St. Nothing

When Marco Garzoni-Lawrence arrives back in class for the beginning of his senior year at Boston University this week, I sincerely hope he has to write about what he did over his summer vacation. It’s kind of a lot.

When school let out in May, the 21-year-old Cambridge-native was still developing the acoustic-meets-electronic aesthetic proposed by his February 2013 EP begin, released as a solo project under the name Hall of Mirrors. Since then, he’s added two permanent members (instrumentalists Sophia Carreras and Meredith Nero), rebranded his new outfit as St. Nothing, headlined for the first time at Great Scott, played for a few hundred people at The Sinclair, and generally established the group’s local reputation as a highly promising new electro-pop act. And before he goes back to ticking off the final credits for his public relations major this fall, there’s the small matter of a certain concert at City Hall Plaza this weekend.

“I remember I said to Sophia recently, we don’t really know what happened to make people start talking about us more recently,” says Garzoni-Lawrence, ahead of St. Nothing’s performance at Boston Calling this Saturday, a coveted slot they earned by winning a competition through online booking service SonicBids. “It’s really crazy to see what’s happened this summer. Doing Boston Calling is very exciting and a little bit intimidating.”

Their winning submission, comprised of an electronic press kit with videos of their July performance at The Sinclair, showed how St. Nothing has evolved since Garzoni-Lawrence first started experimenting with adding electronic elements to the acoustic piano and voice tracks he had been writing since age 14. In fall of 2012, he made the 45-minute drive to his mother’s home in Acton, where he spent hours scouring YouTube videos and reading books to teach himself how to produce using a makeshift basement studio setup. Over the following months, he’d repeat that trek at least three times a week, often with his friend and cellist Jenna Calabro, to work with her on developing the lush downtempo pop sound heard on begin. Carreras (guitar) and Nero (viola) later joined, adding a further dimension to the album’s elegant blend of live and electronic instrumentation.

“With almost every song it starts with a little riff or a synth line, then it grows into something that’s built around that idea,” says Garzoni-Lawrence, who lists Canadian artists Grimes and Austra as influences. “Then I would go to Sophia or Jenna and they would come up with a suggestion that would completely change the song. It never felt entirely like a solo project.”

After a summer like that, staying focused on his last year of school should be even trickier than usual for Garzoni-Lawrence and his bandmates, who plan on releasing their first EP as St. Nothing in the coming months. Now that he shares a Brighton apartment with Nero and has access to an improved portable recording setup, expect Garzoni-Lawrence and Co. to stay hot well into the winter. - DigBoston

"Marco Lawrence’s trio St. Nothing is the latest, super-hot electro act in Boston. Chill beats, synth washes and a dash of Lawrence’s classical background make the band a smart choice to open a fest featuring Lorde, Childish Gambino and Sky Ferreira." - The Boston Herald

Back in May, electronic pop group St. Nothing were playing a mid-week show at the Middle East for about a hundred people, many of which were pressed tightly up against the Cambridge club’s upstairs stage, hanging on every hook, word, and beat.

Now, after a few other summer gigs that included a performance at Freezepop’s 15th anniversary party at the Sinclair, the homegrown trio is getting ready to play their biggest show to date: Saturday afternoon at Boston Calling Music Festival, in front of several thousand people. Through still relatively new on the scene, St. Nothing earned a slot playing the City Hall Plaza festival through SonicBids, and to get us all worked up properly, have premiered their new demo track, “Deals,” through Vanyaland.

St. Nothing frontman and songwriter Marco Lawrence tells us that “Deals” touches on “experiences with toxic relationships, whether platonic or otherwise.”

Musically, the song conveys more of the dark, yearning bedroom-pop tone first heard on the Begin EP, which Lawrence first wrote and produced early last year under the Hall of Mirrors moniker. “Deals” the first song recorded together by all of the St. Nothing members, which include cellist Jenna Calabro, guitarist Sophia Carreras, and violist Meredith Nero.

“I think it has a dancier feel than some of the stuff on Begin, but it’s equally string-heavy,” Lawrence tells Vanyaland. “Other new stuff is a mix between this feel and the older songs.

Those tracks will be on display this Saturday, when St. Nothing hit the Boston Calling stage before Lorde, Childish Gambino, Sky Ferreira, the Hold Steady, and fellow Boston act CliffLight.

After this weekend’s festival, St. Nothing will then play electronic pop night of mini-fest Boston En Masse at Church on September 20, alongside Color Channel, Goldbloc, AVOXBLUE, Pale Hands and others.

