08/05/2013 | Great Escape Festival

Myself and Sam Rawlings had the pleasure to catch  Marika Hackman for a chat before she played her set at The Great Escape Festival. Marika talks Influences, her latest EP and what else is in store for the Brighton beauty.

So, how you enjoying Great Escape so far?

MH: Well i’ve only just arrived so I haven’t really been able to get stuck in but erm, I enjoyed sound checking!

Any line up you’re particularly looking forward to seeing? 

MH: I’ve been so bogged down with the studio doing my album so i’ve kind of been sheltered away from life which is really bad and i’m actually going back to London this evening, so I don’t have time to enjoy the rest of the festival.

How’s work on the debut going so far?

MH: Yeah really good, we had 2 weeks and now we have a break then 3 more weeks, hopefully be done by mid june! We’re powering though – got 6 tracks in a couple weeks. Long days but worth it.

What can we expect from the record?

MH: I guess in a way its using more kind of organic sounds maybe more so tow hat I’ve done previously – theres one grungey – nirvana esque riff in it and more drums, live drums in it and guitars. Yeah its kind of more organic, I guess is the right word.

You put it out your EP death Heat earlier this year, have you been happy with the reception from fans and critics? 

MH: Yeah, its really nice. Everyones always really nice about everything, which is really nice. I’ve said nice about 5 times in 2 seconds but yeah i try not to listen too much about what people say anyway cos either tis gonna effect your ego or its gonna dent it. and i would rather get on with focusing on what I’m doing and as long as i like what I’m doing and I’m  happy and proud of it then thats fine.

On the EP there is a psychedelic sort of aesthetic to it. How do you go about recreating that sound live? 

MH: Well i’ve got 2 lovely band members who sort of very very adept in us using technology which I’m not  – so they make lots of samples and things – its all live but they’re live samples. We capture that from the studio and bring that into the stage but also the songs do sound a little different and more stripped back and organic.

Am i right in saying they weren’t originally always with you – you sang by yourself ?

Yeah, we’ve only done one song together.

What made you go in that direction,  bring more people in?

MH: It’s just for the live shows really, to give it more ‘oomph. Ive been touring by myself for 1 years os it since to ring a kind of different show even thug the songs are chaining its nice to give it a bit of ‘oomph’ and if we’re playing at festivals then its nice to have more going on and different crowd. gets a bit lonely out there as well on your own.

Wondering if we could speak a bit about your influences? Your music has got a really contemporary sound to it but at the same time if someone put it on at a party or at a playlist between nick drake or some acoustic zeppelin number or something it wouldn’t sound out of place. How much do you draw from contemporary influences and how much do you look back?

MH: Older bands are stuff i grew up with when my parents played it, like led Zeppelin, I kind of grew up listening to that so i think that wasn’t a conscious decision to listen to those bands and be inspired by them. Recently bands like warpaint and stuff like that. My brother got me into Nirvana and all these little bits just kind of seep in. I also find it quite hard to pin down my influences and I’m also really bad and listening to new music cos i get asked a lot who do i listen too at the moment and I have to be like ‘Erm I don’t know’ cos i don’t have time – when I’m not in a studio or playing shows then i should be writing, and i cant listen to music when I’m wiring. So its actually really hard to find time and just listen to new music.

As a genre often you are put as ‘Nu folk’ is that fitting?

That was sort of around when i was 16 and I would say thats not really a thing anymore, its kind of changed – all artists that were in that genre have changed and i certainly wouldn’t put my sound into that even though i listened to it at the time. It’s a lazy thing to say. I am folky and theres a real folk in the heart of my music but you can’t go calling it ‘Nu folk’ cos i mean its no point calling it anything – it is what it is!

You’re playing Glastonbury, excited?

MH: I’m so excited.  – Its my first time playing there, its my first time going to Glastonbury! first time going to a big festival actually i’ve never been to a big festival

and you’re playing!

MH: I’m staying the whole weekend as its my drummers 21st birthday, i can’t wait!

What stage are you on? For people who want to come see you!

MH: Avalon stage. Saturday – lunchtime.

What else in store?

Latitude, Reading and Leeds. Apart from that its sorting out the album and releasing the album hopefully end of August. Thats the main focus.

Check out Marika on tour this autumn and her EP Deaf Heat is out now.