Getting To Know: Mariella

1. Mariella, you left school at seventeen to fully immerse yourself in music. How do you feel that bold decision has shaped your journey and development as an artist today?

It was definitely a bold decision! I think when you’re that age, you have an incredible lack of fear and a lot of naivety! I had barely touched the world of music in the grand scheme of things, and it had been a long-kept secret in my mind that the music industry was something I wanted to explore. I think because of this lack of experience, jumping right into it forced me to immerse myself in this new world and it was so incredibly exciting to me at the time. I spent those years of 17-21 at university, soaking up everything I could from other people and really just developing my music taste, songwriting skills and getting to know myself as an artist. 

So I would say that this experience has kind of taught me to treat myself as the least experienced person in the room at times, and rather than this being a negative - it actually keeps me really open minded to new information & learning, which has helped so much with my journey releasing music & navigating the industry as a fully independent artist - as well as keeping my creativity open and flowing.

2. You've mentioned drawing early inspiration from artists like Lianne La Havas and Lauryn Hill. How do you see their influence reflected in your music, and how has your sound evolved since those early days?

My music really always starts with me and my guitar, humming a melody over some chords and feeling out the beginning of a song. I take quite a traditional approach to songwriting in that sense because my musical background is really a strong blend of Soul & Folk-inspired songwriters from Lianne La Havas & Lauryn Hill to Bonnie Raitt, Rae Morris and Corinne Bailey Rae. So the concept of storytelling through song is always at the heart of everything I make.

Over time and into more recent years, I discovered artists who incorporate electronic elements with Soul & R&B, from songstress' such as Nao, Sabrina Claudio and Sinead Harnett. As my taste widened and I began to work with more producers, I found this hybrid really exciting, and seeing how they still captured the power of emotion in their songs but from a slightly different lens.  As you hear my music today, I would describe it as a blend of soulful songwriting with elements of Electronic / Alt R&B production. 

3. "Go Slow" resonated quickly and deeply with your audience, garnering millions of views on TikTok and significant streams on SoundCloud. Can you share the story or inspiration behind this track and what it means to you personally?

Absolutely, the lead line of the track “I don’t go slow” came from a conversation I was having with a friend. Expressing my frustrations about the pace of a relationship, this friend said to me “perhaps they just take it slow?”. Which left me quite dumbfounded, as I’ve always found myself feeling anxious around the uncertainty of relationships, life and the future, leading me to be quite impulsive and often seek out answers in other people. So during the process of writing “Go Slow”, I was really reflecting on my emotional sensitivity and softness, and ultimately how my anxious nature manifests itself in my mind. It’s been really mind blowing to see how much these lyrics have connected with other people on TikTok, the reception to such a personal song has been amazing and is a nice reminder that these experiences are often universal, even if you don’t think so.

4. Your music blends sensitive storytelling with sultry R&B and alternative production. How do you approach the songwriting and production process to ensure your music remains authentic to your vision while also appealing to a diverse audience?

I guess touching on what I mentioned before, my songs always stem from a more traditional style of songwriting, I’ve always really believed that a good quality song can be stripped back to lyrics & the chords, and still have the same impact. 

So I always start here on guitar (sometimes keys), whether it be just a couple lyrics over chords or a more fully formed song idea, the root of it comes very much from my emotion. When it moves into the next part of the process, which will be writing the rest of the record with a producer and starting to dress it with production in the studio, this is always a very collaborative experience! I love working with other creatives. It sounds very cliche, but when we’re making creative choices around the production, I really go with what makes me feel something, over anything else. And I think that’s what will always keep it diverse, my music is all about emotion and feeling, which is the universal language we all speak.

5. With recent successes, including multiple BBC Radio 1 plays and Spotify editorial support, what goals or aspirations do you have for your music career in the next few years, and how do you plan to achieve them?

A major long-term goal for me has always been to build up a really strong live presence & audience! I’d love to be in a position where I’m touring, playing my favourite shows, on amazing line ups and festivals, and experiencing these amazing in-person connections with my very own community. Human connection is really something i’ve always craved from a young age, and writing songs / showing them to the world is a way that I try to find those comforting moments with other people. To be a touring artist is really the dream. So 2024 is a big year for growing my community, playing live shows and finding new ways to connect with people!