Marina Kaye

Exploring the darkness & fear that bubbling under the surface isn't something that scares singer/songwriter Marina Kaye—it invigorates her.

When speaking with Marina, you wouldn't think her music would be so nighttime; she'southward equal parts eloquent and relaxed, nestled in her home of Switzerland preparing for the release of her third studio album — the hauntingly stunning 'Twisted'. People might desire to group her in with some of her nighttime-popular comrades but to compare Marina Kaye would exist a offense as she truly is a deeply unique, uncompromising artist. With her heaven-soaring vocals, evocative lyrics, and invigorating melodies, if this is your showtime introduction to the French powerhouse, y'all're in for a treat.

Following her 2022 album 'Explicit', Kaye's latest release serves equally a cathartic release for her; it's an assay of emotions she'due south felt, experiences she'due south found herself in, and the journey through her mind that has led her to 'Twisted'. Kaye perfectly blends all of the music influences she's discovered while growing up in France, living in Switzerland, and working tirelessly on her anthology in America and London.

We sat down with Marina for a chat almost her third studio anthology 'Twisted', why she felt costless subsequently leaving her major record label, and the importance of borer into every emotion (even the dark ones) when she's writing her songs.

It's been a few years since your sophomore album 'Explicit' and now 'Twisted' is out. I notice a major stride upwards for you in regards to your songwriting — your genre has always been defined as dark-popular, just this feels like a new level of you tapping into all of these nighttime emotions. What'southward inverse for you as an artist between and then and now?

I don't know actually… because it's something that happened very naturally to me. Over time, it just became easier for me to write and produce. I started condign more involved in everything and it got easier, which meant I got better. I needed to evolve as an creative person and a songwriter to become better. I see the way I used to write songs and the way I write and make albums now is so different; information technology feels much more mature. I experience like that can only happen with time as you abound up.

Yeah, which must be something you don't notice until you're standing back and noticing that growth. The songs you wrote as a teen must exist different than the way yous write at present.

Yes, definitely. My commencement songs were from when I was 14 and they were in French and my producer used to translate them because I couldn't speak English. Writing songs in English eventually became easier for me! I just randomly switched one 24-hour interval and started writing everything in English language, from my texts to notes to songs. I guess it's because I spend and so much fourth dimension with British and American songwriters and they've taught me and then many things I didn't fifty-fifty realize they were pedagogy me at the fourth dimension.

Do you e'er struggle with those moments where there is a perfect word in French only it doesn't have a perfect English translation?

Oh gosh, Yes! It happens to me all of the fourth dimension, even in my everyday life. I'll exist in the UK, France, the US, or in Switzerland, where I live, and information technology'll be so bizarre when you have the verbal word in your listen but y'all tin can't say it considering people won't become it and you lot can't describe it yourself. It happens a lot in French considering there are so many clear and easy words in English language that nosotros don't apply in French! I wish we had easy words like you guys do.

In Canada, nosotros're taught both English language and French and I always found the masculine/feminine differentiation and so hard sometimes! I couldn't imagine writing songs in another language like yous have.

It'due south and so difficult and disruptive.

'Twisted' is both the championship track and the opening track for the album, and it was the kickoff song y'all released for the album at the end of final year. What is it nearly this vocal that made you want to craft the album around information technology?

I honestly accept no thought. Information technology was the first writing session I had where I felt I was in a place where I could create something better than my previous anthology. I started writing for the third anthology in January 2022 and it wasn't working with anyone; I had vi or seven sessions and I couldn't notice the right words with the right people. I met these ii guys Ahsheen and Josh Cumbee and we wrote 'Twisted.' It was instant chemistry; it felt correct. We started to talk about our lives, very deep and personal stuff, and nosotros started to write the vocal. It was a dreamy session. I realized that 24-hour interval the album was going to be called 'Twisted' and the entire anthology would be shaped effectually my twisted thoughts and dreams and everything else happening in my mind.

It must exist difficult considering you're going into these sessions and not knowing if yous'll jive with the person and it can exist either really empowering or slightly disappointing.

