by Mia Mandala
Music is a universal art form that almost anyone can fall in love with. From little kids singing along to their favorite Disney Movie, to adults bonding over their shared love for The Beatles, music is everywhere and is ever evolving.
We live in a time of fast paced media, where we’re constantly being exposed to new songs and new artists everyday. It can feel easy to get sweeped up in whoever is most popular at the moment, and while there is nothing wrong with listening to big name musicians such as Taylor Swift and Charli XCX, it is important we remember they all started from the same place.
As such, it is crucial we listen to small artists, and find ways to support them so one day they can grow to be big stars like the ones we love now.
Almost a year back I came across Marley Brown on TikTok. She made cute, aesthetic videos, mainly about Taylor Swift, and was a huge fangirl herself. Of course, I gave her a follow.
Fast forward a few months, Marley started posting about her upcoming debut song: ‘Every Rhyme.’ From there, her music only continued to evolve as she released more and more.
With her recent release of album ‘Growing Pains (Deluxe Edition),’ I found myself listening to the track ‘seventeen’ every moment I could. This new found love for her music made me wonder how many other small artists are still out there who waiting to become one of my favorites.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Marley to get a greater insight into her life as a singer songwriter. The hard times, the moments that make it all worthwhile, and the ways listeners can support these small artists.
Mia: What inspired you to make music and are there any specific influences in your work?
Marley: “I have always made music, I just didn’t make it publicly. Like as a kid, I took piano lessons, and started writing songs. You know, I listened to Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift is a big influence, all the people that I listened to growing up, I was like, that's pretty cool, I want to do that.”
Mia: When did you realise you wanted to make music a career and decide to release it to the public?
MARLEY: “I’ve been classically trained since I was a kid, I sang opera up until I was 13. I then stopped vocal lessons, and started playing guitar. I played piano since I was like 10, but stopped piano lessons after a couple years because I just figured out that I wanted to do it myself. I had never really planned to release anything, it was more just, I found my community online, and people wanted it. I got so many messages saying they liked when I sang on lives, and I should release it, I thought I might as well! For me, I just do it for fun, I do it because I love it.”
Mia: When you were starting out, were there any fears you had and how did you overcome them?
Marley: “Oh, definitely. I’m such a people pleaser. I was worried that people wouldn't like it, that people would be mean, and people haven’t liked it sometimes, and people have been mean. But the amount of positive messages I get outweigh the negative. As long as that’s happening, then it’s worth it. Even if I get five hate DM’s, if I get one DM from someone telling me that they love it, and that it makes them happy, then I’ll keep doing it. As long as there’s a few people that like it, then it’s worth it to me.”
Mia: How have you been able to create such a sweet community of fans?
Marley: “Honestly, I have absolutely no clue. I’m just lucky, I’m so lucky. I don’t know how I found people, and how they found me. They have group chats together, like they are the cutest, and the sweetest. I am so lucky to have the people who support me, because it’s really incredible. I have no clue how I built it, but I am grateful for it.”
Mia: Do you think that some of the hate you’ve dealt with comes from being a small artist and being an easier target?
Marley: “I think that you can get hate no matter where you are in life, because people love to hate. I think that there's two ways people find community and that’s bonding over something (love or hate for something.) I try not to think about it because if someone’s taking the time out of their day to send a hate comment, that’s time they took to do that. You don’t see me doing that, I’d much rather talk about something I love, than spreading negativity.”
Mia: What advice would you give to fans looking for ways to support smaller artists?
Marley: “Sharing us with your friends, is a big one. Streaming their music, if they sell physical music or merch, that really helps because streaming services really do not pay anything. It actually costs money to put music out. Depending on how you do it, it costs around $30 - $50 a song. Some programs you pay around $50 a year, but if you stop paying, all your music gets wiped. It’s so difficult to go at it alone, without experience, without a record label telling you what to do. So even just messaging your favorite small artist, any way you can support is great.”
Mia: What have been some of your favorite moments as a small artist?
Marley: “So many. There’s these four girls, who started this group chat: “The Marley fan club,” and it’s grown to about 100 people in it, which is insane. I did a show in Central Park this summer, where about 50 people showed up. It was an insane experience. If I had to pick one thing, it would be the messages, and the ways I have been able to impact people with music that otherwise would have sat in my notes app.”
Mia: What single word would you use to describe your music?
Marley: “Honest, truthful... if I had to just choose one word it would be honest. I think that’s why most songwriters write, most I know write from their own personal experiences. With my music, I write about my deepest darkest fears, and I share them all over.“
To round it off, here are a few small artists Marley and I recommend you listen to:
Chaislyn @chaislynmusic
Daria Blaire @daria.blaire
Talia Sporkin @taliasporkin
Ella Hassey @ellahassey._
Vivienne Artur @vivienneartur
Cassidy Forras @cassidyforras
Edited by Emily Duff