Listen to “Deals” below, and check out the song’s artwork and full Boston Calling schedule down below… - Vanyland

New England electronic music and arts festival Together just wrapped up a week-long run of successful party and pro-tip programming, but the beat goes on tonight as one of the area’s next breakout projects performs live at the Middle East.

And the Central Square club is home turf for Marco Lawrence, the electronic music composer who grew up in Cambridge studying classical music and creating piano and acoustic songs as a teenager. Now, as St. Nothing, Lawrence is experiencing a quick re-boot, first with a crystallization of sound, and more recently, a name change from the already-in-use Hall of Mirrors.

Under that previous moniker, Lawrence released the Begin EP, a 2013 collection of five emotive synth-pop tracks that were crafted in solitary; there’s a bit of early Twin Shadow, Purity Ring, and darker ’90s synth-pop stuff like De/Vision and Cosmicity thrown into the mix, but it’s also the compelling sound of a young musician finding his voice.

As St. Nothing preps to play the Middle East tonight — and as we have tracks like “Keep” and “Sacrifice” already in rotation on Vanya Radio — we briefly chatted with Lawrence on his background, the origins of his project, and most importantly, when he’ll be tempted to leave us for New York.



Michael Marotta: How did St Nothing come about? We thought it was a solo project, but were surprised to see it’s possibly a trio?

Marco Lawrence: St. Nothing started in Fall 2012. For the past couple years before that, I’d been writing acoustic songs on piano. I wanted to experiment with a more full instrumentation, and doing it electronically ended up being the most logical route. I recorded my first EP, called Begin, after about two or three months of being obsessed with learning everything I could about self-producing and home recording.

When I recorded the EP, it was definitely more of a solo project. I don’t find playing live by myself to be very rewarding, though, so I asked my friends Jenna Calabro and Sophia Carreras, who play cello and guitar, respectively, to play with me at shows. It’s gradually become more collaborative over the past year. Currently, Sophia still plays guitar with me and Meredith Nero plays viola.

We noticed most of your music pages are still under the Hall of Mirrors moniker; why the change? Does this feel like a “new” project?

The name change came after a lot of new songs were written at the end of 2013. The project didn’t necessarily feel as “new” around the time I changed it, and it was mainly due to the fact that many things and bands use the name Hall of Mirrors, but it feels new now. I associate Hall of Mirrors with the Begin EP, which I’m proud of, but definitely is a little less together compared to what we’re doing now. Because I’ve learned so much about production, mixing and playing live in the past year, we play updated versions of the songs from Begin at shows that I think sound much better than the recordings. That definitely makes it feel “newer.”

St Nothing is self-described as “nocturnal bedroom pop,” which is pretty fitting. How does that intimate sound translate to a live setting?

In some ways, I’m still figuring out how it translates and how I want it to translate. I think right now it’s a mix — the live strings and reverby guitar help to bring out the more intimate side of the songs, and the heavier guitar parts help keep it dancier.

Some of the songs seem to be built around certain electronic loops; when songwriting, do you start with a loop and build out, or do you layer those sounds on other compositions?

It varies. “Keep” was started with the main loop and entirely built on top of it. My friend Kira Bornemann and I made that loop together using a loop pedal. We passed the microphone back and forth, singing little bits until it turned into what it sounds like on the song. I usually start other songs with short instrumentals.

Will you promise to never move to New York? (Just kidding… kinda)

A lot of people have come up to me after shows and been like, “you know, you’d have a great reception for this in New York.” It’s been a little challenging, doing electro-pop in Boston, because I know very few people here who do it, and I’ve only met a few over the past year. Many of my first shows were with folk bands. But I love it here in Boston — I’m originally from Cambridge and I made a conscious effort to stay here for school. I don’t see myself leaving any time soon.

ILLEGALLY BLIND PRESENTS ST. NOTHING + RICK BERLIN WITH THE NICKEL & DIME BAND + OYINDA + CULT FLORESCENT :: Monday, May 19 @ the Middle East, 472 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA :: 7 p.m., 18-plus, $10 :: Advance tickets :: Facebook event - Vanyaland

LOCAL SPOTLIGHT: ST. NOTHING

5 AM. That’s how St. Nothing lead singer Marco Lawrence describes the solo-project turned trio. After hearing them headline a Great Scott show, Marco’s genre-less description of their sound makes a lot of sense: What else would you call a performance consisting of dim blue lighting, the murmuring hum of synth, and Marco’s whispery, uncomplicated lyrics? Their sound evokes a dreamlike state, and it’s easy to imagine a late night (well, early morning) scene. When asked about the carefully constructed, eerie atmosphere of a St. Nothing show, Marco said, “Whenever we do extra things for live settings, we’re aiming to create some kind of visual extension of the songs.” Hopefully, the band will be able to retain this sort of intimacy in their upcoming Boston Calling performance – the large audience and daytime slot will certainly counter the ambience they strive to create.

