Bedroom Pop for the Wallflowers – Meet Marineris
There’s something about bedroom pop that’s difficult to describe. Sitting in on your bed, feeling emotional and wailing along to the lyrics of Clairo’s “Bags”. Bedroom pop is more than a phenomenon now – it’s a footstep into the music world from the comfort of your home (perfect for all of the introverts out there). All you need is a laptop and an instrument to express whatever you want to in a three-minute package.
“Another Song About You”, the first single from emerging artist Marineris, describes itself as the “bedroom pop anthem for all the world’s wallflowers” – and it definitely lives up to that name. It’s a catchy double-dose of pure bedroom pop with a hint of classic synth and classic indie pop.
Alex, the 23-year-old musician behind the name Marineris, had a chat with me and delved into his musical influences, the uniquely brilliant concept behind his first ever music video and his upcoming album to be released in 2021.
What or who inspired you to start writing your album? Do you have any specific influences?
I started recording the bits and pieces of my music when I was 13. It seems that this album started back then, and during the next 10 years, I have been slowly rising to its realization. “My Band Could Be Your Home” was the first song for this album that I have quite accidentally written last September, creating an emotional and conceptual direction to all the songs I’ve created after and making such a project possible to undertake. At this very moment, I realized that I’m able and ready to make something solid and unified, which would become my first album. Overall, my music’s emotional message was heavily influenced by Oasis, while its production is mostly inspired by The 1975. I’m listening to huge amounts of different music that inevitably shapes the way I create my own.
You describe your music as bedroom pop, what drew you to start [creating music] in this genre?
I guess bedroom pop describes a whole generation of musicians who became possible precisely because we reached the technological level that we have now. At this point, you don’t need a huge studio and a bunch of money; you can simply have your laptop and its mic to create something special of your own. The “bedroom pop” label becomes inevitable (but also truthful) for the music made in this way. Every song in my album was invented and produced within the 18 m² of my room, where I had my computer, my midi-keyboard, my electric and acoustic guitar and a cheap mic. I have always loved such music - and my music is an extension of what I grew up with.
Has growing up/living in Ukraine influenced your music style? What is the music scene like in Kyiv?
Inevitably, the cultural decorations you grow up in leave an imprint on your perception; however, in the age of the internet, all of the emotions, thoughts and things we deal and identify ourselves with are quite similar for a teenager from Kyiv, London or Boston etc. I don’t want to affiliate myself with a specific culture as I don’t follow any particular cultural codes in my music - it simply sounds like one person is engaged with a variety. The most important thing in music - and my album in particular - is that its genre simply gives the shape for the initial emotion. For example, if you feel that you want to express energy or aggression in this song, you would go in the direction of punk, but will still make it your own way. As to Kyiv, for the last five years it has seen a huge rise in its night scene, having a colossal amount of techno parties and raves. Kyiv surely has a commercial side with mainstream pop music; however, the indie genre is still trying to find its listeners.
Could you explain the concept for your first music video?
My character Alex lives in a world where all of the people around are flowers, whom we interact with in the same way we do with each other - watching movies, playing games, dining out etc. “Another Song About You” presents Ariana, Taylor, Miley and Paul (yes, their names are not accidental!) as 4 different flower characters. Each of them is special in their relationship with Alex and aesthetics, as you might notice in their “star” opening animations, which give a better insight into every character. The video’s visual style is making a tribute to such coming-of-age stories as The Perks of Being a Wallflower and The End of the F***ing World. At the same time, the song’s lyrics speak to the self-doubt when building relationships not only with your partners but also with yourself in this constantly changing world.
How would you describe your album?
“Another Song About You” is the first single of my album My Band Could Be Your Home, coming out next year. Or, to say more precisely, a playlist, where the mood slightly changes from one song to another, with each of them having its own aesthetic, sound and theme. It doesn’t go along one line: instead, four narrative lines develop parallel to each other, like in a movie. Why such a name? Home has become the most secure place in our lives, where you can be yourself, being absolutely free from the expectations and projections of other people. It becomes especially important in the world where we are pressured by an infinite amount of standards and images of “how we should look” or “what we should buy.” One has to be a strong person to say “no” to what one doesn’t really need, so I hope that with my music, people will understand that they are not alone in this feeling of being completely lost. I want it to give a sense of confidence and hope for the better.
As a new artist, have you found making music to be difficult? What were the challenges?
The most important thing for a new artist is to make it possible for your music to be heard. Otherwise, it feels like I’ve been making music since forever and will keep doing it without paying attention to any obstacles on my way. Sometimes it might be hard to get back to that laptop or to finish that song - it always seems like it’s not ready; like I have to keep changing the small parts of it till it’s perfect…
Fun question! If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be?
I would really like to work with Mura Masa and No Rome, they are both so exceptionally talented, with their special approach and taste in music. Charlie XCX, while being different from the previous two, would also be very interesting to work with because of her style - she represents kind of a hyper pop that feels so futuristic and dancelike at the same time.
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Check out the official music video for “Another Song About You” or stream it on the streaming service of your choice. Keep up with Marineris on Instagram @marineris.
Images courtesy of Marineris