| Published | Title | Website | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Dec 2010 | Marina on FaceCulture | FaceCulture YouTube | [1] |
| Note: This interview was transcribed from a video and as a result some filler words may have been removed. | |||
Interview
I've read some earlier interviews, and I would like to pick some quotes and maybe you can comment on them. Maybe you don't, maybe you think it's a strange quote but let's see what happens. But first of all, I would like to start off with, I read somewhere that you've started four studies. What studies did you do and why?
Each of the four courses was to do with performing. One was Dance, one was Music and Culture, one was Vocal Tech, and one was Music Composition.
And what was the first, second, third, fourth?
In order? Dance first, then Vocals, then Music Culture, then Music Composition. And each one I quit every time. [laughs]
Why?
Because I didn't want to be in university. I wanted to be in the business learning everything first hand, but at the same time I wasn't good enough in the beginning, so I had to do something with my life. Because if I said, okay, I'm just gonna work and do waitressing or working in the shop, it ties you so much that then you don't have any energy to be creative. So university was a good way to buy time for me to get better as a songwriter.
And which one of those study did you actually like?
Oh, I liked all of them, but I suppose the Music Culture one was very interesting.
Why?
Because I like to analyse why things are the way they are and for someone who didn't have a lot of knowledge of music before the nineties, it was good to see how punk came about and, you know, sixties music, seventies, eighties. And I learned some production as well there, so that helped when I started to produce my own stuff.
When you did the studies and thought about music culture, is there one period that you said, well, actually, that's pretty interesting and people really don't know about it?
For me, the most interesting was punk and and the Riot Grrrl scene, which was, that was early nineties, I think. And the music isn't extremely popular all over the world, but for feminism, it's from a feminism point of view, it's very interesting.
Can you name me a few artists?
Babes in Toyland, Julianna Hatfield, um, who else? I suppose Courtney Love was a part of it in a way. Um, who else did I like? I suppose after that, PJ Harvey wasn't in the Riot Grrrl scene, but she started in the nineties and kind of evolved from that as well. And it kind of gave birth to a lot of female artists who didn't adhere to the shiny pop, sexy, you know, kind of female. So that was great for me. It was really encouraging.
So for you that's feel really, really important that feminism is important?
Yeah. Yeah. Because I mean, it's understandable because I am a female, I'm not stupid, I analyse everything, and I don't I suppose I analyse other women because I want to see what is the best way to present myself and to move forward and have meaning as an artist. I don't just wanna be someone who, you know, looks good in a video. I want to have songs that challenge people and inspire them, make them think about themselves. So what do you think nowadays is the role of females in music? Is it good, bad?
Oh, at the moment it's really good. Lots of unique females around doing really good music.
Can you name me a few and explain what makes them-
For example, La Roux, she doesn't sexualise herself. It's not that I find it a negative thing, but I think it's a shame that for some females, they make the main part of their identity their sexuality. And I just don't know if that helps anything. I suppose it's just up to them and some women are more like that and find that they get more attention that way and some don't. Florence and the Machine is a great example of, you know, being very talented and just lovely person as well, and being very successful.
So how does it feel then? Because I think you like to look good. I mean, every person does.
Yeah. Everyone does.
So how do you stay on that thin line of not over sexualising your image or yourself?
Of being constantly aware of it. Especially if you are a curvy woman, every photographer will wanna put you in a certain, dress or lights, and you just have to say, no, that makes me look crap. What are you doing? [laughs] So, you know, you don't always get it right, but I'm very aware of it. But at the same time, you can't say, "oh, because I don't wanna be sexualised I'm just gonna purposefully look shit all the time."
So how do you do it then? Because sometimes if you overthink it then maybe then there's just no joy.
I don't even know if I'm doing it. I mean, it really frustrates me, but I still haven't totally got to grips with it. I suppose it's just having a balance, isn't it? Of, you know, looking how you want to look, but not letting it overtake your overall, well, I suppose your music, you want the focus to stay on your music, for me anyway.
So maybe write an album and take another name and let just the music do its work?
Oh, I'd love to. I'd love to. Sometimes I wish that I did do this project anonymously just for the sheer delight of knowing that, well, I suppose it's a test just to see how music copes on its own. Because things like videos, I love, and I love the visual aspect of it and of the live show. They really can change the identity of an artist for other people. You know, some songs are made into hits because of the videos, so it's a really powerful tool. But it'd be an interesting task.
Part 2
There's one name that comes, into my head still, every time when we talk about this is Lady Gaga. What do you think then of her because, well, you, I think you were a big fan of maybe not of the music. I don't know what of Madonna. How she was on the forefront of, well, being a a strong powerful woman. What do you think of Lady Gaga?
I don't know. I think it's funny because everyone is always asking that to everybody at the moment because she's so successful and such a talent-
What do you think of her music?
I think she her best is yet to come. I think she made a compromise in the beginning by going into this very, kind of, pop world in America, which, to be honest, I don't blame her because that's the only way you can get big. She's a very skilled pop writer, but I think her weirdness doesn't transfer to the music yet, and I think it will. I think she's an astonishing person, and I, you know, obviously I don't agree with everything she does, but I think she's brilliant. And she means that you can tell that she's a good person, and that's what's important.