Formed just this March, this Boston-based electro-pop act has quickly risen in popularity. Shortly after their transformation from the Hall of Mirrors project to three-piece St. Nothing, the act played a show at the Sinclair in April. But why the name change? Marco explained that the newer material just had a different feel: “It was right after I’d gone into a sort of musical hibernation over the past winter break and written most of the songs that we play at shows now.”

Minimal, Straightforward Lyrics

There’s nothing terribly elaborate about St. Nothing’s lyrics, but that’s what makes them stand out. Each message is delivered with a compact simplicity; no breath is wasted on expendable words. It’s clear in Marco’s songwriting process, which he described as “deliberate.” Indeed, though the statements are somewhat general in subject, the bare, minimal lyrics bring to mind Majical Cloudz and deliver a similar punch.

On Hit Single “Keep”

Many a tune is written about memories. Marco shared with us the origins of “Keep,” a track that has become their most popular: “‘Keep’ was started when my friend Kira and I played around with a vocal loop pedal and ended up with the main loop that runs through the song. Everything was built around that.”

A World of Small Bubbles: The Boston Music Scene

There’s no better way to understand the musical landscape of our city than to hear about it from Boston’s own bands. Marco touched on the fact that the scene can be somewhat fractured at times, pointing out that “there are so many great musical things happening in the city, but they happen in their own little pockets that tend not to cross over into each other.” While that may be the case, the good news is, those who thought they’ve heard all that Boston’s got still have a lot of new sounds to discover — St. Nothing included.

St. Nothing will be performing at Boston Calling this Saturday at 1:05 PM on the Red Stage. - Sound of Boston

"I’ve never seen a band put so much effort into a stage setup at Great Scott. It’s certainly not Boston’s most extravagant venue, and most acts bask in its reddish-orange lights — all part of the charm, really. But Boston-based St. Nothing brought onstage a pair of bare, spiraling blacklight bulbs and an arch-shaped creation that involved a bunch of dried white roses tied to a metal gate. With the audience drenched in darkness, the result was a creepy and mysterious ambience.



Funnily enough, for their first true moment under the spotlight (it was their first time headlining a show), the trio was lit only by the faint blue glow of their own handmade props. But as the room filled with the groans of the bass, low synths, and Marco’s soaring voice, it was clear St. Nothing had earned their right to the spotlight. Sweeping viola bow strokes cut through the electronic synths, and ethereal vocals contrasted the rigid, looped digital drum beats. All the while, the audience was left to ponder lyrics like, “As fast as nothing goes.”" - Sound of Boston

Video Interview - RadioBDC

Starting out hot and humid again, the venue still filled up pretty quickly. The first band to take the stage on Saturday was Boston's St. Nothing. Mellowish groove for an opener but a nice start! They play a really laid back sort of pop with the added twist of a bit of violin and live guitars mixed with the programing and keys. A nice opener for the day! - In Your Speakers

"St. Nothing does electroacoustic music, and they do it well. Marco Lawrence’s range of electronic beats was excellent, employing everything from skittering high beats to low and slow crashes of synth. His velvety and polished voice was not drowned out by accompanying sounds, but instead rang above it, oscillating to accompany higher and lower registers of songs with professional fluidity and ease. The electronic beats provided a foundation, of which the violin and guitar amplified and accompanied the melody. It was an intriguing and beautiful fusion of new and modern sounds meets old and traditional sounds; Meredith Nero’s viola accompaniment added a delicate and hauntingly romantic dimension, while Sophia Carreras on guitar contributed a rich and full-bodied sound to the beats.

