Introducing: Marmalade
Some good things take time. In fact, it took indie-pop sweethearts Marmalade a while to settle on “Bright”, their sparkly debut single which was released at the start of this month. The ambitious Tāmaki Makaurau based band have their eyes locked firmly on the future. Jemilah and Koen sat with me to talk through how they got here and what’s ahead.
“This song was written almost two years ago. It sat as a song we played live for a while and when we decided to release something we picked that as our first single,” says Jemilah
“It feels like it hasn’t been that long since we’ve had it ready, but the recording process took a while,” adds Koen. “We’ve had the drums recorded since last October.”
The tune is sunny and bouncy. It’s a real struggle to avoid low-hanging fruit and not describe the track as “Bright” because it really is. Lyrically, though, it goes deeper than its sparkly surface. The track is a reflection on feelings of insufficiency and how easy it is for impostor syndrome to creep in. It’s an experience that’s easy to relate to. “Bright” is the first taste of Marmalade’s unique style.
“I feel like when you listen to ”Bright” you ask yourself ‘OK, what genre is that?’. It’s hard to slap a label on it. Is it the Marmalade sound? Hopefully the next songs will feel the same” says Jemilah.
“This first song was a bit more soft-rocky. The next one is a bit more punky and there’s some more power-rock and power-pop coming too, but there’s a really strong common thread through it.” says Koen.
If “Bright” is a taste of the Marmalade sound then it’s easy to get excited about what’s ahead. The sweet hooks, lush arrangements, and gently layered vocals are easy to listen to on repeat. It’s a jangly indie-pop tune that offers a neat first peek into the sweet Marmalade world.
“I feel like our sound has changed since we started as we’ve all become more comfortable with each other. Our own personal influences have shifted over time and that influences the music you write. You develop an idea of what the other people in the group are going to vibe with,” says Koen.
Having already gigged extensively throughout Te Ika-a-Māui and been in hot demand as a support act by touring artists (beach bunny, Hot Potato), Marmalade’s groovy brand of indie-pop looks set to expand. There’s talk of more music on the way, as well as potential gigs further afield than they’ve previously been. It’s an exciting phase for the fresh band from Tāmaki Makaurau. If smooth, groovy indie earworms are your thing then now’s the time to jump aboard, because Marmalade look ready to deliver.
Thanks for Marmalade for chatting with us!
You can find them on Instagram HERE
or check out Bright on spotify HERE
