Singer Mara Carlyle
Recorded in her living room, Mara Carlyle’s album “The Lovely” surprised and impressed critics on its release last year. She is now out of her living room and heading to Hong Kong. Arthur Urquiola caught up with her en route.
HK Magazine: After facing challenges such as getting a string-quartet into your living room, where there points during the process of recording when you thought it wasn’t worth it?
Mara Carlyle: Oh my goodness, it was such hard work. There were times when I thought it would never be finished, but I never felt like giving up. I was going to get it finished, even if it took me until I was 80!
HK: What’s wrong with folk? You seem bent on not being classified as a folk artist (at least in the racks at HMV).
MC: I have absolutely nothing against folk music. I love folk music. Some of my best friends are folk musicians. But I’m just not a folk artist. It’s really lazy to classify me like that and my ranting campaign will continue until the day they lift me out of there.
HK: Have there been any other misconceptions about you?
MC: Because I play the saw, some people have presumed that I might be good at DIY, which I’m not.
HK: What inspired you to do a recording? Especially while you were working full-time?
MC: Having a day job makes me much more productive. It forces me to organize my time better. It also gives me some distance and perspective. When you’re totally absorbed in a project, it’s really useful to be able to step away from it.
HK: You’ve cited Dolly Parton as an inspiration. What exactly is it about her that has inspired you?
MC: She’s just an incredible songwriter, with a sweet voice and a beautiful spirit. She comes across as so honest, funny, tough and kind - and she carries herself with such dignity. She’s a huge inspiration to me in every way - musically, professionally, personally. She’s amazing.
HK: What were your formative music years like? I heard you were in a punk band.
MC: My brothers and I formed a punk band when I was about seven. We were called Rock Guys and we wrote these really angry-sounding songs about drugs, alcohol and shoplifting, issues about which we knew nothing.
