Actress and Singer/Songwriter, Marcela Avelina is certainly one to watch in the new Netflix show Grand Army, which premieres this Friday!
Netflix’s highly anticipated young adult drama series, Grand Army, is based on Katie Cappiello’s play, Slut: The Play. The series is set in Brooklyn and follows students at the large and diverse Grand Army High School, as they struggle with sexual, racial and economic politics and fight to succeed and make names for themselves in the big apple.
“Grand Army follows the story of five teens, living in New York City, going to school in Brooklyn. It basically follows their journeys and in turn, kind of gets into the lives of the characters around them as well… Joey Del Marco is a character from Slut: The Play that was brought into Grand Army. So, Grand Army is essentially the world of Slut: The Play expanded. There are characters that are spoken about but not necessarily seen in the play and we actually get to meet them in Grand Army.”
Marcela starred in the original play as Julie at the Cherry Lane Theatre in the West Village. Now she plays a new character.
“In Grand Army I play Flora (Mejia). Flora is one of the characters that came with the show. This is a new character that wasn’t in the play. Flora is a really smart, really ambitious girl, and she is in relationship with Sid (Amir Bageria).”
Marcela has already spent so much time in this story’s universe, and she enjoyed coming back to it for more.
“It’s really incredible and surreal. Because, I mean, Katie (Cappiello)’s writing is just impeccable and it’s always been an honor to be involved with her projects, and to see how things have developed to this point, it’s just really inspiring honestly. It was my first time working on a TV set too. So it was definitely different than doing theater, so experiencing that for the first time was really exciting.”
Marcela said what drew her to both Grand Army and Slut: The Play was how honest the story was.
“I don’t feel like there are any corners being cut with the stories being told. I was lucky enough to be a part of a table read of Grand Army in 2019.I was honestly just grateful to be in the room, being able to read a series that I feel has the representation that so many other things lack. In general, I think representation is really crucial and Grand Army does a really successful job of tapping into so many different kinds of people in New York City… People can expect the truth.”
Marcela also has new music coming out! Her newest single “Took Me Out” is set to be released later this year. The song, inspired by rumination and reconciliation, was written and produced by Marcela herself with additional production by Evan Lawrence and Mike Dvorscak. The single was also recorded with Beachball Records, the music collective that Marcela started with fellow musicians that she has been playing with for years. Their goal is to continue to uplift musicians and provide safe spaces for creation.
“I feel like [music] is where I’m most transparent. I usually pull from personal experiences. Yeah, usually whatever I’m going through at the moment takes the forefront lyrically of a song and then I always try to reflect those lyrics sonically…. [“Took Me Out”] is definitely about accountability and self reflection and providing closure for oneself, which is the only place you can come from anyways.”
“Took Me Out” is the debut single from Marcela’s upcoming album. The album does not yet have a name or release date.
Her previously released songs include “Drag Me Along” and “Dark Room.” A blend of pop, R&B and rock, Marcela’s thoughtful and honest lyrics permeate through the music with her soulful voice. Her music is seriously hypnotic and magical, you should check it out!
“I’ve been working tirelessly at it for quite some time now. It’s been a really beautiful process, I feel like it’s been really cathartic. I have a music collective called Beachball Records that I started with two friends and my fellow musicians, so this is kind of one of the first products where we’re putting out via this collective and all the musicians on the album are incredible. And I’ve been playing with them for years. I’m really excited to just see how everything comes together and it feels very much like “a within the family” project and now other people are gonna get to hear it… [The album] is still a little hush-hush, mainly because I can be pretty fickle when it comes to titles and things like that so I kind of go back and forth every day with what I want.”
Although Marcela’s main priority is her album, she hopes to be able to perform live again very soon.
“Well, I’m definitely in a conversation with my band and with the collective, Beachball Records and trying to figure out creative and safe ways to make performing consistently possible again. And yeah. honestly just really focused on getting this album to a place that I feel is honoring the work that we all put into it.”
Grand Army premieres on October 16, 2020 on Netflix and Marcela’s new single “Took Me Out” will drop soon.
“I am really excited and grateful to be able to share music and also just so honored to be a part of such an incredible and electric cast with Grand Army.”
You can follow Marcela on social media with her handle @marcelaavelina on Instagram.