Their set was romantic and slow, and sometimes gut wrenchingly sad, as in a display of musical emotion, Lawrence let out a throaty scream as he curled into the ground at the end of one of their songs. Under the soft violet and coolly colored lights, St. Nothing delivered a closing set reminiscent of a prom night deconstructed: performing the heartbroken ballad of the girl in the pink dress with mascara streaming down her face. St. Nothing’s music showed brilliantly, the elegant grace and transcendent beauty of sadness." - Allston Pudding

Blame it on the cost or blame it on the availability of string players, but getting live string players at an electronic show is a rare treat. St. Nothing’s cellist Jenna Calabro and violist Meredith Nero were on point. - Consequence of Sound

Living and studying in Boston, Marco Lawrence is ready to make his first step forward in the music world. Studying classical music for several years and writing his own compositions since he was 14, the now 20 year old decided to try his hand at experimenting with electronic music. Adopting the name Hall Of Mirrors, he started to learn the technical aspects of home recording and production, which he described as both frustrating and rewarding. His determination resulted in his aptly titled first EP, Begin, which was released in February of this year.

Although considered a solo project, Lawrence records and performs with a cellist, Jenna Callabro, who adds a rich texture to his electronic pop. The five song EP showcases a smooth and meditative contemplative voice and an aptitude for strong pop melodies. The record promises future talent from a musician who has only been recording music for under a year.

He has just released his first video for the standout song of the EP ‘Keep’, which he describes as a “visual scrapbook of my life for the last six months”. We talked about the story behind the solo project, the process and limitations of producing his own music and how he made his first music video.

Hi Marco. To get started, can you tell me about when and how did the project come together?

I’ve been writing acoustic music for a long time now, and as soon as I wrote the first two electronic songs in October 2012 (‘Sacrifice’ and ‘Dreams’), I knew there was a need for a new name. I didn’t want to put it up under my own name because that’s what I used for my acoustic piano stuff and I wanted a fresh start, so I started Hall of Mirrors. Jenna Calabro, who plays the cello, has been playing with me for five or six years now, so it just made sense for me to ask her to play on these songs. She always adds whatever is missing when I finish a draft of a song and ask her to come over and play on it.

How would you describe the sound of Hall Of Mirrors?

I think I would describe it as electronic pop music with an acoustic twist. It can be dance music, but it’s also pretty somber. People have described it in a number of ways, but it seems I’m most commonly compared to Neon Indian, Depeche Mode, and Purity Ring. The comparisons have been really flattering.

How did you choose the name Hall of Mirrors and what does it mean to you?

I’m always a little hesitant to talk about the name because I don’t want to come off as pretentious, but it’s a pretty simple concept. Music, to me, has always been an introspective experience, whether it’s listening to an album hundreds of times, or writing music myself. I guess in that way, it’s sort of like a hall of mirrors – a tool to see yourself, certain situations, and others through different perspectives. I don’t really think about it too much anymore – it was a quick decision. It was more like, “yeah, this name seems like a good fit.”

You released the first EP, Begin, back in February. All the songs were all written, recorded and produced by you. When did you start learning the technological side of music and music software?

Just about a year ago now, and just about two and a half to three months before I wrote the first songs. I became obsessed with electronic production and it happened very quickly. I am still learning every day; it’s a priority of mine to improve myself technically. I’m taking a break before releasing new material for this reason. Sometimes I think I lucked out a bit on Begin.

What artists or albums that motivated you to make your own music?

Artists like Depeche Mode, Austra, M83, and iamamiwhoami have definitely influenced my production. I think they are great examples of electronic musicians who make music that is danceable while also still having a lot of beautiful and ethereal sounds behind it. I think you can hear some influence from each of those artists. I’m not sure which albums I would say motivated me to make my own music. There are many, and many which are non-electronic albums. I actually didn’t even really listen to a lot of strictly electronic music until a few years ago.

You put out the first music video from the record for the song ‘Keep’. Can you tell me a bit about how the video came together and where it was shot?

I had a pretty abstract idea for the video, and asked my good friend Sophia Carreras to film and help me develop it. There was no budget or anything – any equipment or software used was borrowed. We used my car headlights for lighting. That aside, I’m pretty pleased with what we came up with.