I e'er say I hate doing that because, you know, on every album nosotros try to meet new people and do new things because equally an artist you never want to get stuck. It's just so hard to build that trust and be comfortable around people you don't know. Sometimes you just have to walk into that room and you lot instantly know if you lot're in the correct room or not. Information technology's something that you lot do with passion, only I'm likewise aware that it's a job and then I tin can't but go upwardly and leave the room and tell people I don't want to piece of work with them. You accept to just work and get a song out of the session. It doesn't e'er work well but if you lot're the 1 leaving the session without a vocal, everything is going to be your fault. I don't call up of music existence a business organization when I'chiliad writing a song; I'm not trying to brand a hit, I'm just trying to follow my passion. Having the whole business thing lingering in the background is hard to bargain with when y'all're trying to be comfortable.

It must exist awful — it feels like y'all take to churn out a striking just to meet a quota.

Yeah, yous kind of always take to unload all of these thoughts that you want to write about and yous're in a room of strangers you don't automatically feel comfortable with…. Information technology can be hard. But, sometimes it's something you larn to deal with. I remember when I was 16 and I had this session and I was crying and saying I'd never do some other one. At present, I get in the session, talk with the people, and we sometimes make a song. I'one thousand non always going to keep the song simply at least we made something.

One of those songs ended upwards being 'Bullheaded Middle' which, in particular, is a huge standout for me. I love the guitar picking at the start. it reminded me of music from a few decades ago and listening to information technology fabricated me call up of a film where someone is professing a big speech. Tin can you tell me a bit about that vocal?

I was working with David Stewart and Jessica Agombar, who I wrote the entire anthology with him. We decided to set up up this writing camp effectually my album, so for 10 days, we would include someone new every solar day in our session. On that 24-hour interval was Arrow Benjamin, who is this insanely talented songwriter, he's then good. I call back saying to David I want something that would sound like 'Nighttime Times' by The Weeknd and Ed Sheeran that would have this dry electric guitar confronting really dark lyrics. That's where it all started and information technology ended upwards sounding cypher similar that [laughs] but I similar that. I always call back I know what I want the sound to be so it ends up existence and then different, which is absurd. I don't even know how nosotros made the song, it felt and then natural. I practise remember one affair — it was very, very different from what I had washed in the by and it scared me at get-go. I left the studio telling everyone what I ever say — that I'g not going to use the song, it's not Marina, I can't employ information technology — and then the next day I'chiliad like Hi David! Aye, no, we are going to go on the song. Information technology's a practiced one. [laughs]

All of the songs are very different and unique, just that one, in particular, gave me chills. It feels like a song you don't hear that often anymore. Songs are overproduced now and it's so dainty to hear something different.

I needed to hear that. I'm aware of the generation I alive in and I know I take to overproduce my music merely… sometimes it just feels expert to brand that type of song.

That vocal is gorgeous, then you don't need to worry about that ane. Something I wanted to talk to you almost is the word blind, which you apply in a few songs — Blind Heart and The Whole 9 to name two. What is it nearly that word in item and the feeling of not exactly seeing something that made you desire to accept it used throughout the album?

I honestly don't know! I feel similar I was raised by people who never saw what was right in front of them. It's something they didn't want to encounter. They could see it just chose not to. I promised myself I would never be that way and that'due south important to me. I want to be aware of what'south going on around me, what I'yard doing, and whether it'due south right or wrong. I don't know why I used that discussion so much, merely it comes from non wanting to turn away from things. I've seen this in then many people around me; they choose to stay where they are and refuse to evolve because information technology'southward easier.

Information technology's like opening your eyes, even to the bad things.

Aye, like the things y'all've done yourself or to other people. Nosotros all do information technology, it's simply hard to admit it.

In 'Anywhere But Home' you sing well-nigh wanting an escape, a want to get someone else to ready you. It'southward quite a night & vulnerable track. 'Y'all remind me of a better me/and I need to get out so badly' are lyrics I experience like a lot of women especially can relate to. Writing songs with such dark themes can be difficult, simply does it experience therapeutic to work through things through songs?

Information technology feels better because when you lot exit the studio, you created something. The nigh therapeutic thing about writing the song is but going dwelling and knowing you created something out of your mind and out of your pain. Non many people get to do that. So many people have to alive with their pain and have it inside of them and they don't have any fashion of expressing themselves. I've ever idea I'g lucky considering I get to do what I practice and exist heard and it'southward something I'm very grateful for. That'southward the therapeutic thing for me — non literally writing the vocal, but knowing you've done something smashing that could help other people.

