Marina Diamandi was at shrooms a few years ago and wrote what she had thought they were lyrics for new music. A few days later, he looked at everything he had written and realized he wanted to go beyond simple songs.
“I tried it and it felt so weird,” she says Rolling rock. “I suddenly thought, 'I think these are poems, actually.' Once I accepted that, I started writing poetry every day. For a whole summer, it was every morning.”
What emerged from these writing sessions was; Eat the worldMarina's debut book of poetry, which Rolling rock can exclusively announce that it will be released on October 29 via Penguin Random House.
The book combines Diamanti's thoughts with gorgeous artwork as the singer explores her dating experiences, reflects on some dark moments in her life, and takes a compassionate look at her early career and her “Marina and the Diamonds” days.
Diamantis says poetry captures a side of her that is much more vulnerable and less processed. “There are things that I find a bit embarrassing, but it's because I'm exposing a genuine part of me that maybe isn't as bright and shiny as I'd like to portray,” admits Diamantis. “But I think that's a healthy thing. That's what freedom is to me: being able to show up as yourself and be okay with it.”
From her home in Los Angeles, Diamantis talked about quite a bit of her Eat the worldand gave him poems Rolling rock an update on her upcoming music:
You've been talking about the poetry book for two years. In October 2022, you tweeted, “I wrote a book of poetry last year. It's spicy, and brutal, and funny, and sad, and like my lyrics, but much wilder.”
Oh my God. Is it that long ago? It will be just that. Books just take time to write, especially with poetry. There's a parallel with an album in that you condense a chapter of your life, and this was definitely the case. Sometimes, you can't decide when it's done until you instinctively feel like it's over. It's been done for about six months.
How do songwriting and poetry differ for you?
I've discovered this magical new form of expression where I can still narrate like I do with my songs, but I'm able to be much more honest and open to things that just aren't possible with songwriting. I love the fantasy element still with pop and concepts, and sometimes, you have to give up a little bit of the objectivity of a situation for that. So with poetry it is completely different. It's like I can play and edit the past in a completely different form. It's like there are no rules.
What have you learned about yourself through the process?
I really learned about the parts of myself that I wasn't comfortable with at all. I think, in terms of relationships, they are amazing because they are mirrors for us. Even if you're out of a relationship, if something ends, or if you're casually dating, all of these things just show us different parts of ourselves. The book gave me the space to be able to explore something that I wasn't happy with myself in a way that I just don't think I could have with music.
“Sex Robot” was very relatable and touches on your experience of dating in your 30s. How was that?
I can't be completely honest, because we're doing an interview! I think we all struggle with this regardless of age because I think we live in a very confusing time. The way we operate on social media has distorted the way we perceive our lives and the lives of other people. I am very focused on how my life is as opposed to how it looks. I just feel very happy and satisfied with myself now.
A poem, “Proof of Time” seems to be an encapsulation of what you think Los Angeles is: a plastic kingdom, perhaps. What inspired this?
I'm obsessed with LA, but sometimes I can't get over that feeling that nothing is old. It's so strange coming from Europe, especially Greece and Wales, where everything is old. This poem is about longing for something deeper that will give me that sense of belonging. I was trying to combine that feeling of this very modern culture, like the grease guns and the plastic key chains on Hollywood Boulevard with that sense of history coming to the land here: the nature, the canyons, the history of the Tongva tribe that lived here for 7,000 years before they all disappear.
What does the poem “Eat the World” reflect about the rest of the book?
It was one of the first poems I wrote. I wanted to encapsulate that feeling I had in my teens and twenties, which drove a lot of my work at that time. It's like this insatiable need to be loved, basically, and no matter what you achieve, there's nothing that can really fill it permanently. I don't feel like it affects things negatively. I think it was just a reflection of how things were and I wrote it when I got my record deal with Atlantic. It was a real end of an era where I could see what I was like. I don't think I'm really looking for validation in the same way. I think now, it's just like, is it fun? Will it contribute something positive to the world? Otherwise, why do I do it?
It seems you are going through a transitional period in your life.
Anyway. I don't even know what's coming with the music. All I know is that I feel different, and I also don't feel in a mad rush. I feel like this next record is going to be important, and I think the poetry book reflects that as well. I can turn left and do something that was honestly just for the joy of doing it. I'm in a separate part of my memory bank. That's how you feel.
You seem freer. Are you?
Yes. I am. Thanks for the observation.
How is this;
Oh my God. It's amazing. Wait. Let me ask you. Do you feel free?
I do not think. I feel so stuck on this idea of where I want to be. I feel so chained to the idea of what I want in the future that I don't feel free right now.
This is so interesting. You sparked something in my head, because when we go through these emotions, we think we are the only ones who could feel that particular thing. For myself, it just has to do with how I grew up and I feel like I'm really afraid to be who I want to be. I think in recent years I've gotten over it. I would always walk around the world thinking everyone is free except me, which is so ridiculous. I think a lot of us in the creative professions do it because it makes us feel free in a way. It is like a gateway to freedom. Poetry has made me feel free, because it's writing about things that, if I'm quite honest, I'd rather people not know about.
How is your relationship with Electra Heart, Family Jewels have the times changed?
I feel much more compassion for this version of myself. It feels so far away. It's hard to even watch interviews from that time because I'm like, “Who is she?” Whenever I listen to these records, I love them. I love my past and it also always helps to listen to them right before I make a new record. Because I want to know where I came from, and what I would like to bring in, what energy I want to bring in. I think this time, it's an opportunity to do something really different.
You mentioned you're working on new music. What is the update for this?
I have been writing for six months. It's still early days. I haven't started producing anything yet. Part of me is desperate to get things out, but also, part of me just says, “Enjoy this process.” Because that's my favorite thing: making the record and building the world around it. I don't have a timeline yet, but sooner rather than later. I know it's been a while, but things happen to me.
from our partners at https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/marina-announces-eat-the-world-poetry-book-interview-1234997572/