The video was shot almost entirely in the Allston neighborhood of Boston. In some ways, it’s like a visual scrapbook of the past six months of my life – people I’ve been spending time with, things I’ve been doing – and that’s, pretty much, what I wanted it to be. Something that reflects the nostalgic feeling of the song, and something that visually represents what it’s like for me to be the ag - Polari Magazine

Hall of Mirrors, a band to root for composed of Marco Lawrence on vocals and synthesizer, guitar from Sophia Carreras, and Jenna Calabro on cello (though Calabro couldn’t perform that evening), first made an impression on us when the band’s single “Keep,” a winsome and beautiful song full of tender piano and creamy vocals courtesy of Lawrence, was featured on Allston Pudding’s own Marathon Relief mix tape (their EP, “begin,” is five tracks of serene and subtle music well worth a purchase). Lawrence and Sophia Carreras, took the stage, their instruments wreathed in blue string lights, and delivered a memorable performance that more than does justice to their smooth recordings. Lawrence’s voice is pure, smooth, and very obviously fueled by passion for the music. Though Calabro’s cello is a special thing and communicated well in recordings, seeing the band with only guitar and keyboard really showed off both of the performers’ skills.

- See more at: http://allstonpudding.com/alpine-great-scott-1015/#sthash.oUTJMpOS.dpuf - Allston Pudding

There is a sense of mystery that surrounds the tranquil electropop of Hall of Mirrors. Cool dreamy washes of synth and dense mists of piano reverberate around a stunning acoustic cello that uses the natural beauty and lure of the instrument to round off the edges. Out of this ethereal atmosphere a soothing vocal baritone smoothly glides over the surface, narrating quiet musings of a meditative mind when allowed to wander through the solitary watches of the night.

Marco Lawrence found his love of music while studying classical piano at a young age, and he dabbled with some songwriting in his early high-school years. By college, he had discovered the potential of electronic music and decided to throw his hat in the ring under a new moniker. While Hall of Mirrors was just Marco’s quick grab at a suitable name for the outfit, it has a nice fit. The songs feel deeply immersive, meant to not be listened to only once, but to be reflected on and have different nuances brought to light with each spin.


“Keep” ushers in cool breezes of the night, a climate that is punctuated by the cello’s somber melody, weaving in and out of the foggy effects and airy vocals. The chorus introduces an engaging composition that shifts gears ever so slightly and highlights the overarching musical theme. It’s a complicated collection of sounds (the main synth pattern is actually a backwards piano recording), but the execution sounds incredibly relaxed and welcoming.


Much of the lyrical aesthetic comprises a calculated approach with a subtle uneasiness. In “Keep” Marco almost sighs “What is tomorrow / Without our sorrow / We gave up, We truly ran away.” But he doesn’t dwell in despair. There is a definite resolve that resides in the spectral echos. The warmth and peacefulness displayed in the video for “Keep” or the chillwave effervescence of “Light” is enough to calm even the edgiest nerves and give a sense of reassurance. Hall of Mirrors is truly the music of the night (be nice and share, Andrew Lloyd Webber). While the shadows of evening can bring apprehension, they can also bring a cool relief and even a sense of wonder. Sometimes you just need to escape into the solitude of night, and Hall of Mirrors is like that calming glow of the street lamp illuminating a late drive to ease your restless mind.

Keep up with Hall of Mirrors on Facebook. Tumblr and buy the EP on Bandcamp! - Soundscavenger

Boston University student Marco Lawrence, one half of duo Hall Of Mirrors, writes piano-laden electropop that hits the sweet spot between singer-songwriter catharsis and dance-tinged bliss.

Inspired to create by the “anyone can make music” attitude of out-there electronic artist
Grimes, Lawrence and co-conspirator Jenna Calabro recently released their self-produced EP Begin, a five-track affair that is as hypnotic as it is emotionally direct. Together, the duo weaves pulsating beats with swooning cello lines and vocal samples that drift and snap with the kind of precision that makes you want to get on your feet and get into the groove.

Calabro, a student at Boston Conservatory, crafts bewitching rifts with her cello where other artists would opt for sub bass, and her parts compliment Lawrence’s piano and washing synthesizers to astounding effect. Meanwhile, Lawrence adds a dreamy layer to his songs with warm vocals and direct, heart-on-sleeve lyrics. Tracks like “Dreams” are easy to get lost in, with undulating synthesizers that crash against chopped up beats and vocals like waves crashing against the sand. “Keep” is the kind of song you would blast from your room on a warm spring day.

Begin is highly impressive for a group that only started writing together and producing recently, and shows two creative forces beginning to come into their own.

www.hallofmirrorsmusic.bandcamp.com.
-Matthew Larkey - WTBU Radio

"Though Lawrence’s personality is somewhat bashful and timid in person, on stage he is bursting with confidence and allure. He sings with a visceral power drawn from his lyrics, which tend to be about life’s abstract emotional relationships." -Jessica Leach, Rep Records - Rep Records