Ms Ray & Nourished by Time

Biography

Marcus Elliot Brown, known professionally as Nourished by Time, was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, where he grew up listening to his parents' collection of hip-hop, jazz, '90s R&B, and gospel music, including artists like D'Angelo and sounds from films like The Preacher's Wife. A self-described sad and depressed kid who rarely left the house and lacked many friends, Brown discovered music as an escape; at around age 14-15, he began playing his father's guitar in the basement, popping a string which led to lessons at a local Music Go Round after influences like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Funkadelic, Stone Temple Pilots, Soundgarden, Nirvana, Oasis, and The Cure. High school proved pivotal as a security guard redirected him to the band room, where he played bass drum, trombone, percussion in marching, symphonic, and jazz bands, and guitar, nearly quitting the latter until a teacher aided with chords and sheet music, fueling his obsession[1][2][3][5].

Enrolling at Berklee College of Music in Boston at 17 despite only 1.5 years of guitar experience, Brown felt like an underdog among child prodigies but thrived in producing and songwriting, crediting songwriter-in-residence Pat Pattison as the only professor who embraced his weirdness; he disliked formal schooling's structure, preferring experiential learning pushed by his college non-attending parents. After graduating, he moved to Los Angeles' Koreatown, self-releasing under aliases Riley With Fire and Mother Marcus, adopting Nourished by Time in 2020 as a 'mantra about staying consistent' to avoid his 'boring' real name. Starting songwriting at 16 after his grandfather's death, he gained critical acclaim with his 2023 debut album Erotic Probiotic 2 on Scenic Route, praised by Pitchfork as Best New Music for its lo-fi synth-pop, post-punk, early-'90s R&B blend, followed by 2024 EP Catching Chickens and 2025 album The Passionate Ones on XL Recordings[2][3][5].

Brown's style defies genres, merging post-punk, New Wave, R&B, electro-funk into dreamlike, uncanny worlds he wishes existed, with emotionally charged songwriting that began as youthful experimentation with synthesizers and evolved through short-lived bands and projects, all necessary steps to Nourished by Time. His legacy builds as a rising syncretist, evidenced by 2026 collaborations and festival appearances, though still early, marked by obsessive tendencies and a process trusting raw, weird expression over convention[3][5][7].

Fun Facts

• Adopted 'Nourished by Time' in 2020 as a mantra for consistency because he found his real name Marcus Brown 'boring as hell'[3].
• Started guitar after popping a string on his dad's instrument while fake-playing in the basement, leading to pawn shop lessons[1][2].
• Directed to high school band room by a security guard after wandering halls on orientation day, sparking his ensemble music involvement[5].
• A devoted Baltimore Ravens fan, as highlighted in interviews discussing his obsessive tendencies alongside songwriting[2].

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Pat Pattison - Songwriter-in-residence professor at Berklee College of Music who allowed creative freedom (Berklee education period) [c. 2010s]
• Unnamed high school guitar teacher - Taught chords and sheet music reading, preventing him from quitting guitar (High school music development) [c. 2008-2010]
• Father - Introduced guitar access and supported lessons after discovering broken string (Early guitar playing in basement) [c. 2008]

Key Collaborators

• Ms Ray - Vocalist collaboration on single ('Miss You' single, preview for her EP Melt) [2026]
• Chase - Bandmate in early unnamed band (One show at Bard College) [College era, c. 2010s]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia