We spoke with Northlane frontman Marcus Bridge about his early musical influences, vocal journey, joining the band, and their evolving sound. He opened up about creative struggles, emotional songs like Bloodline, and why their first India tour feels special.
Sinusoidal Music sat down with Marcus Bridge, the lead vocalist of Australian metal band Northlane, to talk about the band’s evolving sound, his emotional connection to their music, and what it’s been like being a part of the group for a decade. From early influences and genre shifts to creative tension and finding balance, Marcus spoke with a lot of warmth and a steady sense of perspective.
“We’d Have a Dark, Existential Band” – Marcus’ dream Pokémon band line-up
You know you’re in for a fun interview when it opens with a question about Pokémon. Given Marcus Bridge’s long-standing love for the franchise, he was asked to form a fantasy band using three Pokémons.
If you could choose three Pokemon to create a band with, who all will you choose?
“Oh, to create a band. Well, I guess I’d have to have., What’s his name? Is it Rillaboom? The one that plays drums? I think he’s a grass monkey type. Probably like Alakazam or something. Maybe I’d probably put a Mewtwo in there as well, just because he could control everything and he’d be dark. He’d be real dark and get existential songwriting there.”
Early Beginnings: From Nirvana Riffs to Emo Roots
Marcus’ musical journey began at home. His mother would play Nirvana’s ‘Come As You Are‘ on guitar. Later, his uncles introduced him to the world of nu-metal with bands like Slipknot, Seven Dust, Korn, Coal Chamber, even letting him try recording in Pro Tools. But the moment things clicked was in high school, when a friend asked him to sing during a music exam.
“Doing that for me kind of lit the fire. I was like, this is, I really love doing this. And hopefully I can just do this as my career. And luckily enough, yeah, it’s kind of, it happened.”
Vocals, Influence, and the Never-ending Learning Curve
“I’m constantly learning new things about my voice and trying to unlock new things with it as well. Never think you’re too good to be learning something new. But yeah, it’s an interesting thing, the voice. It’s such a weird thing to try and master.”
Marcus’ vocals are a mix of raw talent, persistent curiosity, and formal guidance.
For me, I just kind of started experimenting and trying to do my own thing long before Northlane. But then, when I joined Northlane, I did get a couple of lessons from a guy named Pete, Peter Vox, who works at a place called Vox Vocal Academy in Melbourne. And he’s not a screamer himself, but he did show me some tips on how to project properly.”
When asked about vocal heroes, Marcus’s list was eclectic and heartfelt.
“Oh, there’s a lot of different, a lot of vocalists for different reasons, I think.”
Corey Taylor for his rawness, Lajon Witherspoon (Sevendust) for his hooks, Hayley Williams (Paramore) for power, Miles Kennedy (Alter Bridge) for range, and Aaron Gillespie (Under Earth) for pronunciation.
“The list goes on, but I’ll leave it there.”
Photo by Amogh Aryan
Joining Northlane: The Outlier Who Fit Just Right
When Northlane began their audition process for a new vocalist, Marcus brought something different. While others leaned into heavier vocals, he infused melody and emotion.
“Me being the emo kid was trying to do something more melodic, a bit more forward. Thankfully, that was something that I think the guys kind of gravitated towards just because it was different. I think, I think they might have thought, like, it’s giving more opportunities to try different things with the music. But yeah, honestly, really, really lucky for that opportunity. It’s been like 10 years now, which is crazy.”
The music video of Bloodline and the Courage to Revisit Pain
The music video for “Bloodline,” from Northlane’s fifth studio album, Alien, was more than just a shoot. It was a psychological dive.
“It really did, in a sickening way, kind of bring me back to that place. But I think that is kind of what we wanted out of it.”
Despite the emotional toll, Marcus believes in showing both pain and growth, vulnerability and strength.
“We wanted it to feel real. And I guess people who have been through a similar thing or are in a similar place might feel that uncomfortable feeling. But I think it was kind of important, also, for people who maybe haven’t gone through it to help them understand. It seems like it might be kind of dramatized. And in some ways it is. But in the end, it felt very real.”
The same spirit echoed in their documentary Negative Energy.
