Q&A: Get Ready To "Buckle Up Baby" With Marika Christine
BRINGING THE ’70S INTO THE NEW YEAR — Marika Christine teleports us back to the ’70s with diners, old cars, and colors that haven’t faded in her new music video. Hailing from the Bay Area, Christine is making a tidal wave with her sunny ’70s folk feel. The first single from her debut full-length record, “Buckle Up Baby,” serenades us with phaser piano tones, acoustic guitar, lush harmonies, and dual guitar leads that are reminiscent of artists such as Billy Joel and Carole King.
Christine tells us that the catalyst for the track was trying to find her footing again after a heartbreak. “I wrote the song shortly after moving out of the apartment I shared with my partner and first love,” she says. “The sudden shift of environment was very disorienting. For a while it felt like a part of my spirit was left behind, trying to catch up with my body. The lyrics came easily and helped me through a time of big change.”
The sound was inspired by Steely Dan, The Birds, Eagles, and Christine’s desire to record music with her friends. Rainbow Tunnel Films shot the video on a Super 8, keeping the nostalgic feel of the song.
Read below to find out more about Christine’s involvement in the Bay Area’s music scene, how she brought her vision to life for “Buckle Up Baby,” and her upcoming album, Soft Like An Apricot.
LUNA: Tell me about you — who are you?
CHRISTINE: I grew up in San Francisco doing a lot of musical theater, choir, and classical singing. I ended up at San Francisco State, where I studied radio and audio. I've just been here ever since, playing in a lot of bands and working in a coffee shop. In addition to my own songwriting project I also perform in Secret Secret, Medscool, and Spacemoth.
LUNA: You have an album out called Puzzle World. Tell me about it.
CHRISTINE: My solo project started with Puzzle World in 2021. I started recording during the pandemic, just me and some really close friends. During the days before a vaccine, we would play cards in the park together until late in the night. We got really close and started making music together, and it’s a really fond memory for me. Puzzle World features a revival of the first song I ever wrote called Wanna Know as well as a big rock ballad I wrote about the injustices of having a uterus tilted Moon Song.
LUNA: “Buckle Up Baby” is very ’70s-esque. Are you into the era? Were you listening to a lot of ’70s music?
CHRISTINE: When I was writing the song, I was listening to a lot of ’70s rock. The chorus references a car so I themed the video around a vintage Packard that we rented from a friend. The directors I worked with do everything on Super 8. I really wanted to lean into the old film feel so we were very intentional about the colors, props, and locations to give the video a ’70s feel.
I think people in San Francisco also have a communal sense of nostalgia for the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. We are constantly surrounded by stories of the vibrant music, art and activism scene in the bay area from that era. People say that it’s no longer thriving like it used to, but I disagree.
LUNA: Do you feel like the video captures the lyrics in the way that you wanted?
CHRISTINE: I’m really grateful to have worked with Rainbow Tunnel Films. I had all of these vague ideas and we were able to capture three scenes that they stitched together really well to make it work with the song. The biggest goals for me were to capture this feeling of movement and things changing. I think the video portrays this momentum in a very sweet, nostalgic way.
LUNA: This song is going to be on the new record, Soft Like An Apricot, that you’re putting out in May. Can we expect the same ’70s feel?
CHRISTINE: It’s not all the same feel. I have a hard time writing in one style.
LUNA: What inspired the album?
CHRISTINE: Most of the record comes from processing a breakup and other turbulent experiences. In one of the songs, “Apricot,” I tried to summarize the feeling of being sensitive and fully experiencing every emotion that comes to the surface. The risk is that you might get a little bit bruised but it’s also beautiful to embrace softness. Another lyric describes being sharp like a cactus. I wanted to highlight this balance of being gentle and sharp to explore the dichotomy of vulnerability and defense.
LUNA: Did you produce the record yourself or with the friends that you started your solo project with?
CHRISTINE: I produced two of the songs by myself and with my engineer, Danielle Goldsmith, but mostly had a lot of help from my band. Maria Donjacour played bass and did backup vocals, Adam Wilson was on the piano and synthesizers, and Fabrizio Incerti played drums, percussion, guitar on one song, and contributed backup vocals. I also have my brother Janis Stuurman featured on trumpet in the opening track and Edan Mor on saxophone.
LUNA: Last question: What inspires you?
CHRISTINE: I’m really inspired by living in the Bay Area — there’s so much music around me and I’m at shows every week. Whenever I see a really exciting performance, I go home and I’m like, “I want to write a song now!” A lot of my lyrics include nature metaphors — going on walks is comforting for me, and journaling also helps me write. Musically, I’ve been trying to be playful and make my songs kind of weird. I’m a singer-songwriter, but I have been exploring other musical textures, which I’ve been really excited about. I love how we can create new sonic worlds in the studio.
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