Timothy SaccentiEver since Marian Hill’s single “Down” debuted in a Super Bowl ad last month, it’s topped the U.S. Shazam chart: everyone wants to know, “Who does that song?” Only problem is, when they find out it’s by Marian Hill, they assume that’s the name of the woman who’s singing it…and it’s not.
Marian Hill is a duo made up of two people who’ve been friends since middle school: Samantha Gongol and Jeremy Lloyd. They got their name by combining the names of the two main characters — Marian Paroo and Harold Hill — in the musical they both appeared in during eighth grade: The Music Man. So, how often does Samantha get called “Marian?”
“Too much, but understandably so,” she tells ABC Radio. “I mean, it sounds like a girl’s name, and I’m a female vocalist. But I think it’s getting better. I think the more that ‘Down’ becomes known and the more that we become known, they’re realizing it’s a duo, so it’s great.”
Also helping is the duo’s new video for “Down,” which shows both of them riding up, down and every which way in an elevator.
“Down” is the first track on the duo’s debut album Act One, and they describe it as an “invitation.” So what does that mean?
“I don’t think there is an easy answer,” admits Samantha. “I mean, it’s about giving in to possibility, about the possibility of this person that you’re meeting, of the evening and taking a chance. It’s definitely one of our favorites and, I think, open to interpretation too.”
Marian Hill has a show Tuesday night in their home base of Brooklyn, NY, and then they’re off the road until May 22, when they kick off a major headlining tour.
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