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BILLIE MARTEN
Recorded entirely on tape in Somerset and Wales late last summer, Drop Cherries marks the very first time that Billie Marten has both written and co-produced (with Dom Monks) one of her records; following critically-lauded 2021 album Flora Fauna, Feeding Seahorses by Hand (2019) and Writing of Blues and Yellows (2016).
Flora Fauna was lavished with praise by the likes of CLASH (9/10), The Line Of Best Fit, Uncut, NME, Dork, The Independent, Gigwise (all 4* reviews) as well as The Sunday Times Culture and DIY in 2021. The record also landed multiple radio playlists at national broadcasters BBC Radio 1 (twice Hottest Record in the World for ‘Creature Of Mine’ and ‘Human Replacement’), BBC 6 Music (including a string of A List records) and Radio X.
The title is taken from a tale she heard from a friend just before she was starting to create songs for the album, and the title track came soon after. It’s a metaphor where the gift of cherries stands for offering someone your love; doing anything you can to make them happy. “Dropping cherries,” she begins, “is such a strong, visceral image that I tried to channel throughout recording in Somerset and Wales, to capture the vibrancy, unpredictability, and occasional chaos one experiences within a relationship.
Flora Fauna was lavished with praise by the likes of CLASH (9/10), The Line Of Best Fit, Uncut, NME, Dork, The Independent, Gigwise (all 4* reviews) as well as The Sunday Times Culture and DIY in 2021. The record also landed multiple radio playlists at national broadcasters BBC Radio 1 (twice Hottest Record in the World for ‘Creature Of Mine’ and ‘Human Replacement’), BBC 6 Music (including a string of A List records) and Radio X.
The title is taken from a tale she heard from a friend just before she was starting to create songs for the album, and the title track came soon after. It’s a metaphor where the gift of cherries stands for offering someone your love; doing anything you can to make them happy. “Dropping cherries,” she begins, “is such a strong, visceral image that I tried to channel throughout recording in Somerset and Wales, to capture the vibrancy, unpredictability, and occasional chaos one experiences within a relationship.
STAFF COMMENTS
Barry says: Delicate strums of acoustic guitar, soaring orchestration and beautifully subtle percussion provide the ideal backdrop for Marten's stunning vocal delivery, falling somewhere inbetween Laura Marling and the classic folk sounds of Joan Armatrading or John Martyn.TRACK LISTING
1. New Idea
2. God Above
3. Just Us
4. I Can’t Get My Head Around You
5. Willow
6. Acid Tooth
7. Devil Swim
8. I Bend To Him
9. Nothing But Mine
10. Arrows
11. Tongue
12. This Is How We Move
13. Drop Cherries
Flora Fauna is the forthcoming third album from Billie Marten.
Raised in the rolling hills of North Yorkshire on artists such as Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell, Joan Armatrading, and Kate Bush, Marten’s critically acclaimed debut album Writing of Blues and Yellows, was released in 2016 when she was still just 17, while its follow-up Feeding Seahorses By Hand was similarly lauded in 2019 (# 53 in UK album chart).
Flora Fauna, was recorded with Rich Cooper in London. Marten’s new material blends those signature hushed, resonant vocals with a rapid pulse and rich instrumentation, her inspirations now stretching from krautrockers Can, to Broadcast, Arthur Russell, and Fiona Apple.
Built on the minimalist acoustic folk foundations she made a name for herself with, Flora Fauna is a more mature, embodied album fostered around a strong backbone of bass and rhythm. Shedding the timidity of previous work in favour of a more urgent sound, the songs mark a period of personal independence for Marten as she learned to nurture herself and break free from toxic relationships - and a big part of that was returning to nature.
“I wasn’t really treating myself very well, it was a bit of a disruptive time. All these songs are about getting myself out of that hole - they’re quite strong affirmations. The name Flora Fauna is like a green bath for my eyes. If the album was a painting, it would look like flora and fauna - it encompasses every organism, every corner of Earth, and a feeling of total abundance.”
Raised in the rolling hills of North Yorkshire on artists such as Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell, Joan Armatrading, and Kate Bush, Marten’s critically acclaimed debut album Writing of Blues and Yellows, was released in 2016 when she was still just 17, while its follow-up Feeding Seahorses By Hand was similarly lauded in 2019 (# 53 in UK album chart).
Flora Fauna, was recorded with Rich Cooper in London. Marten’s new material blends those signature hushed, resonant vocals with a rapid pulse and rich instrumentation, her inspirations now stretching from krautrockers Can, to Broadcast, Arthur Russell, and Fiona Apple.
Built on the minimalist acoustic folk foundations she made a name for herself with, Flora Fauna is a more mature, embodied album fostered around a strong backbone of bass and rhythm. Shedding the timidity of previous work in favour of a more urgent sound, the songs mark a period of personal independence for Marten as she learned to nurture herself and break free from toxic relationships - and a big part of that was returning to nature.
“I wasn’t really treating myself very well, it was a bit of a disruptive time. All these songs are about getting myself out of that hole - they’re quite strong affirmations. The name Flora Fauna is like a green bath for my eyes. If the album was a painting, it would look like flora and fauna - it encompasses every organism, every corner of Earth, and a feeling of total abundance.”
STAFF COMMENTS
Barry says: An uplifting and verdant mix of acoustic guitar, boisterous percussion and bursts of orchestral heft. Martin's voice soars above it all providing a beautifully grounding counterpoint to the jubilant instrumentation. Wonderfully textured and celebratory songwriting throughout.TRACK LISTING
1. Garden Of Eden
2. Creature Of Mine
3. Human Replacement
4. Liquid Love
5. Heaven
6. Ruin
7. Pigeon
8. Kill The Clown
9. Walnut
10. Aquarium