UK based singer songwriter Leon Marshall is one of countless performers who has had their livelihoods disrupted by the the COVID-19 pandemic.

But just like tons of his fellow musicians, Marshall hasn’t let this year put a damper on his creativity or musical career. In fact, he’s used the recent changes and forced “downtime” to stay busy and keep his craft alive.

And as the latest edition of our Quarantine Questionnaire, we had the chance to chat with Marshall about 2020 and how he is handling the global shutdowns and industry shakeups.

You can read our full interview with him below now, and be sure to check out his latest single “Going Nowhere,” out now.

Second Society Report: How are you holding up during this insane year that is 2020? Hopefully your friends and families are staying safe and healthy!

Leon Marshall: Yeah not too bad thanks, better now than at the start…that initial lockdown period was a bit of a shock to the system, going from being constantly on the go to having all that spare time, I’m sure everyone was the same, it was weird!

SSR: Did you have any big releases or tours that were put on hold because of the pandemic? How has that affected the band? (could be personally, financially, morale wise, etc.) 

Leon Marshall: I went ahead with scheduled releases, but my diary went from having only a handful of empty Saturday nights left to being pretty much empty, I did a few socially distanced gigs back in August but everything else has just been pushed into 2021 and 2022, so a bit of a financial nightmare but the next couple of years are looking healthy…fingers crossed!  

SSR: How have you been spending your newfound “downtime” while the world has been essentially shut down?

Leon Marshall: I always thought that if ever I was unable to work I’d enjoy it, get in a bit of Xbox time, catch up on Netflix, but that wasn’t the case at all…I found myself quite driven to achieve, I’ve been trying to keep active, and also trying to write as much as I can (albeit not all great!) and playing the guitar a lot! But I have managed a bit of Xbox time too! 

SSR: Have you picked up any new hobbies while quarantining that you’d like to share?

Leon Marshall: I bought a piano back in Feb, so I’ve been working on that quite a bit, although I’m pretty sure it sounds better in my head than in reality! 

SSR: Have you worked on any new releases during this time? Any that are already out or that we can get a sneak peak of?

Leon Marshall: Yeah, I managed to get in some studio time last month and got three new tracks down that I’m looking forward to sharing with everyone next year, and I released my latest track “Going Nowhere” last month too! 

SSR: If already out- what was the inspiration for the release? Have you written any songs specifically about the state of the world right now?

Leon Marshall: “Going Nowhere” was written a while back about an old flame who came back into my life wanting to get back together, but I’d learned from previous mistakes! One of the tracks I’ll be releasing next year is about grief and the grieving process, which I wrote after a close friend lost someone to Covid. 

SSR: How has it been being an artist in a time when you cannot tour? How have you been working to promote your music and expand your reach?

Leon Marshall: It’s tough, I’ve been trying where I can to be active on social media and trying to keep in touch with fans.

SSR: Do you have any words of advice for fans that are feeling particularly bummed out about the live music world coming to a halt?

Leon Marshall: It’s not going to be forever, and you might not have another quiet period like this for a while, so make the most of it! 

SSR: When the world returns to a safer spot and we are able to (hopefully) attend live shows again- say in 2021- what do you hope to achieve?

Leon Marshall: I’m really looking forward to getting back out there and performing again, and hopefully I can make up for some of this lost time, but I’m also looking forward to being able to go out and see some live music again. 

SSR: Is there anything you wish your fans would know about you or about the current state of the music world?

Leon Marshall: I suppose just how important it is to support the entertainment industry, just as we all like to shop local and support local businesses, listen to new music by a band you’ve never heard of.

You can stream “Going Nowhere” out now, and be sure to connect with Marshall via social media, linked below.

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