Marianne Lee
Dublin, Leinster, Ireland | SELF
Music
Press
Every week TOW is lucky enough to pick two songs for Tom Robinson's brilliant BBC 6 Music show, the spot goes out every Monday morning at around 2:30am
Marianne Lee - Wilderness Years
Props to the fantastic The Girls Are blog for turning us onto Marianne Lee. Annette Barlow and her team of super lady music sleuths are bang on with this tip from Ireland. Little is known about Marianne but listen to the music and you'll hear the two influences she cites on her myspace, Kate Bush and Sandy Denny. We can hear all kinds of loveliness, a sound that might prick up the ear of Thom Yorke and imagery that harks back to the 'gothic midlands' of Ireland where she grew up. We want her over here in the UK - watch this space! - http://www.theotherwomanmusic.co.uk/
Raw. Unfinished. Innocent. All these words spring to mind whilst listening to Marianne Lee. Irish born Marianne has a haunting quality to her voice, prevalent in so many accomplished Irish vocalists. With influences and musings of Wuthering Heights and overused Sandy Denny cassette tapes, she is definitely part of a particular generation. A generation I, and so many other people can relate to.
There are many influences in the musical treats of Marianne Lee. She’s something of a melting pot. Listen to a track. Close your eyes. Are you there yet? Yep, that’s her, playing the piano. Her music has a hypnotic, repetitive quality, in both musical and lyrical phrasing. It’s striped. A striped back Blue Roses. If her sound were punched up a little, her Bansheesque voice (with vibratone), would sound more complete. This folky singer-songwriter is wonderfully lo-fi and ambient, but she would sound fantastic with some strings. At points I caught myself waiting for them to kick in. Her songs deserves something grand.
The benefits of her creative writing postgrad and classical piano training are the perfect combination; all that’s left to prove is a voice that can convey raw emotion and feeling. She’s not quite there yet, but keep an ear out: she’s on the edge of something great.
You can currently see Marianne in action at intimate nights around Dublin.
- www.thegirlsare.com
Discography
'Wilderness Years' and 'Working at my Pleasure' played on Tom Robinson's BBC 6 radio show.
Photos
Bio
Grew up in the gothic midlands of Ireland, now based in Dublin. Bought a beat-up piano while working as designer and immediately started writing songs. Studied for a creative writing masters in Trinity College in a vain attempt to write a novel - everything was just distilled into more songs. Marianne's artistic and literary training emerge in dense, image-heavy lyrics which are often about the tension between modern life and the natural world.
In 2010 'Introduced' on Tom Robinson's BBC 6 Radio show.
Played Sligo Live and Ladyfestten, The Relentless Garage London in 2010.
Influences: Satie, Michael Nyman, Joni Mitchell, Sandy Denny, Stina Nordenstam... folk, pop, traditional Irish music and classical and where they bump heads. Film soundtracks.
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