Nourished by Time

Nourished by Time is the stage name of Marcus Elliot Brown, an American singer, songwriter and record producer from Baltimore, Maryland.^[1] Blending lo-fi synth-pop, post-punk textures and early-’90s R&B, Brown received widespread critical notice for his 2023 debut album Erotic Probiotic 2, which was awarded Best New Music by Pitchfork.^[2] Follow-up releases—the Catching Chickens EP (2024) and the forthcoming album The Passionate Ones (2025)—mark his move to XL Recordings and have cemented his reputation as “a DIY pop star who turns every limitation into an asset.”^[3]

Brown grew up in Baltimore, listening to his parents’ hip-hop, jazz and ’90s R&B collection.^[1] At age 15 he began playing guitar after seeing Slash perform with Michael Jackson, later citing Jimi Hendrix as an early influence.^[1] He played trumpet and percussion in his high-school marching and jazz bands before enrolling at the Berklee College of Music at 17.^[1] Brown has said songwriter-in-residence Pat Pattison was “the only professor who let me be weird.”^[4]

While living in Los Angeles’ Koreatown, Brown self-released music under the aliases Riley With Fire and Mother Marcus.^[1] He adopted Nourished by Time in 2020, describing it as “a mantra about staying consistent.”^[1]

Recorded in his parents’ basement during COVID-19 lockdowns, Erotic Probiotic 2 mixed freestyle, dream-pop and Baltimore club.^[2] The record earned Best New Music from Pitchfork (score 8.2) and appeared in year-end lists by Paste, The Guardian and Gorilla vs. Bear.^[2][5]

Brown spent much of 2023 on tour, supporting London post-punk band Dry Cleaning across North America and remixing their single “Gary Ashby.”^[6] He also appeared on “Happy,” a track from Yaeji’s debut album With a Hammer.^[7]

In February 2024 Brown signed to XL Recordings, announcing the five-track EP Catching Chickens and sharing the single “Hand on Me.”^[8] The EP—named after a scene in Rocky II—was released digitally on March 22, 2024, and on vinyl that May.^[3]

Brown’s second full-length, The Passionate Ones, is scheduled for release on August 22, 2025 via XL, preceded by the singles “Max Potential” and “9 2 5.”^[9] A 25-date North-American and European tour in support of the album begins in September 2025.^[10]

Critics describe Brown’s music as “genre-bending” and “metamodernist,” merging lo-fi indie pop, hip-hop, synthy post-punk and ’90s new jack swing.^[3] His cited influences include Arthur Russell, Tony! Toni! Toné!, Prince, SWV and producer PM Dawn; lyrically he often addresses class politics and late-stage capitalism.^[2][1]

• Erotic Probiotic 2 (2023, Scenic Route)^[2]
• The Passionate Ones (scheduled 2025, XL)^[11]

• Catching Chickens (2024, XL)^[3]

• “The Fields” (2023)
• “Hand on Me” (2024)
• “9 2 5” (2025)

• Yaeji – “Happy” on With a Hammer (2023)

• Dry Cleaning – “Gary Ashby (Nourished by Time Remix)” (2023)

• Official website
• Nourished by Time at AllMusic