Maribelle is part performer, part businesswoman and one of Australia’s brightest emerging talents. When she’s not collaborating with Djemba Djemba or touring with Kaytranada, she’s running Defs Not & Crush Club – her own publishing company and record label.
Yes, it sounds like the 21-year-old talent has a lot on her plate – especially after the release of her Overtake EP earlier this year – but she somehow managed to squeeze in a little interview when she made the trip from her hometown of Melbourne. We spoke to Maribelle about the evolution of pop music, FOMO festival and her debut Overtake EP:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ap1R67p-cmM
You’ve just stepped off the Kaytranada tour. How was that, especially seeing as every show was sold out?
It was exciting. Obviously there’s not a lot of people who came to see me, but the vibe there was good because everybody’s hyped, everybody’s drinking and it’s energetic everywhere we go. I think it was a really good lineup, from me to Lou Phelps to Stwo and then Kaytranada, it was a really good vibe.
Did you feel nervous at all being the only vocalist on the line-up for something that’s so beat-based?
Yeah definitely, especially because it is Kaytranada it’s so beat-driven, everything is so heavy. But I feel like my songs are close, I don’t sing ballads and stuff on the tour – I cut out everything that’s slow just so it builds into the show.
You released your ‘Overtake’ EP earlier this year – what has the reaction been to that, seeing that it’s rare for a debut local release to gain so much international traction?
I didn’t expect anything really from it. I write a lot with Djemba Djemba, who is known more internationally and works with a lot of people overseas, so that’s what made it do that – his name being on it and being affiliated with all these people over there. It’s good that it’s happened… The reactions have been a lot more positive than I thought. I just put it out there, let it go into the world and didn’t really push it anywhere. People are coming back really positive and sharing it around, which is really amazing for me.
You’ve previously said that the Australian dance music scene can be a bit cliquey. To what extent do you think that overshadows real talents getting noticed?
It’s hard if you’re not friends with somebody who’s already part of this crew. If you’re not considered cool then people already assume you’re not good for some reason, which is really annoying. It’s just weird, going back to Djemba Djemba – because I’ve written a song with him, people are like “Oh! You must be good!” I’m like, “Do you even care? You haven’t even heard my demos yet, you just know who I’m friends with.” I guess that’s what I mean by cliquey.
As someone who dabbles in both pop and dance, how does it feel seeing crossover collaborations like Snakehips & Zayn Malik go so far on mainstream radio?
Definitely! I love how pop music these days is so driven by cool stuff. Every song nowadays has a vocal drop, whereas before pop music would never had that – it was just so safe. I feel like cool music has really pushed pop music which is really good.
Why do you think it’s become so much more acceptable – especially among the older demographic – to love pop music in a way that’s not novelty or ironic?
I think it’s because of DJs – you have DJ Mustard, DJ Snake, Diplo and Skrillex that made cool people like pop now because they’re working with Justin Bieber – making the cool people who usually stand at the back of the club say “Yes, I will go to Justin Bieber.” I feel like that’s what’s happened.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDKFNjqJICk
Life for any 21-year-old is exciting, but probably more so for you. When you’re on the road or writing, do you ever wonder what’s going on with friends and family back home?
I have the kind of friends who no matter how far I am or if I don’t talk to them for so long, when I see them everything is still the same. So even if I’m gone overseas writing for awhile, nothing’s ever changed. I’m really fortunate in that way.
How do you think that having your own studio has effected your development as an artist?
It’s changed everything. I’ve had my own studio in my house since I was 13, which is really good because I can write music in my pyjamas, which is crucial for me. You gotta be comfortable. It’s helped me so much because of struggling musician wages – obviously I don’t have a lot of money, so working from home helps me, even though it’s a bit loser-ish to be in a studio by yourself all day. I practice a lot, so it helps my craft.
How does it feel being billed on a festival like FOMO with such an emphasis on a mixed bill?
BBE has been so incredible to me, almost every show I’ve done has been with them – That’s why they wanted me for FOMO, they see my show and thought it’d be a good fit. I’m really excited.
How excited are you for Desiigner?
Oh, of course! I only know ‘Panda’ but it’s gonna go off.
Having established international connections so early in your career, are there any plans to move to Los Angeles or anywhere else in the future?
I’d love to move there one day. I just think I want to be able to work it over here a bit since I live here. I’m so young, I’m 21 – I like eating my parents’ food and them paying for necessities for me, so I don’t see any need to move there so urgently, but definitely somewhere down the line.
What’s on the cards for Maribelle for the rest of 2016?
More writing, more collaborations and a lot of music.