“I feel like people in bands and people in the spotlight, so to speak, I guess, always are trying to I mean, anyone really everyone’s trying to present their life or their career in a certain light to make themselves look bigger and better or whatever it might be. But that’s often not the reality. And I think it’s important to show people that side of it. Yeah, as much as it sucks, reflecting on it is hard as well. It’s real.”
Fusion and Evolution: Building the Northlane Sound
Northlane’s electronic evolution owes a lot to guitarist Jon Deiley. According to Marcus, Jon’s obsessive approach to production keeps their sound honest and fresh.
“Well, a lot of that, particularly that electronic crossover thing that we’ve kind of been diving into. That’s a lot of Jon, our guitarist, and he’s our main songwriter as well. He works himself to death when it comes to that kind of stuff. Whenever we work on stuff, he’s working pretty much every day to make sure that it feels good. He’s every day trying new things, trying to blend the worlds without it just being like, yeah, let’s just put a guitar over this electronic. Let’s put a synth over this. He’s trying his best.“
For Marcus, this adds a new creative challenge for writing vocal parts.
“It’s not something where you can just write or where you’re trying to just write like a screamy part over a heavy song. It’s like you’re trying to find that line of where can we put melody in where it feels natural or even if not, where can we bring rhythm into it with the vocals that it kind of accentuates the music. When it comes to all that, it’s a really long process because it is a constantly evolving thing where there’s no one way of writing a song.”
Conflict, Communication, and Coming Back Stronger
Not everything has been smooth. During the creation of ‘Obsidian‘ and ‘Mirror’s Edge‘, the band faced internal struggles, and tensions rose between Marcus and Jon. But open conversation helped them come through stronger.
“I think Jon and I had a little bit of communication problems. But I think the best thing for that was that we just talked about it. He and I have, like, yeah, kind of buried that kind of thing. And we’ve both heard each other, I guess. We’ve both listened, and we’re both trying, we’ve both kind of… Yeah, come out the other side to hear each other’s perspective.”
At present, the vibe is the strongest it’s ever been.
“So nowadays, it’s really, really good. I’m having so much fun, like working on music together with Jon. I feel like we’re the most open and collaborative we’ve ever been as a band, where everything feels like you can just throw an idea out and everyone’s going to try and make that work if it’s possible. I think we’re in a spot that’s better than ever.“
‘We Finally Made It’ – Northlane Comes to India
The wait is over. Northlane is finally playing India, and Marcus couldn’t be more excited.
“I feel like maybe it is a place that is like a lot harder to get to, I think, in terms of putting on a show. And I feel like we’ve never really known what your country has for us, you know. So it’s definitely taken too long, but we’re so excited to be coming. We don’t we have no idea what we have no idea what to expect. But from what I’ve heard, it sounds like the heavy music scene there is pretty solid. And it’s going to be a pretty nuts couple of days. So yeah, I’m sorry it took so long, but we finally made it.”
Rapid Fire with Marcus Bridge
A fun, rapid-fire round with Marcus gave us a peek into the band members and their individual characteristics:
- Most optimistic: Marcus Bridge
- Most charming: Nic Pettersen
- Most short-tempered: Jon Deiley
- Best dancer: Marcus Bridge
- Most empathetic: Everyone equally
- Most likely to be late: Marcus Bridge
- Most dramatic: Marcus Bridge and Jon Deiley
- Best dressed: Josh Smith
- Funniest: Nic Pettersen
- Biggest romantic: Josh Smith
- Calmest: Marcus Bridge or Nic Pettersen
- Easiest to panic: Josh Smith
- Wisest: Josh Smith
- Parties the hardest: Jon Deiley
- Best listener: Nic Pettersen
Marcus Bridge has grown with Northlane over the years, not just as a vocalist, but as a person as well. Whether he’s opening up through songs, trying new things with his voice, or working closely with the band to keep the sound fresh, there’s always honesty in what he brings. With Northlane finally having started playing in India, starting with Bengaluru last weekend, the band seems stronger than ever. It is a new chapter…
Note: This article is to be updated with the FULL VIDEO soon!
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