Billie Marten’s "Drop Cherries" is Breaking the Ethereal Grunge Narrative

Photo courtesy of Katie Silvester // @ktsilvester

Billie Marten’s new and fourth studio album, Drop Cherries, was released on April 7, and Five Cent Sound had the opportunity to attend an 1824 conference with the artist a few weeks ago. At the conference, Marten delved into trusting one’s instinct and the ability to control one’s creative process without bounds and only getting assistance when it benefits the product. Marten mentioned how her music had been described as “ethereal grunge,” which she thinks is incredible but finds the lightness of the term “ethereal” to almost box her music in as weak, which is what she is trying to move away from as a female musician. Marten explores the feelings that come with loving anyone and anything in Drop Cherries. Although she prefers to be private about her personal life, specifically love, she appreciates the communal aspect of sharing her art with others and allowing it to resonate with listeners. The most gratifying part is that Marten still has control over what her “eyes have seen” and “heart has felt” while putting it out into the world for interpretation. I had the honor and privilege to ask Marten about the voices that guided her when working on her latest release. 

Jules Saggio: What is the best advice you've been given in relation to creating music that has helped you work on your upcoming record?

Billie Marten:  I love this question. I love anything to do with shoehorning other people’s wisdom into my own answers. In making this album, in your notes app, you can pin things to the top. The three things I pinned were: A couple of quotes from Herbie Hancock […] he was just talking about his life and everything he said was great, and he said, “Real artists, they worship the ground that music walks on,” which was great for me to hear because that’s what I do – and then he also said, “Create the direction you want to move in…” which I found very inspiring. The other one is from an Adam Watts book, he’s a great writer, and he said, “Belief clings, but fate lets go,” which I often say to people. I think I’ve probably said that once a week since I’ve read it Take it how you will, but for me, it means we spend so much of our lives wanting to believe and trying to believe and trying to manifest, and we’re always clinging to the idea of success and hope […] but [what] we actually need to be doing is resting ourselves and focusing on the idea of fate and just letting life do its thing. 

Be sure to listen to Drop Cherries which is available now! My favorite track as of right now is “Arrows."