, dead I know you've s…
Don't Stop Me Now Tonight I'm gonna have myself a real good time I feel…
I Want to Break Free I want to break free I want to break free I want…
Impersonator Marc Martel – Impersonator I wonder if my own eyes would…
It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas Everywhere you g…
Killer Queen She keeps a Moët et Chandon in her pretty cabinet "Let…
Love of My Life Love of my life, You've hurt me, You've broken my heart And …
Magnetic Close as a kiss on a pair of lips Red from…
My Way And now, The end is near And so I face The final curtain My…
One Beat from a Heartbreak I've been beat down, set up, trampled Dust in my mouth,…
Our Best Our BestMarc Martel How did things get so heavy? We said on…
Our Love Remains Our love remains Our love remains Our love remains till the …
Paradise Toxic, kinda' crazy, hot Keeps me underneath her thumb, Robs…
Perfect World In a perfect world, you would look at me And you′d…
Ringo Starr Hey hey hey Hey hey hey Can you deal with the rock…
Say the Word Goin' where the wind is blowin' Holdin' onto letin' go I kno…
Silver Bells Uh, uh, city sidewalks, busy sidewalks Dressed in holiday st…
Somebody To Love Ooh, each morning I get up I die a little Can…
Stalemate I won't back down Got you dead in my sights All spoils…
Straitjacket I'm a danger to myself I'm a danger to myself Every flag…
Take On Me We′re talking away I don't know what I′m to say I'll say…
The Christmas Waltz (Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Merry Ch…
The Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's "Messiah" Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah! …
The Remake Every man let you down You don′t mind because you're Working…
Unchained Melody Oh, my love, my darling I′ve hungered for your touch A long,…
Up In The Air Love should be chemistry Not trigonometry Either we got it o…
We Are The Champions I've paid my dues Time after time I've done my sentence But …
What Child Is This? What Child is this who laid to rest On Mary's lap…
Who Wants to Live Forever There's no time for us There's no place for us What is…
You Take My Breath Away Look into my eyes and you′ll see I'm the only one You′ve…