I read that if you didn't pursue music, yous were going to study to be an oncologist. Music and medicine sound very different, just I guess this is your way of healing.

That'southward what I tell myself. These ii jobs sound very different, but they aren't because both are trying to aid people. I'm non at all saying I'thou saving lives, simply I had this guy bulletin me when I first started playing when I was 15 and uploading music onto my Facebook page. He was around 65, from New York, and flew out to my showcase in London. He came upwardly to me and told me your music saved my life. He was listening to me on France Got Talent and he said he's sure that listening to me cured his cancer.

Wow, I just got chills.

Yeah, it was insane. He's been following me ever since. He was at my commencement opening in Paris for another creative person when I was xvi and he still sends me letters. Information technology's nice to know the impact your music has on people. I realized I won't exist an oncologist, but I'm helping people make their lives better.

It's hard for people to come up to artists and tell them about how you've saved their lives, but information technology's a lot on the artist, likewise. That'southward a lot of pressure.

It is sometimes, but it'southward worth it.

On the runway 'Alone' you sing "cause pain is the only matter that'south on my mind/And I'yard scared if you see the truth you'll go blind". Lyrics like those are incredibly confessional — are you always hesitant to release music that is and so vulnerable like that?

Honestly, not in my songs. What'south difficult for me is talking about them. I'one thousand so bad at talking most personal things. Even when I was a kid, I used to exist in the corner of the room, not speaking to anyone but myself. It's merely non something I know how to do. Writing and singing my feelings has always felt natural and right; it's never been something weird or scary. I honestly don't care what I put in my songs — I can use really bad words and I can talk most the most difficult moments in my life and I'1000 not aback of them at all. But… if you're asking me most them, it'due south going to be a different story because it's difficult for me to talk about.

I don't write songs but I can but imagine going from this really small, intimate space similar a songwriting session where you're figuring out your feelings through songs and then having people ask y'all nearly it.

Being in the studio is like being in a bubble. Yous're out of the world, y'all're prophylactic. I can talk about the craziest things when I'chiliad at the studio and it'll never exit the room. Parts of the story volition come through in the song, but the bodily story stays in that room. No one is going to hear about the story but me and the songwriters, and that'south something I love nearly songwriting. We won't betray one another.

You left your previous label after y'all finished the record — was that feel more than freeing or terrifying?

Oh, definitely freeing. When I got signed I had this astonishing squad and then slowly everyone was replaced with someone new. The label was focused more on urban/hip-hop artists and I was stuck there for my second anthology, which was hard. I just put it out and decided I would make my 3rd album the way I made my first — no label at all. I took a twelvemonth to do it, I spent it in LA and London, met new people and did things my way. I didn't accept to send my songs to A&Rs, I could just keep them to myself. When I felt ready, and when I felt the tape was fix, that's when I started looking into new labels for it, and I found a new home in PIAS. I needed to exist costless again before getting into a new contract.

And that's astonishing because you're and so young and you know what you want. Nosotros've seen in artists like Taylor Swift who get stuck in these crazy contracts that are ridiculous.

It's something that I feel strongly nearly. Yous have to allow the artists to exist free to get out if they don't desire to be there anymore. What's the point in property someone earnest? Who wants to be in a place where you don't feel like you lot tin grow?

Yeah, who is going to create piece of work they are proud of when they are being held against their volition.

Honestly, I've never felt like I was in prison or annihilation. I've always worked with decent people and my producer has ever been very protective of me. I'm one of the lucky ones. That's why I permit myself to brand albums and meet labels, it's not something a lot of artists can afford to do.

If y'all were to talk about the anthology as a whole story, how would you describe it?

I want to say that it is a journey inside my caput. Each song is going to teach you something about me and if you lot can read between the lines, yous're going to know everything that's happening inside my listen, which is a lot! [Laughs]

To end: what do you hope people take away from this new album?

I hope they realize that… beingness themselves is the best thing that could always happen to them. If I had listened to what everyone told me, I wouldn't be here talking to you today. I wouldn't exist a vocalist today, I wouldn't be writing songs, and I would definitely not be putting this album out. It sounds and then phony but being yourself is going to go yous to where you lot want to be, somewhen. I'm sure of it.

Marina Kaye's new album 'Twisted' is out at present!

Interview by Kesley Barnes

interview byKelsey Barnes

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Source: https://1883magazine.com/marina-kaye/

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