Q&A: MARINA Spills the Tea About Past Workplace Romance in Latest Track “Vindictive Bitch”
BORN DURING THE PANDEMIC — MARINA found her voice during the shattering silence of lockdown. Citing Kim Petras, Katy Perry, and Kelly Clarkson as some of her influences, her music has that groove that comes naturally to just a handful of artists.
With the release of explicit track “Vindictive Bitch,” MARINA doesn’t hold anything back, especially when it comes to spilling the tea. Inspired by a lover she used to work with, the song captures the artist’s reaction to finding out that he was a “huge narcissist” after being “love-bombed” by him for months.
So where are all my vindictive bitches at? This song is for you! Read the interview below to learn more about the track and how it was born.
LUNA: Who is this “vindictive bitch” you’re talking about? Who really is MARINA?
MARINA: Oh goodness, that's a hard question to answer. I'd say I'm an artist [who] strives to create songs from a real place. I've been singing and writing music since I was in high school, but it's only in recent years that I feel like I've developed into a pop singer-songwriter. I started to take my music and songwriting more seriously at the end of 2020. I think the pandemic brought a lot of artists back to their calling and what they truly love.
LUNA: How has your music changed within the past few years?
MARINA: I'd say it's become more and more honest, and more true to the style of music I want to write (pop and adult contemporary). Each song I write is about a personal experience that I've gone through.
LUNA: Who inspires your music? Who are your biggest influences?
MARINA: I have so many inspirations! Most recently, I'd say Emlyn, Fletcher, and Kim Petras. Katy Perry and Kelly Clarkson were huge influences when I was younger. They're still two of my favorite singers of all time.
LUNA: Could you introduce your favorite singles you've released so far?
MARINA: Absolutely. "Vindictive Bitch" (my latest) is probably my favorite. It's the first angry pop song I've ever written. I really enjoyed writing it — it felt empowering. Second would be "Sunsets and Rieslings." I wrote it in 2020, and it was the first song I had written in years. I absolutely loved how the production turned out. The producers I worked with did an amazing job capturing my vision.
LUNA: How did you conciliate old and new influences? Will you experiment with more unique combinations in the future?
MARINA: Honestly, I've always just loved pop music, so that's what I choose to write and sing. I've tried to emulate some of the pop singers I love, and I think it's come through. Each song I write has a slightly different style, but they're all pop in some way. I think that'll continue in the future even if I experiment with other genres, you know? If I write a dance song, it'll be a dance-pop song, if I decide to go punk, it'll be pop-punk.
LUNA: What inspired "Vindictive Bitch,” and how did it come to life?
MARINA: It was inspired by someone I was romantically involved with years ago. He was a huge narcissist. We'd worked together for years, and I truly believed he was the one. Oh how wrong I was (laughs). When things started with us, it was great! All the charm, promises, love bombing, etc. I couldn't wait to come to work every day. Things quickly took a turn after a few months. He lied and gaslit me left and right. Thankfully I got out of there. And my revenge was reporting him to HR.
LUNA: Who produces your tracks? How do you choose which producers to work with? Do you have some dream producers you'd like to work with?
MARINA: Glenn Sawyer and Rich Veltrop at The Spot Studios in Evergreen, Colorado. I started working with them in 2020. They actually found me, which was fantastic since I was looking for some good local producers to work with. I honestly just listened to some of their work and thought it was great.
Regarding dream producers? That's easy: Dr. Luke and Max Martin. They've created some of the biggest pop hits in the world. That would be a dream.
LUNA: Is music your main occupation at the moment? If not, how are you conciliating your day job with your music career?
MARINA: It is not. I wish it was, though! I'm actually a pharmacist. I try to just carve out time in the evenings and on weekends to make time for my music. I basically just time-block.
LUNA: Have you ever been on tour? If not, would you like to embark on one? Tell us about it.
MARINA: I have not. I would love to someday! At least a local tour around Colorado or something (I live in Denver). But who knows, we'll see. I'd have to take at least a couple of weeks off work and find some session players who were willing to tour with me. Maybe I'll start thinking about it.
LUNA: Who's your dream feature?
MARINA: Dream feature? As in a dream artist that I'd like featured on my songs? Hmm… I'd love to sing a song with Maroon 5. That'd be amazing. I always loved singing Christina's part in "Moves Like Jagger.”
LUNA: Where do you see yourself in one year as a musician?
MARINA: Continuing to create music, expanding my catalogue, and hopefully getting sync placements for my songs.
