One of the more exciting new artists to emerge in the past few years is Marcus King. The axe-slinging 26-year-old has firmly established himself as one of the best voices in blues. In 2020, King released his debut album, El Dorado, produced by the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach. It hit 142 on the Billboard 200 and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Americana Album.
Earlier this year, King released his latest album, Young Blood, again produced by Auerbach. The subject matter was far different. On the deeply personal LP, King sang about his ongoing battle with mental health and suicidal thoughts. He wasn’t sure if he was going to make it past the recording of the album.
“I wanted the music to be as intense as the shit I was going through mentally,” King told us earlier this year. He was right, and the result is another quantum leap forward.
King fought off his demons, is getting married, and is playing to the largest crowds of his career. And now, instead of watching him dazzle crowds on the big stages, you can watch this intimate stripped-down performance.
King is the latest artist to perform as part of our ongoing 15 Minute Live Performance series. In the last episode, we had rising singer-songwriter Erin Rae perform. Other artists who have sparkled during our 15-minute sets include Robert Finley, Neal Francis, UPSAHL, John R. Miller, Cedric Burnside, and the Grammy-nominated ensemble Cha Wa. You can watch all of the previous episodes here.
