You certainly can't accuse 19 year-old Laura Marling of being a slacker. At a time when most people her age are busy trying to decide whether or not to go off to college, obsessing over their blog, twittering endlessly or maybe trying to get a job, Marling has been busy reinventing the tradition of British folk music. The London-based musician's debut album--2008's "Alas, I Cannot Swim"--propelled the singer on a globe-spanning tour and earned a nomination for a prestigious Mercury Prize. It's no surprise, since Marling's songs transcend the standard fey singer-songwriter fare. Populated by pesky ghosts and singing stones, her songs are both haunting and haunted. When a lover's dreams are occupied with visions of an old girlfriend in "Night Terror", Marling sings that "I roll over and shake him tightly, and whisper 'If they want you, then they're gonna have to fight me.'" You kinda can't help but take her seriously.
Hey Laura! Where are you?
I'm in my flat in London eating my dinner.
You're heading back to the states soon, right?
Yes, I will. I have a few shows.
Are you enjoying a little time off right now? I know you've been touring nonstop for a long time.
Yeah, I'm actually writing songs for my next record. I've had a fair amount of time off, actually, so I need to get back and start doing some actual work.
Do you find it difficult to decompress from the madness of the past year and get back into writing music.
Oh yes. Being busy for so long, you really start to crave some time off...and then when you finally have it, it's just....well, now what?
How has your life changed since your album came out?
I basically toured myself stupid around the time the album came out, but otherwise nothing much has changed. I come home and eventually just fall back into the same routine. I have to say, after the events of the past year I do feel a bit more grown up.
How old are you now?
Nineteen. Yeah, so not fully grown up....not just yet.
Compared to a lot of your friends, it must feel like your life is crazy.
It doesn't seem all that crazy as it's happening, but then when you get back home and you stop to think about it....it is all pretty strange.
You've been playing music since you were a little kid, so performing must come naturally to you.
To be honest, being on stage was not always the most comfortable place for me. I think I've gotten better at performing and I think now I try to have a warmer relationship to the audience. You know, if even just one person turns up to see you play, then that's something to be thankful for. If there weren't people to hear your music, then what's the point? I've been thinking about that a lot lately....being thankful.
Your record was one of the big success stories of 2008 and went on to win all sorts of awards and stuff. Do you feel a lot of pressure now with the next record? Do you feel like the songs you are writing now are a lot different?
Not too different, but you know the experiences of the past two years and all the touring, I'm still the same person. Despite the success of the record, I'm not famous and I'm certainly not rich, so my life hasn't changed all much. I think the songs that I write that are good are coming from a place in me that will never change. It's still me.
Touring so much usually also involves doing tons of press. Have you grown tired yet of doing interviews and always answering the same five or six questions over and over again?
Oh, it is really weird, isn't it? I remember being really freaked out about that when the album was just coming out and I was doing so much press all the time. I just kept thinking that it was going to do my head in and I wasn't sure how I was going to be able to relate to anyone in a normal way ever again. I can understand how, if you start to take all of that stuff too seriously, it will just make you so weird as a person.
How do you feel about being photographed? As a solo female artist, so much attention is always going to be focused on the way that you look.
I had to negotiate that very carefully. I'm not into it and it doesn't really make me happy. I had to be very careful to just remain myself. People can only change you if you let them, you know?
Has all the attention surprised you?
Certainly. I never expected it. It's all been wonderful, really.
-T. Cole Rachel
for more on Laura Marling click HERE
Laura Marling on Myspace
Hey Laura! Where are you?
I'm in my flat in London eating my dinner.
You're heading back to the states soon, right?
Yes, I will. I have a few shows.
Are you enjoying a little time off right now? I know you've been touring nonstop for a long time.
Yeah, I'm actually writing songs for my next record. I've had a fair amount of time off, actually, so I need to get back and start doing some actual work.
Do you find it difficult to decompress from the madness of the past year and get back into writing music.
Oh yes. Being busy for so long, you really start to crave some time off...and then when you finally have it, it's just....well, now what?
How has your life changed since your album came out?
I basically toured myself stupid around the time the album came out, but otherwise nothing much has changed. I come home and eventually just fall back into the same routine. I have to say, after the events of the past year I do feel a bit more grown up.
How old are you now?
Nineteen. Yeah, so not fully grown up....not just yet.
Compared to a lot of your friends, it must feel like your life is crazy.
It doesn't seem all that crazy as it's happening, but then when you get back home and you stop to think about it....it is all pretty strange.
You've been playing music since you were a little kid, so performing must come naturally to you.
To be honest, being on stage was not always the most comfortable place for me. I think I've gotten better at performing and I think now I try to have a warmer relationship to the audience. You know, if even just one person turns up to see you play, then that's something to be thankful for. If there weren't people to hear your music, then what's the point? I've been thinking about that a lot lately....being thankful.
Your record was one of the big success stories of 2008 and went on to win all sorts of awards and stuff. Do you feel a lot of pressure now with the next record? Do you feel like the songs you are writing now are a lot different?
Not too different, but you know the experiences of the past two years and all the touring, I'm still the same person. Despite the success of the record, I'm not famous and I'm certainly not rich, so my life hasn't changed all much. I think the songs that I write that are good are coming from a place in me that will never change. It's still me.
Touring so much usually also involves doing tons of press. Have you grown tired yet of doing interviews and always answering the same five or six questions over and over again?
Oh, it is really weird, isn't it? I remember being really freaked out about that when the album was just coming out and I was doing so much press all the time. I just kept thinking that it was going to do my head in and I wasn't sure how I was going to be able to relate to anyone in a normal way ever again. I can understand how, if you start to take all of that stuff too seriously, it will just make you so weird as a person.
How do you feel about being photographed? As a solo female artist, so much attention is always going to be focused on the way that you look.
I had to negotiate that very carefully. I'm not into it and it doesn't really make me happy. I had to be very careful to just remain myself. People can only change you if you let them, you know?
Has all the attention surprised you?
Certainly. I never expected it. It's all been wonderful, really.
-T. Cole Rachel
for more on Laura Marling click HERE
Laura Marling on Myspace