How can you tell?
You can just tell with interviews. When you look in someone's eyes, you can tell.
There's one one thing that you spoke about that you said, well, feminism will change society in the last 10 years. Well, you said it in the interview. I don't know if it's true.
How has feminism changed? Well, yes. I don't think it exists.
So it's, I think it disappeared again.
Yeah. I think it has. It's constantly evolving. For example, 20 years ago, what Madonna was doing was genuinely provocative and pioneering and liberating, you know? Whereas now, someone did that. It's like, [shrugs] so what? She's done it already. You don't need to do that. She helped feminism wildly, I believe. But you know, now it's time to move on. I think you can't lose sight of the fact that half of the problem with females is that from the beginning of Christianity, they weren't acknowledged as being sexual, and so then becomes the rise of the virgin and the whore, and people, kind of idolising this very pure image of a woman, which is not realistic. And so that's why we get these females who are, I suppose being overtly sexual because they're trying to free themselves in some way. That's what I believe anyway. And I think feminism in the past 10 years, I think it's kind of disappeared because, our mothers did the work for us and we take everything for granted. [laughs] I think people feel like that there aren't problems for women in the world. But there are. There are outside of the western world, it's shocking. Absolutely shocking.
Okay, name me one problem that outside the western world, did you say or that's that's one problem?
For example, there are many, I think it might be, it might be Libya. There's are some states in Africa where 90% of women are, hang on, I need to get this statistic right because I can't be misquoted. It's something like 1 in 3 women are sexually abused over the age of 3. That is disgusting. Like, that's terrible. And there are other states, again in Africa, where it's common practice that their clitorises are chopped off, because the mothers believe that, they don't want, their daughters to have sex, because then if they have sex, then marriage is spoiled and they get a name in their villages or towns, etcetera, etcetera. So there are, you know, there's so much out there that's really terrible and, I suppose no one really is that aware of it or at least in the western world with young girls.
And then is there some still something that needs to be done in the western world regarding women?
Yeah. I think, again, in pop culture, I think it needs to move on a bit. I think we're still really glamorising the sex industry. It's everywhere. And you know, it's just culture influences fashion and music and art and that's fine, but is, you know, is prostitution and the sex industry really something to glamorise? Again, it's another really sad fact and area of human life but we, women are exploiting that.
So they maybe they are actually choosing to do this maybe too.
Yes.
So what does that view in the ideal world?
In an ideal world? Yeah. Men, women, music. So for women to feel sexually liberated enough that they don't have to express it overtly all the time. And just to be, I suppose that's all you want is equality, really.
There there are also differences that need to be there.
Yeah. True.
So for you, it's not over exploiting the differences?
No. Exactly that.
Part 3
A quote: Greek people love passion and tragedy. Do you too?
Yeah! It's in my blood. [laughs]
Okay. How come do you think?
I think, because of our history with wars, because of the people, you know, from the beginning of civilisation which happened in Greece with philosophy and with the birth of the arts. Perhaps they were just dramatic people and that's why it all happened. I'm really not sure. It is just in the blood, I think.
But, yeah, the album is called The Family Jewels. It's been released, I don't know the exact date, but it has been released a while now. How do you look back now on making that album?
It's weird because I don't think you should ever think of something as a mistake, but there are so many things I've learned now that I'm like, "oh my God."
Is there one thing that you want to share with us?
Every song was really, like, [mimics excessive booming] except for maybe Robot and Obsessions. Every song is really full on and packed with drama and with a lot of layers and instrumentation. And my voice was hardly ever quiet or little. Whereas now, I've realised with a lot of touring, a small voice is just as powerful as a big voice. And so my new works are very, they're not calmer by any means, but they're definitely different vocally.
But they're maybe more dynamic?
Yes! You took it out of my mouth.
How many songs have you already written?
Well, I could have written the whole album. I'm gonna keep on writing in case I, you know, write better songs or songs that are more relevant culturally. But, yeah, I'm really enjoying writing it. I've got lots of ideas and I want it to be released next July, but my label is saying, "oh, you're not gonna do it". It's probably gonna be next September.
And why don't they want you to do it?
Because they just think that it's unrealistic that with my touring schedule and promotion schedule, I'll have it written and produced by then. But you know what? Never say never.
Is there one key song, one starting song? So sometimes people say, well, if I start to write an album then there are one or two songs that I that I think they saw the key songs of the album and that's gonna be...
Yeah. There's one called Free Sex. That's the key song.
What's the song about?
Free sex! [laughs]
I know about that. In what context?
The Free Sex, as in women. It's really, it's cool. It's a cool pop song, but it's definitely not standard pop song by any means. I don't care if there are no singles of this album. I just want it to be really thought provoking, and yeah.
Can you share one line? Or one lyric?
No. No. Not yet.
Okay, not yet. But do you over already have a focus for the album?
Yes. I do. I have a title, I think, and it's very symbolic of starting something new. I can't say the title. It'd be awful if I said it now. It's like a year away. Can you imagine? [laughs]
Well, I have to ask for it. So that's anything that you can share?
On the album? Nope! [laughs]