Exclusive Interview With Mara Liddle

Mara Liddle explores her own passage into adulthood by navigating relationships, letting go of childhood comforts, and developing independence through upbeat pop beats and intimate lyrics.

The upcoming single from Mara Liddle, “Oversharing,” describes her interactions with roommates while living on campus and her attempts to make new friends in her early adulthood. The idea of “oversharing” is one that is frequently used and brings up issues with boundaries and self-consciousness. Check out the exclusive interview below:

1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?

MARA LIDDLE: I’m from a small city in England called Stoke on Trent. There’s a lovely local music scene here so I’ve grown up going to gigs and music is always something I’ve been interested in. It wasn’t until lockdown that I started making my own music. I had so much time on my hands and needed a creative outlet of some sorts so I started writing. I never thought I’d actually release anything though!

2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?

MARA LIDDLE: I used to play the cornet at school. I was in the school orchestra, and a couple of brass bands, so I know how to read sheet music and such, but I feel like songwriting isn’t something that you can just learn. For me I think it’s taken a lot of practice and I know there’s still loads of room for improvement.

3. Creative work in a studio or home environment, or interaction with a live audience? Which of these two options excites you most, and why?

MARA LIDDLE: I really really love performing. I do love the process of writing songs too, but there’s something so enjoyable about performing onstage. I’m working on making my live show even better too – getting some choreography and other exciting stuff in there !

4. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?

MARA LIDDLE: I try to make my music sound fun. I want people to be able to dance to it, and I want people to find that it’s stuck in their heads. At the same time, I feel like my songs are quite honest. I like writing about my own feelings and experiences, and things that people can hopefully find themselves relating to.

5. What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?

MARA LIDDLE:

in life I’d say the most difficult thing has been letting go of my childhood, but that’s a bit heavy. In music I’d say breaking out of the local scene has been difficult. It’s a really lovely and supportive community, but I’d love to be able to play in new places and share my music with new people.

6. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as INDIE?

MARA LIDDLE: As previously mentioned, I started my artist journey during lockdown. At first, I was learning guitar because I wanted to be able to play Suzanne by Leonard Cohen, but once I had a few basic chords down I found myself becoming more and more inspired to write my own music. I wrote and recorded a few songs on guitar, but I love pop music and knew that’s what I wanted to make, so I started turning my acoustic songs into pop demos and that led me to where I am now.

7. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?

MARA LIDDLE: I’ve been working with producer JB Thomas to create my upcoming EP. We’ve done a couple of different approaches. My first single, facebook official, was a song that I’d written and recorder a demo of in my bedroom, and we remade it from scratch and made it sound more professional and exciting. The other songs were written more or less together, with JB creating the tracks and me creating the song side by side.

8. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative, and entertainment?

MARA LIDDLE: I think a lot of good music has come from political influences, and I have a soft spot for punk music especially. I do think it’s a good vehicle for these messages and a beautiful way to unite people of the same ideologies. For me personally, I find my music being more about my experiences, but it would definitely be something I’d be open to exploring.

9. Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it or are you expecting something more, or different in the future?

MARA LIDDLE: at the moment I’m in a place where I can afford to give my time to being creative and doing the things that I enjoy. I make music because I love doing it, and I love performing, but I’m very aware that it’s a difficult industry to worm your way into. I would love to be able to make a career in music, because that’s what makes me happy, but for now I’m happy to just see where it takes me!

10. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?

MARA LIDDLE: I was really proud of myself for finishing university this year. I had to take a year out because I was poorly and I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to finish, but I did! For music, I think I feel proud of myself every time I perform, it’s just a really rewarding and fun experience!