Chin up, look down, now smize™ for Tyra!
She’s an American song-writer and musician who released her debut record In Advance Of A Broken Arm in 2007. A year later she was voted one of Venus magazine’s Greatest Female Guitarists Of All Time and her second album This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That (phew!) gained her a nomination for Female Artist and Punk Album Of The Year at the Plug Music Awards. Not bad, eh?
SUPERSWEET caught up with the critically acclaimed Marnie Stern to find out, among other things, what else a Greatest Female Guitarist Of All Time wants to fit in before the world ends, how much she loves her dog and just how good the pizza is in Frankfurt, in case we feel like ordering one next time we’re there. Useful info, right? Read on...
SS: You’ve come a long way in a relatively short time. What have you discovered about yourself as a musician along the way?
Marnie: That creating space is usually the most important element to making a song have
good dynamics.
SS: Did you set some goals of what you wanted to achieve when you started the band and have you now accomplished them? Do you find your objectives change as you go?
Marnie: Yeah. I've pretty much achieved all my goals and lately I've realized that I need to set some new ones!
SS: We love the lyrics to 'Building A Body', can you talk us through the song? Is it as straight-forward as it sounds or is there a deeper meaning?
Marnie: I was actually trying to ‘build a body' through sound. The idea was to start with arms, eyes etc. and add layers so by the end of the song there would be a full body moving through the song. Don't think I quite got there, but that was the idea!
SS: Apparently you learned to play guitar and studied Journalism because your mom suggested it. Do you have songs written about her?
Marnie: We're super close! I spend a few months out of the year with her in Florida where she lives. I haven't written any songs for her, but she is very supportive of me, and I'm really appreciative of that.
SS: Is there anything else people have suggested you do that you feel was good advice?
Marnie: I once got some great advice to go at my own pace and not to worry about what everyone else is doing. It's helped me to have patience in tough times.
SS: Okay, glad we got the heavy stuff out of the way! Now tell us about your dog!
Marnie: I WORSHIP MY DOG! I never wanted to become one of those annoying dog lovers who is so emphatic about animals. But I guess it's happened and there's nothing I can do! I show everyone the picture of my Morkie Fig! She is half Yorkie and half Maltese.
SS: Awww. On YouTube, there are loads of hilarious behind-the-scenes clips of you and your band. They would make an amazing collection, are you planning to do something with them?
Marnie: Nah, we just put them on our tour blog for laughs!
SS: We loved the Kissing Booth that you've done in the past, do you still occasionally do it? What's the alternative now?
Marnie: No that was just a fun thing we did on that one tour. The alternative now would be the imaginary - doing the kissing booth every day with the same person!
SS: Since you’re a trained journalist, please review something for us in 150 words...
Marnie: I just had pizza from Frankfurt, Germany. It was squishy and aquatic, yet not soggy. There wasn't much tomato sauce. The vegetables were crunchy. They used fresh mushrooms instead of canned mushrooms, which was good. Normally they use canned vegetables. The pizza was a bit undercooked. On the meat pizza, they had a very strange variety of German meats. Salami, thinly sliced prosciutto, and ham. We think this is a takeout/delivery Asian restaurant, that has diversified their offerings to include pizza and pasta and we think they bought their Chicken McNuggets from McDonald's.
SS: 2012 is fast approaching. If the world were to end, what would your one and only unfinished business be?
Marnie: Can't really think of any! I suppose spend time with family and friends.
Words: Choltida Pekanan and Isaac Howlett
Photography: Cat Stevens