Marina Diamandis is no stranger to making her voice heard. Though the Welsh pop artist’s melodic songs are filled with ethereal vocals, they also possess powerful sociopolitical lyrics that are just begging to be put on impactful protest signs. Take this line from her new single “Man’s World,” for instance: “Burnt me at the stake, you thought I was a witch / Centuries ago, now you just call me a bitch.” Now, she’s using her influential voice in a new way: to advocate for change behind the scenes in the music industry.
In anticipation of her fifth studio album, which is due later this year, Diamandis put out a call on Twitter for female collaborators. As a result, the first single off her forthcoming album, “Man’s World,” boasts a list of all-female credits. Written by Diamandis, produced by Jennifer Decilveo, and engineered by Emily Lazar, the lyrics “I don’t wanna live in a man’s world anymore” take on a whole new meaning when you consider that women currently make up only 2% of producers and 3% of engineers across popular music.
Ahead, we chat with Diamandis about how she’s making a difference and pushing the music industry forward, what keeps her inspired and motivated on even her most challenging days, and why failure has its upsides.
Ahead of the release of your album “Love + Fear” in 2019, you dropped the stage name that you'd carried for your first three LPs, Marina and the Diamonds, simply going by Marina. What inspired this move and why was it a major step in your career as an artist?
Up until that point, my entire adult identity had been tied to my output and image as an artist and it started to feel suffocating. I decided that anything that enabled me to feel more free and authentic was a move worth making, even if it carried some risk. I didn’t really have any choice in it though as my gut had already decided it for me, and when that happens, there is no going back on my decision. It’s like a shift has happened in my brain and I cannot argue with or convince myself otherwise. I have always remained very faithful to my internal compass. It means you live life on the edge a little as you’re making a lot of leaps of faith based on what feels right.
Last summer, you put out a call on your social media for new female collaborators in anticipation of your fifth studio album, which is due later this year. In working on this project, how have you remained true and authentic to who you are and what advice can you share for women who are struggling with that?
Oh, well, I’ve kind of unwittingly just answered this! I don’t really see it as a “how,” but I think that’s because my sense of direction is intertwined with sensing and feeling this internal knowing, so it doesn’t feel like a “thinking” part of me but more a “feeling” part. I think of our wisdom as a part of us, but not necessarily belonging to us.
In terms of advice, I would give to other women, I’d say that the things that scare us are usually the things that we need to do, and our inner knowing is gently nudging us to do. I’d also say that the pressure to conform is an omnipresent factor of life as a modern woman (or man) and that your you-ness, your uniqueness, is something to safeguard.
The qualities that we’ve all tried hard to suppress to fit in and be accepted are usually our most valuable qualities. I’ve learned this lesson time and time again in music.
Women currently make up only 2% of producers and 3% of engineers across popular music. How are you making a difference and pushing your industry forward?
By actively seeking out women to work with. It’s not about only wanting to work with women. It’s about having the option to. We all function better when there is equal representation in a working environment, which is something that both men and women I have employed to work with me on tour can attest to. I think when you are at the forefront of a sea change (e.g. you want to be a female engineer but there aren’t many women who have achieved success in the field) all you’re looking for are living, breathing examples out there that show you that it’s possible. As artists, we need to use our platforms to create change by showing prospective female producers and other women looking to break into the industry that these places exist for them and that they are waiting to be filled by them.
2020 presented everybody around the globe with new, unprecedented challenges. How did you #FindNewRoads + switch gears towards your new version of success?
The subject of success hasn’t really featured in my brain—not in terms of work anyway. I have thought a lot about lifestyle, though, and what quality time means to me. I have had some major life changes, moved continents in the middle of a pandemic, and if anything, this has made me confront where I’m personally at as a 35-year-old woman. I made some brave decisions for myself and acted in my best interests, so that feels like a new version of success for me.
You seem so confident and self-assured, both on the stage and in your online presence. Does confidence come naturally to you or did you have to learn it? What advice can you share for women on cultivating confidence and going after their dreams?
I built confidence slowly. My baseline personality (i.e. what’s left when you take away conditioning, life experience, etc!) is very buoyant and enthusiastic. But, like everyone else on the planet, I’ve had my fair share of pain, and those cracks in my confidence took most of my adult life to date to smooth out. I am a pretty measured, even-keeled person, though, and am protective of myself when faced with the usual trappings of the industry I am in. My only advice is to get to know yourself through any means necessary—books, spirituality, therapy—whatever appeals to you. Processing the past is a must if you want to be able to move past it and become the best version of the person you came here to be.
It’s easy to celebrate the wins, but how do you handle failure or when something hasn’t worked out for you?
That’s hard. I have not mastered this by any means. I think accepting the disappointment you feel is key to being able to move through it, though. Plus, failure has its upsides—let’s not devalue failure, people! Good things come out of it. You deepen your roots, become more resilient, peel back layers, and, as a result, you bloom brighter in the long run. I also think, particularly as a pop artist, there is something to be said for being taught humility through failure. No, we don’t always get it right. Even if we think we did at the time. Sometimes (okay, a lot of the time, in my case) people aren’t going to immediately resonate with your work. And that’s okay. We aren’t here to pretend that we’re perfect little Gods! We’re just humans sharing thoughts and ideas and experiences.
What is the biggest challenge to achieving success in life?
Battling the pressure to conform to whatever is popular at that moment. You have to become good at spotting those moments when you are being asked to compromise a part of yourself and swerving them.
When you separate yourself from your job title and the bells and whistles of your business or career, who are you and what do you like to do?
I love nature. I love the rare moments of getting into deep conversations with people who are on your wavelength. Going to the flower market. Finding the best croissants in Los Angeles. Doing big hikes. Interior designing my home.
With success comes opportunity, but that also means you have your hands full. What keeps you inspired and motivated to keep going even on your most challenging days?
Songwriting fosters a connection to my spirituality and the idea that my songs have value to others keeps me going.
Fill in the blanks:
My perfect day begins with…
A walk in the woods.
When I feel fear, I…
Tell myself this is a natural response and that it’s okay.
To be successful, you need to be…
True and kind.
If there were more hours in the day, I would…
Relax more often.
The change I’d like to see in my industry is…
Normalizing sexuality in women. And therefore ending the punishment and judgment of women who present themselves in a sexual way.
