Marcus Wynwood returns with fiery, punk existentialism on latest single, 'Simulation'

Tasmania’s Marcus Wynwood goes for the jugular on his first cut for 2023 on his latest punk take, ‘Simulation’, which is also a taste of his upcoming EP, ‘Killerbite’ which is due for release on December 7.

Fiery, post-punk vocals and abrasive, razor sharp guitars fill the song from the first few bars, with a pulsing snare pattern that drives the song throughout its runtime. The chaotic but somewhat minimalist instrumental lays the perfect groundwork for Marcus’s vocal style, which sonically falls somewhere between the belting wails of Frank Black (Pixies) and the aggressive quips of Joe Talbot (IDLES).

Thin and biting, Marcus Wynwood goes full art punk on ‘Simulation’, with aggressive existentialism bleeding through the mass of distortion, crashing cymbals and snare bashing. A bringing together of IDLES intensity, the post-hardcore stylings of SPARTA, and the cerebral alt-punk weirdness of early Biffy Clyro, It’s a punk-tuned wake-up call begging you to pay attention to what is really (or appears to be) happening.

The track details Wynwood’s existential view on modern life - questioning why we do the things we do, and whether anyone really know what’s going on. Many will notice the very obvious nod to Talking Head’s Once In A Lifetime, with Marcus repeatedly asking for the “beautiful house” he was promised. This aggressive, conversation-like delivery is hypnotising - drawing the listener in relentlessly for the entirety of the song, with no dead space whatsoever.

“Simulation explores the idea that we are all living in a simulated reality. Are we really in control of our thoughts and actions, or are we just a character in some weird computer game? The song questions our purpose in life and shows that none of us really know what we are doing. As a kid I always thought that adults knew all the answers, but now that I’m kind of an adult too, I know that’s not the case – everyone is just making it up as they go along. I wrote this song in an afternoon, which is quite unusual, it’s like it just came to me all at once… almost as if someone downloaded it directly to my head. The music was inspired by two of my favorite bands: Pixies and Talking Heads. Take the red pill or blue pill?” - MARCUS WYNWOOD

As the ex-guitarist of established punk act Captives, Marcus played shows across the country, playing alongside some huge names (Shihad, The Damned, COG, Tumbleweed, 28 Days, and The Sweet to name a few) in his time, as well as slots at festivals such as Falls Festival, Party In The Paddock and The Envol et Macadam Festival (Quebec, Canada). Marcus is an accomplished guitarist, currently on D’Addario’s roster of sponsored artists, and was featured in Australian Guitar Mags Guitarists to Watch list back in 2015.

Outside of this, Marcus was also a part of the ‘Light a Candle’ project, which was a collaboration of notable Tasmanian artists creating a truly moving, original fundraising song. The group chose to raise funds for Act for Kids, a charity that was formed to prevent and treat Australia's most vulnerable children suffering from child abuse and neglect, and the track was Number 4 on the ARIA Charts and Number 1 on the AIR Charts in 2020.

‘Simulation’, the latest track from Marcus Wynwood is out now on all streaming platforms, with his latest EP, ‘Killerbites’ not far behind, releasing on December 7th.