A Chat with Marmalade (12.11.24)
Drifting somewhere between pop, indie-pop and several flavours of rock, New Zealand duo Marmalade concoct a unique brand of music that is entirely Marmalade and no one else. We speak with the pair about their debut EP Sober, inspiration, storytelling and much more.
OSR: I loved the voyeuristic approach you took when writing ‘Caffeine High’, did you have a clear idea which stories to include in the track or did it all come together whilst writing?
Jemilah: The different stories definitely came together whilst writing. The second verse lyrics are probably the most true-to-reality of the song, as many times as a barista I was told the age of peoples babies in months or days and also asked what I planned to pursue as a “real” job or “after” my work in hospo. The lyrical approach for me is most commonly quite chronological in the sense that I often start with the first line of the first verse and follow the story as it unfolds.
OSR: Has storytelling always been a big part of your creative process?
Jemilah: : Massively. I think it’s really the element of our music that is more folk than pop-rock. I’ve always been really drawn to painting pictures with lyrics and using metaphors and things to describe a scene and a strong mood or feeling. I love being sucked into a song and kind of pulled into the characters journey as you would in a movie or TV show where every little detail adds to the larger picture and so I think this is something I do both consciously and subconsciously when writing. In a co-writing environment I’m often asking Koen “ahhh but does it serve the story?” which I’m sure can be kind of annoying but it’s really important to me that every word or line caters to the overall mood and intention that we’re trying to paint.
OSR: Do you enjoy leaning into your own experiences, when songwriting?
Jemilah: Often I’m inspired by a personal experience and then build on that to create a bigger concept for a song but only rarely is a song entirely about my own experience. All songs on the EP except maybe ‘Cigarette Habit’ have strong personal elements for me but in more of a “based on a true story” kind of manner than being extremely literal. ‘Cigarette Habit’ was more written about things I’ve witnessed than my own experiences. ‘Bright’ is probably the closest to home for me in an emotional way, and of course ‘Caffeine High’ in a more literal sense.
OSR: What inspired you to take a more funky approach with ‘Caffeine High’ in comparison to the rest of Sober?
Koen: I mean, I’ve always liked funk, scratch that, LOVED funk. I grew up on the greats, Earth, Wind, and Fire, James Brown, and Prince, thanks to my dad, and I then discovered Scary Pockets, Vulfpeck, and all the Vulfpeck offspring like Cory Wong and Theo Katzman. There’s something irresistible about funk and I think it pairs nicely with the idea of a caffeine addiction. I must also say that this is a ‘typical’ thing for a debut EP to do; you’re essentially getting a taste of everything that we’re in to, jam-packed into only 5 songs.
OSR: How does it feel to have your first release under your belt?
Jemilah: Relieving and exciting. We’re so stoked to have a body of work out in the world and it’s been in the works for a while so in a way it also feels like finally letting go of something we’ve been sitting on for ages.
OSR: Koen, do you think by producing, you were able to really put your stamp on it?
Koen: Absolutely. My writing style has changed a lot since performing and writing with my previous band Odds & Ends which I would accredit to the music I’ve been listening to but mostly to writing together with Jemilah and Liam. In terms of production, this EP has been such a playground for me personally to try new things and explore more outside-of-the-box thinking. Particularly in the world of synths, which you can kind of tell; as you get further and further along in the EP you’ll hear more and more synths, even though they’re all quite subtle layers. Of course we can’t talk about putting my stamp on it without mentioning the Aotearoa-heavy birdsong in the intro of ‘Cigarette Habit’ which was a last minute addition. I couldn’t find any good Tūi sounds (my favourite New Zealand bird) so I ended up imitating one in the studio, soaking it in some reverb, and now I think it sounds rather convincing.
OSR: Is keeping creative control close important for you?
Jemilah: In some ways yeah, when you’re working on something that’s not only taken an immense amount of effort but is also quite close to your heart and soul, sometimes it can feel like you really want to have a finger on where it’s going. Part of writing and working collaboratively is letting go of some of that which is good practice but at the same time, Marmalade is our lil baby so we do want to make sure it rolls out how we want it to.
Jemilah: This could be a very long list but in relation to Marmalade I’ve recently been loving Fizz, The Rions and local legends and music friends Park Rd and There’s a Tuesday. Always close to my heart are Holly Humberstone and The Beths when it comes to writing.
I also want to mention Lawrence, they’re a duo on the front with an epic band behind them and the way they function as a band is really inspiring to me and how I envision Marmalade in the future.
OSR: You’ve had some big firsts over the last 2 years, including your first headline tour, has playing live played a role in the development of your sound?
Marmalade: It’s helped us solidify what’s important to have the arrangement of a song and how that can either translate or differ from the recording.
OSR: Finally, what’s next for you after such an exciting year? Sober is a great record and I’ve loved listening to it. Do you have any plans to get back in the studio soon or a tour on the horizon?
Marmalade: This is really just the beginning! Thank you so much for loving Sober. We will be back in the studio this summer working on the next few singles which will come out next year! Both of us are really looking forward to diving into the creative process again and saying ta-ta to the admin for a little bit. Lots to come which we can’t wait for!
Many thanks to Jemilah and Koen for speaking with us. Find out more about Marmalade on their Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
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