Photo Credit: Curtis Austin
The struggles of being in a creative field and living in a city, a city in California no less, often come with a myriad of struggles. However, those struggles can often be used as fuel to push us forward. This is something Marika Christine has done with “Music and Heart,” an homage of sorts to San Francisco that can be found on her May 26th release, ‘Soft Like An Apricot.’ We talked about the city she loves, the locally sourced video, and more in this brand-new back-and-forth exchange.
Kendra: Have you always been on the path to being a musician or had you been on another before now?
Marika Christine: I have always been in love with music but have explored many different musical avenues. I did musical theater as a child which led me to classical voice in high school. I went to a public arts high school that introduced me to many different kinds of music. I was eventually inspired by my peers who were writing and performing their own songs. I realized that songwriting and playing in bands were the perfect musical outlet for me.
Kendra: ‘Soft Like an Apricot’ takes listeners through a cascade of soundscapes, but being that you’re from San Francisco, a city that has some great outdoor spaces, I’d love to know what outdoor area of your city you think best fits the feel of your May 2023 release?
Marika Christine: I think ‘Soft Like An Apricot’ pairs well with a walk around Bernal Heights, Ocean Beach, Golden Gate Park, and really anywhere along highway.
Kendra: We have to stick with San Francisco because “Music and Heart” is this beautifully done homage to it. Now, whenever that city is in the news, it’s almost always because of something like how pricey it is or something else negative, but for you – San Fran is just home. So what initially inspired this love letter to The Golden City?
Marika Christine: “Music and Heart” was born out of a complicated relationship with San Francisco. I love the city so much and also have times when I feel deflated by the struggles that artists face to get by in the city. There are many layers of love and frustration that I channeled into the song.
Kendra: As for the video, it reminded me of intros to TV shows from the ‘70s and even more modern shows like ‘The Office.’ How did you go about picking and choosing what and where to showcase in the visual?
Marika Christine: During the pandemic I often went on walks around the neighborhood, bringing my camera along. It felt like treasure hunting, trying to catch a moment of nice light or a particularly interesting-looking house. So when I made the video for “Music and Heart” I took inspiration from my photographic hobbies and tried to document my surroundings organically. I chose not to go to the more touristy areas of the city and instead focused on places that I actually see in my day-to-day life.
Kendra: Time for a side note: This month I’m asking everyone for a song they listen to when they’re feeling a little lost creativity and are in need of some musical inspiration…
Marika Christine: Something that always brings me musical inspiration is the Talking Heads’ live performance of “Stop Making Sense.” If I had to choose just one song it would be “Once in a Lifetime.”
Kendra: Lastly, with ‘Soft Like an Apricot’ out on June 126th, what else can fans be on the lookout for as we roll into summer?
Marika Christine: My album ‘Soft Like and Apricot’ will be out digitally on May 26th with a local release show at Rickshaw Stop on June 1st. I will also be going on a short California tour in June stopping in LA, Sacramento, and Santa Cruz.
