Q&A: Faith Marie is Learning to Overcome Her Demons in New Single “More Than I Am”
LETTING GO OF THE PAST CAN BE TRICKY — Deep feelings suddenly become a labor to unveil. For singer-songwriter Faith Marie, that process became unavoidable when penning her latest single, “More Than I Am.”
The vulnerable track shines a light on those inner demons, a compelling composition of touching piano keys and sturdy synth drums. The production echoes her conflict between the dark and light sides of her mind, as lyrical candor illustrates whether she has become too close to her monsters, or if she prevails.
Marie found the song to be a significant one, as she has become greater than her preceding sorrow. Writing “More Than I Am,” as well as previous singles such as “Alleyways” and “Rock Bottom,” she’s discovered that unloading these past traumas can become habitually ingrained in our creative nature. Yet, healing requires a moment of self-reflection.
“More Than I Am" reminds Marie and listeners alike that we are higher than what once brought us down.
Now that Marie has released the final track to her newly released debut EP — More Than I Am — and its corresponding video — directed by Kenneth C Merrill — the singer discusses the song further and why it has become one she will never forget. Read the interview below.
LUNA: You’ve recently released “More Than I Am,” a beautifully written single that tackles handling the pain we can feel, that darkness that can sometimes follow us. Tell us more about the song and what inspired it.
MARIE: The song is an important one — the most important song I’ve written. It follows the story of the previous songs I released on the EP. It touches on the fact that we end up getting attached to our traumas, attached to our demons, and it makes us feel like who we are. It makes it hard to let go and to heal, especially for somebody who might use it to create, like I do.
That song was going through that thought process that I dealt with and coming to the understanding that we are so much more than anything we experience.
LUNA: You’ve also released a music video to accompany the track. How did this visual bring the story to life?
MARIE: It shows that we are all going through something we may not see. As much as we have support systems and people there for us, it does come down to our own experiences and thoughts. We are our own biggest enemy a lot of the time.
LUNA: This song resonated with your listeners. Many mentioned in comments that it supported them and made them feel less alone. How does it feel to know this song is making an impact on others?
MARIE: It’s crazy — I mean, it feels very surreal. But it’s also comforting at the same time; it's comforting to know that other people understand what you’re going through. The feeling is mutual when people reach out to me and describe how they’re comforted by my songs. I also feel comforted by that.
LUNA: I understand that when you began writing music — specifically these new tracks and your EP — the process helped you unpack things like unresolved trauma. What was it like having these realizations unfold as you began working on this project?
MARIE: It’s a blessing and curse to be self-aware. I think we all need to work to be self-aware and experience that and know how things are impacting us and how we’re impacting other people. But it can be difficult to separate yourself from that and not be so blocked in your mind all the time and go through a perpetual cycle.
I think that’s another reason I needed to write “More Than I Am" — [to] express those sentiments in that song. I need to remember that I am more than all of those experiences, all of the trauma and negativity.
I believe it made me stronger. I love all the music I've created, and I’ll continue to create music like that in the future.
LUNA: You’ve now released three tracks over the last few months. What do these singles say about you as an artist?
MARIE: For me, it’s always been more than just music. It’s been a very vital source of expression for me. I think, a lot of times, I can’t even process experiences or emotions until I write about them. These three songs touch on something I was going through at that time (COVID) — it felt like we became trapped in our thoughts. I took the liberty to go through this spiritual transformation. I had accepted that the religion I grew up in didn’t fit me very well. I was digging up all of these spiritual skeletons. I think that heavily affects how you process experiences and process darkness.
These songs reflect the transition into adulthood and being able to process and experience things you couldn't process before. It was a big transition for me.
LUNA: What advice would you give an artist who’s struggling to open up?
MARIE: People, especially creatives, get very locked in their minds. It can create a snowball effect where you feel very isolated, and you can almost forget that other people have experienced the same things you have and could benefit from hearing your story. So I think authenticity is always the way to go.
As long as you stay true to yourself and continue to figure out who you are, then there’s somebody who’s going to resonate with that — it’s just a lot more believable and impactful.
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