Weekly Women Wednesday Vol. L - Billie Marten

I’ve spent years reading about the romance of the London rain, but have never found any comfort in how the drops hit the pavement or how the fog rolls in and around your ankles. Billie Marten—born Isabella Sophie Tweddle—is making music for those who have tried to find the warmth in a downpour but end up stuck in that deep grey haze. Her latest record ‘Feeding Seahorses by Hand’ stands as almost a dystopian period piece in my musical archives. On the first few listens you’ll sink into the tender folk rhythms letting the nostalgia of her throaty timbre wash over you, then eventually the paralyzing rhetoric unravels among the burnt umber hues and friendly guitar. Vulnerability is in the very nature of this record, overflowing with personal tales from Marten. Recounting moments of loss and longing, scratching for any sort of satisfaction through bouts of emptiness, and missing the familiarity of your mom's smile. Track 4 ‘Blood is Blue’ has quickly become one of my all time favorite songs, pulling references from Victorian royalty and King’s table feasts. I myself find it too easy to pour all of myself into others, losing my tact and very own identity in order to mimic those around me. This song is about just that, feeling deeply to the point of self destruction, and the fight to find yourself again in that endless pit of empathy for everyone but yourself. Marten sees her music from start to the very end, writing and producing it either solo or with minimal assistance, keeping it close to her heart and always intimate. Use these songs as a way to invite these not to lovely feelings and accept them as your momentary reality, until the sun comes back and melts onto your skin, letting in the light.

Be sure to stream newest album from Billie Marten 'Feeding Seahorses by Hand' here, and keep up with her on Instagram and Twitter.