#martha bean

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How Beautiful It Is

Must Save Jane! Name: How Beautiful It Is Album: Wrath of the Juggernaut Composer: Juggernaut Kid, Martha Bean Instruments: Piano, Drums, String, Choir

[elsantodelrock]

Martha Bean: Circles

Martha Bean finalmente tiene en circulación su Here Comes The Snowstorm EP, y a manera de complemento a Along The Lonely, primer sencillo y carta de presentación de éste material, nos presenta un nuevo tema acompañado de su respectivo vídeo promocional.

Circles es una reflexión respecto a las relaciones humanas y cómo solemos repetir ciertos patrones de la naturaleza en la búsqueda de…

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[shemakesmusic-uk]

INTERVIEW: Martha Bean

Though united by a bittersweet theme, each of the five tracks on Leicester-based alt-folk songwriter Martha Bean’s new EP stands alone, inspired by real events. Be it the eponymous tale in ‘Slippers to a Wedding’; the emotional vision of a lonely widow captured on ‘Beneath the Shadows’; or the hopes and fears of a new mum expressed on ‘When I Hold You In My Arms’ (Martha became a first-time mother, to Leon, this February), the highs and lows of contemporary existence are all on show. Conveyed via spacious, ambient alt-folk topped by Martha’s skilled guitar picking and silky vocal, her songs evoke artists such as Fionn Regan, Phoebe Bridgers and Lisa Hannigan.

Martha has also turned her hand to production and, impressively, she recorded and engineered the whole of her new EP in her home studio. Here Comes the Snowstorm features five tracks connected by themes of life’s inevitable highs, lows and unexpected quirks. It is a striking body of work, Martha Bean’s best to date, and, at a time when the artist has become a mother for the first time, represents further cause for celebration in an extremely memorable year.

We had a chat with Martha all about the new EP, her experiences in the music industry, dream collabrations and much more. Read the interview below.

Hi Martha! You've just released your latest EP Here Comes the Snowstorm. What's the story behind the record and what does it mean to you?

"Hello there! The record is a collection of real-life stories… the poignant tale of a lonely widow I met in ‘Beneath The Shadows’, the story about how my boyfriend wore slippers to his cousin’s wedding (in ‘Slippers To A Wedding’) and confronting mediocre relationships in ‘Along The Lonely’ - they all share memories of sweet and sorrow. Facing unsettling or awkward moments in life is something we all usually choose to avoid, but I wanted to engage with it, head on. It’s been 18 months in the making, so I’m really pleased to finally release the EP!"

How is Here Comes The Snowstorm different (or similar) to your previous releases? Were there any musical influences or sounds that you were able to incorporate on this record that you hadn't previously?

"I decided to stick to guitar-based songs for this EP, so it generally has a more folky feel than previous releases. Joel Evans (aka Tiny Eyes) helped to co-produce the record; he added a few extra synths and percussive layers I haven’t had on recordings before, so that’s been really fun to incorporate. ‘Along The Lonely’ was perhaps the trickiest to get right - there are so many layers in it. I considered scrapping the song entirely a few times… but after a lot of tweaking, we got there."

You recorded and engineered the whole EP yourself at your home studio. How important was it for you to be able to do that? What was your favourite part of the process?

"This is the first Martha Bean record I’ve produced. That in itself was a challenge, but I’m really pleased with the result! There are pros and cons to working from home, of course - it can be tricky when you don’t have other people to bounce ideas off - but ultimately you aren’t rushed, and have complete control over the end result… being happy with that is the most important thing in the entire process, regardless of how you get there. I’ve always loved creating string arrangements for my songs, but the best bit is always when everything has finally come together at the end – when you listen to the mix on the hi-fi and you have that ‘yes, that’s it!’ moment."

What do you hope fans will take away from the EP?

"Life rarely brings blocks of pure joy or pure despair. More often the emotions – hope and hopelessness; gravity and levity – all bleed into one another. I hope this comes through in the songs… but more importantly, I hope they love how it sounds!"

Which new artists/bands are you listening to right now? Is there anyone you would love to collaborate with?

"My taste in music is quite eclectic… Recently I’ve been enjoying a lot of Punch Brothers, Gabriel Kahane, Grizzly Bear, Soccer Mommy, DIIV and Cosmo Sheldrake. Of course - if any of them were interested in collaborating, I’d jump at the chance! An absolute dream would be to collaborate with Radiohead."

You've been in the industry a few years now. What challenges, if any, have you faced? And how did you overcome them?

"Writer’s block can be awful, stressful and depressing. I’ve experienced ongoing lack of confidence in my abilities, and find being centre stage nervewracking, too. The only way I’ve ever managed to work with these issues is by facing them head on - forcing myself to write when I’ve felt stuck, even if it meant writing something that would go straight in the bin, and performing, despite the fear and the shaky hands. Nothing created, nor any bad experience is wasted. You can learn from everything."

Do you have any advice for budding musicians?

"Keep recordings of your draft song recordings so you don’t forget them! And if you write songs in awkward keys (like I do), make sure you make a note of the key / tuning / capo position somewhere. Keep listening to new music. Support other musicians - they’re not ‘competition’ - we’re all in the same boat. Collaborate. But most importantly - enjoy it and don’t take it too seriously! Life’s too short."

If there was one thing you could change about the music world today, what would it be?

"Get rid of ‘pay-for-play’ gigs and promoters who take advantage of new musicians under the guise of ‘band competitions’ and similar…"

Finally, what does 2020 hold for Martha Bean musically and non-musically?

"I’m just starting to book in a few festival gig dates (TBC) - my first public gigs since 2016 - it’s going to be a fun challenge playing the new songs live with the band. Some more recording will be in the pipeline, too… aside from that, I’ll be spending much of the year continuing my new role as a mum attempting to keep my baby boy alive! Haha."

Here Comes to Snowstorm is out now.

[lunapaper]

On her latest track, Martha Bean refuses to settle for less.

Inspired by the likes of Nilüfer Yanya and Grizzly Bear, ‘Along The Lonely’ examines the longing for companionship even when we don’t actually long for it, balancing tongue-in-cheek lyrics atop a lilting, jazz-infused folk pop melody. ‘We all need someone,’ says the British singer via press release, ‘and that can be beautiful. But some people just want a ring on their finger and someone to moan at when they forget their anniversary. Is that ‘love’? Is that OK?’

‘Along The Lonely’ is from Martha Bean’s new EP Here Comes The Snowstorm, out now.

- Bianca B.

[belwoodmusic]

Top Tracks: Martha Bean - Along The Lonely

Top Tracks: Martha Bean – Along The Lonely

There are two kinds of loneliness. The first is a deep-rooted need for companionship. Like many animals we are social creatures, we aren’t meant to be alone. We all need…

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[elsantodelrock]

Martha Bean: Along The Lonely

Martha Bean: Along The Lonely

Martha Bean es una canta autora residente en Leicester, quien desde muy temprana edad manifestó una vocación musical al iniciar con el piano de forma intuitiva a la edad de 3 años, de manera tal que, luego de desempeñarse en diversos roles en el mundo de la música, debutara en 2015 formando una trayectoria que, al día de hoy, le permite auto producir su Here Comes the Snowstorm EP, material que…

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[bloomingbabe]

Let the warm lights touch your skin, and listen to the song you hold within...

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"Take Your Time" by Jonathan Dix and Martha Bean