A brief chat with the dreamy artist on touring, bodies of water, and what keeps her grounded in her pursuit
Maria Somerville’s music serves as reportage from a tranquil, shiny, and bewildering underworld. No other title could comprise the innards of her music the way Luster does, as her upcoming LP is deftly named. Setting up the context for our hallucinatory immersion within these realms, her recently dropped singles – titled accordingly Garden, Projections, and Stonefly – beckon to us further, absorbing us right into their nucleus.
We caught Somerville for a chat right before she’ll expand her mythical lands towards horizons previously unexplored. Talking nature, synths, and touring, we peeked at a tiny glimpse into the world of the mysterious artist.
Hi Maria! How are you, what’s been going on lately?
Everything’s going well here — it’s sunny in Ireland, and the spring weather is definitely lifting everyone’s spirits. I’m just getting ready for an upcoming tour across Ireland, the UK, the EU, and the US, which starts tomorrow. The band is sounding really great, and we’re all excited to be on the road.
Sweet! How does a tour normally look for you?
Ritual and repetition! Building a space where something ephemeral can happen between people is nice. But usually we are in a van with friends on the open road.
Apart from the woodlands-inspired aesthetic and sound you possess, there is an ethereal quality to your artistry. Can you tell me where it’s drawn from?
I think it’s just whatever comes naturally in the process — during the writing phase, recording, or even the kinds of sounds I’m drawn to. I don’t really set out to create anything in a specific way; it’s more about following instinct and seeing where that leads me. I wrote most of the album at home in Connemara, there’s a stillness there in the landscape and energy which maybe helped.
I can just imagine!! There’s a lot of synth to your music, creating a tension between this future-oriented digital system and your soft, very elemental energy: what pushed you towards combining these two auras?
It was quite intuitive, and also shaped by the nature of collaborating with others — plus whatever gear I had access to at the time. Over that time period of writing the album I was using different spaces, with synths or outboard gear I didn’t have access to at home. I’m not really interested in binaries like analogue/digital or natural/synthetic. I usually start with the guitar as a basis and follow the ideas from there.
Yeah, I feel like categories like that are a bit redundant. But while on the topic… what’s your favourite natural element?
Water – love being near or in bodies of water. Lakes, sea, rivers, waterfalls
Just reading the words “body of water” makes me very happy. Are there any pieces of media or artists you think influenced your music into what it is today?
Friends and peers – people and experiences in Ireland and beyond have been so formative and vital. Labels like wherethetimegoes and more. Check Róisín Berkeley, Seán Being and more from the label.
What have been the highlights of your musical journey so far?
The moments when something happens by accident—those times when collaborating with others flows effortlessly. Or when writing and in states of pure presence, when everything clicks. And there have definitely been shows where everything felt truly great.
On an ending note, what do you want to tell your audience, in suspense, till the LP is out?
My album Luster comes out April 25th on 4AD . Until then I’m playing shows with some amazing musicians, as the tour starts April 16th. Support acts on the tour come from Olan Monk, Ailbhe Nic Oireachtaigh, Molina, Jordan Playfair, Seán Being, Insides and Dan A. It’s my first time to play in the USA and I’m very excited.
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