Leigh Marble came into the music business with similar aspirations as many of his fellow artists – to “make the whole world roller skate.” Well… while the story may be different, the message is the same. Marble recognizes the power of a well-crafted tune – whether it changes your state of mind or just makes you cruise around the rink.

And Marble’s gotten quite good at writing a song, from his debut record “Peep” to his second collection, “Red Tornado” and now “Twister”; a remix of Tornado. There have been some leaps and bounds between albums, “While ‘Peep’ had been a largely solo affair in the arrangement and recording stages, ‘Red Tornado’ saw a more collaborative and sonically adventurous approach… with low, swaggering guitar riffs, primal drum parts, and a strata of harmonically rich keyboard, Leigh's lyrics and narrative vision had found a sturdy home.”

We asked Leigh about re-mixing his own record on “Twister” – “I can only take credit for part of the creative time here. The other remixers brought their own styles to the table, and I was so happy to hear their fresh takes on the material. I did a couple remixes myself, which were fun, because with remixes, anything goes.” Marble plans on releasing a whole new album later this year, so keep an eye out. There’s much more below, so keep reading for the answers to the XXQ’s.

XXQs: Leigh Marble

PensEyeView.com (PEV): What goes through your head the minute you walk onto stage?

Leigh Marble (LM): I panic that I've left my fly down. Again.

PEV: Calling Portland, Oregon your home now did you first jump into the music industry there?

LM: No, actually I first officially jumped into the music industry back east, founding my record label Laughing Stock Records in 1996 while still living in Providence, RI. Ah, those were simpler days, when Simple Machine's "Mechanic's Guide" was all you needed to run a label.

PEV: What kind of environment do you surround yourself in to create music?

LM: A quiet room works sometimes. Other times, walking is good - the rhythm of walking seems to bring the words along in a natural cadence. Behind the drum kit too, for working out parts and flow of a song.

PEV: What can fans expect from a live Leigh Marble show?

LM: That I won't spoonfeed them singer-songwriter pablum. That they'll hear songs that will engage them with different messages than whatever they've heard 100 times before. And as a band we mix it up, musically - we contrast the pretty moments with a feral energy. There's times for both in the space of live set. I hate when I go see a singer-songwriter play, and the whole set is like this one big mid-tempo morass. Being a singer-songwriter isn't an excuse to let the music drag.

PEV: Tell us about your first live performance. How have you changed since that first show to where you are now?

LM:  The first live performance I did was back in Massachusetts at a folky open-mic night. It was at an intimate "listening room" venue. There was beer, but it was not a regular bar, and everybody was expected to shut up and listen to the performers. You'd sign up at the beginning of the night, and then hours later you'd get your two-song slot. I was nervous as fuck. I really had no idea how to sing either, I was just winging it.

The songs went OK, people were supportive, and I figured I would just keep playing rooms like that until I perfected the solo acoustic thing (that being the primary performance mode of the Boston-area folkie). Needless to say, that did not happen. I did stick with solo performance for a while, even after moving out to Portland, but I am so much more into a band dynamic on stage now. Oh, and also, I (sort of) learned to sing along the way.

PEV: You are a producer, musician, and software designer… how do you juggle everything?

LM:  Rather awkwardly at times. It's not really a recipe for sanity. One thing I've started to do, that has helped, is to find people to do the things that I'm not so great at. From graphic design to porting software code to new platforms, sometimes it's best to call in an expert, even if you *could* do it yourself.

PEV: What can fans expect from your recent album "Twister", a collection of songs remixed from his critically-lauded sophomore full-length, "Red Tornado"?

LM:  They better wrap a wet towel around their heads, so it doesn't mess up the drapes when I blow their minds. I guess the towel doesn't have to be wet.

PEV: Tell us about the creative time behind the making of the album? What was it like creating this?

LM:  This is a remix album, so I can only take credit for part of the creative time here. The other remixers brought their own styles to the table, and I was so happy to hear their fresh takes on the material. I did a couple remixes myself, which were fun, because with remixes, anything goes. For example, I took my song "On Your Way" and totally reworked it as a sort of demented rap in an odd time signature.

PEV: How is this release different from your other work?

LM:  Cicero said something in Latin about not stumbling twice against the same stone. It probably made more sense than this question.

PEV: What’s one thing we’d be surprised to hear about you?

LM:  I think people would be surprised to hear that... BOO! Gotcha.

PEV: Was there a certain point in your life when you knew that music was going to be a career for you and you were determined to make it happen?

LM: Yes. Yes there was. I was at the roller skating rink and heard the theme from St. Elmo's Fire and thought, if I could make a song that good, I could make the whole world roller skate.

PEV: What one word best describes Leigh Marble?

LM:  Riding-lawn-mower-Ewok.

PEV: Traveling is now a large part of your life as a musician. How is life on the road for you? Best and worst parts? Any fun stories?

LM: It's actually not. Sorry to disappoint. One time though, in Pendleton, Ben and Jesse both ate those "Big Daddy" sausages they sell at bars. The ones pickled in a big jar of red liquid. That was fun.

PEV: How have all your friends and family reacted to your musical career? What’s it like when you get to play at your hometown?

LM: Once I was playing a gig on Easter, and talking about eating Easter ham, and this lady yelled back "ham is for fags!" I guess what I'm saying is that a career in music isn't for everyone.

PEV: What can we find you doing in your spare time, aside from writing, producing and performing?

LM: Enjoying fine wine and roasted duck in a castle with Steve Vai.

PEV:  Is there an up and coming band or artist you think we should all be looking out for now?

LM: There are so many good musicians and songwriters in Portland, each riding their own waves of press/public awareness. Are they "up and coming?" I hope they continue to make music and garner more fans and support. These days that seems to be the realistic goal, rather than thinking of it like a sprint to some finish line (the proverbial "record deal" or whatever).  In any case, some folks you should be looking out for include: Shoeshine Blue, Rachel Taylor Brown, Sticks Downey, Chris Robley, Leonard Mynx, Run on Sentence

PEV: If playing/writing music was not your perfect career, what would you most likely be doing?

LM: I'd be Tom Hanks, but British.

PEV: If we were to walk into your practice studio/space right now, what would we find?

LM: Drums, guitars, amps, of course. A small Pro Tools rig for recording demos. A collection of Devo hats, courtesy of my practice-room-mates Moment in Static.

PEV: So, what is next for Leigh Marble?

LM: New album in 2010! New band members! Complete destruction of all dogmatic verbal systems!

For more on Leigh Marble, check out: www.leighmarble.com