ALBUM: Denise Marsa Talks Upcoming Album 'PIVOTAL'
We talked to award-winning artist and producer Denise Marsa about her upcoming album, PIVOTAL, out June 14th...
What inspired your single, ‘Kiss Me In The Rain’, and what themes does it explore?
The themes are space, freedom to say what you feel and being loved and giving love back. The idea of immortality, which one can feel when one is in love. I was inspired while walking on the beach, and thinking about how important love is in all our lives. The pandemic was finally letting go of us and it was about feeling renewed and open to love.
Your upcoming album ‘PIVOTAL’ is out on the 14th of June. Can you provide a look into the album, and its significance in your career?
It is the most important project for me. There’s the music portion and the promotion portion, which I have a better handle on now. It is a culmination of my years in the music business and the years as an indie artist and straddling several genres. One of the key and significant differences for me is the fact that I’m able to hire a team to help me promote the album. I also worked with a great production team in Germany, Janosch Roth, Anna Paulin and Viktor Becker at Lautstumm Studios. They brought so much to the project.
As your music has matured over the years, gathering praise and awards with each release, is ‘PIVOTAL’ significantly more personal than previous work?
It’s actually less personal in some ways. Though some of the songs are about personal relationships, I wrote all the songs, while I was not in a committed relationship, and it’s the first time. I realized that fact while answering your questions. 😊 I have had feelings and some interaction with others in that arena, however I have been single and focusing on my work during this time. I have collaborated more as well on the production and though I am always sure of what I want, what works and what moves me, I was very pleasantly surprised with where the team took some of the tracks. I was thrilled. I let go of having all the control. It felt right. Perhaps being solo, unencumbered, totally free to be me, gave me more room to be flexible with my work.
How has your background as your self-taught keyboardist and producer contributed to the new single ‘Kiss Me In The Rain’?
Being self-taught allows me to do what I hear and not what I learned. I have had a few highly schooled musicians, surprised at the chord changes I put together, and surprised how often I change keys in a song. Without being too bound up in the constraints of strict music theory I just hear what I hear and allow myself to experiment and go wherever the song, the idea goes. I think that’s one reason my work is original.
Can you breakdown the songwriting process for ‘Kiss Me In The Rain?’
The idea for the verse popped in my head whilst walking on the beach and I recorded it on my phone. Both the melody and the lyrics came out together. Then when I arrived home from my trip, I went right to the piano and listened to the idea and then started to write. I believe next I came up with the intro part, the synth part at the top. It had an intriguing sound to it, like opening a box or a locked door. Almost mysterious. Then I found a drum loop and started building from there. The sounds help me develop the song. I start the basic production ideas of the songs as I am writing them. The male vocal (Viktor) part I wrote when I heard his first draft of the recording and loved it. As I listened, I heard this part in my head and then recorded it. I sent it back with me singing it and asked him to sing it. The "kiss kiss kiss, me me me rain rain rain" part, I find backup parts, supporting vocals can be a significant part of a recording.
A majority of the album is coloured with an evocative, almost gothic atmosphere. Would you say this is a sonic reflection of its lyrical theme?
Yes, for example kissing’s gothic! There’s an air of mystery and the unknown, that circles around love. Love can haunt you, whether you are still in it or away from it. And the idea of kissing in the rain and being touched is evocative. It is also inviting.
Lastly, what's next on the horizon for Denise Marsa?
We shall see...I am very spontantaneous. Thanks for your support!
Penelope Parker
Penelope Parker
