Meet Marco Atendido: Winner of the J-Pop Idol competition at the 2016 J-pop Summit
JPopRocks.com: Hi Marco. Thank you for allowing JpopRocks interview you. You were awesome during the J-Pop Idol competition last year (2016). How was the whole experience for you?
Marco Atendido: It was really amazing. My sister and I have performed growing up at school events, but this was our first major performance. We kind of grew closer together because of it and we plan to perform more together in the future.
JPR.com: What was it like to be awarded by Silent Siren and hear their praise of your performance?
Marco: Performing in front of my favorite band was a "What if" type of thing in my head. Like, "it would be cool if this actually "happened". Then it happened, and even today my heart races still thinking about it.
JPR.com: I heard you will be preforming again at the 2017 J-POP Summit? Any insights on what you might be performing?
Marco: My sister and I are sticking true to our style. We didn't grow up listening to Japanese music till actually a couple years ago; we were all about R&B and singer-songwriter music. You will see that style come out with our next performance!
JPR.com: How were you introduced to J-pop? What is J-pop to you?
Marco: It started when my friend introduced the all-female rock band Scandal to me in the beginning of 2015. As I fell head over heels for them, I eventually fell in love with the Japanese language, especially in music. From there, I branched out to many different artists and genres and the train is still rolling to this day. J-pop to me is a big part of my life in that it led me to meeting many different people along the way, whether at concerts, online, karaoke sessions, festivals and such, it has been amazing. I've also found a new direction in making my own music through J-pop. After I graduated high school, I lost the desire to make music online, perform, and jam with fellow musicians. That fire got rekindled as I fell into the J-pop hole; I'm still falling deeper into the hole to this day, haha.
JPR.com: You have many musical talents, from vocals, guitar, and drums. How long have you been performing and among all those talents which do you enjoy more than the rest?
Marco: I've been singing all my life because I grew up in a musically oriented family. Guitar was my first instrument and it's my primary instrument to record with. However my favorite instrument is my drum set! I've been playing for my church every week for about 8 years and for other events, and I've grown the most as a drummer through those years. The way I like to put is that I can be pitchy at times as a singer and I can play the wrong guitar chord, but I can't play a wrong note on the drums.
JPR.com: You have done covers for Silent Siren, SCANDAL, and other bands. Are there any other artists that inspire you?
Marco: I wouldn't point my inspiration toward single artists. It's a culmination of everything I listen to that manifests in my covers. As of recent, I've been wanting to perform songs by Shimizu Shota, Nishino Kana, and Little Glee Monster.
JPR.com: Where would you most like to do a concert and what artist would you like to perform with?
Marco: I would love to sub in for Hina or Rina on the drums one day as a cameo, haha. But realistically, I would love to perform with artists that reflect my style, such as Sakai Yuu, Little Glee, and also Goosehouse!
JPR.com: Beyond your upcoming J-POP Summit performance, are there any other projects we can look forward to?
Marco: You can look forward to more upcoming covers on my YouTube channel! My sister and I will be collaborating more frequently. I'm also working on some originals outside of J-pop, so look forward to those as well! I'm having so much fun doing this.