Marina and the Diamonds

Marina and the Diamonds (sometimes stylized as Marina & the Diamonds ) is the stage name of Welsh singer-songwriter Marina Lambrini Diamandis (born 10 October 1985 in Abergavenny, Wales; Greek Μαρίνα - Λαμπρινή Διαμάντη; pronunciation: [ ðʝamadi ] ). The addition of " The Diamonds " is based on Diamandis ' bourgeois family name and is not for her band. She describes it as follows: "I'm Marina. You are the diamonds. "

It was known in the UK after she won second place in the annual survey BBC Sound of 2010 for Most Promising Newcomer. She signed a contract with 679 Recordings and recorded her debut album The Family Jewels, which was released in spring 2010.

  • 4.1 albums
  • 4.2 EPs
  • 4.3 Singles

Life

Marina Diamandis was born in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales, the daughter of a Greek and a Welsh girl. She attended Haberdashers ' Monmouth School for Girls, where her talent was discovered. Their musical style ranges from ballads based on keyboard to faster, the New Wave -oriented songs. Among the musicians who inspired them, counted them in an interview ahead of a festival The Distillers, No Doubt, Patti Smith, Kate Bush and Madonna.

After her parents' divorce, she moved at the age of 16 with her ​​father in Greece. Two years later she returned to Wales to study. After they had broken off with her ​​studies 18, she moved to London, where she completed two months training as a dancer. In 2005 she took a year singing course at the West London Music School and sang in West End musicals such as The Lion King before.

Career

2007-2009: Beginnings

Diamandis took first songs on the Apple GarageBand software. About the website Gumtree she found a producer for several of their songs, for which they paid £ 500. Their first release with the name Mermaid Vs. Sailor EP which was released on 23 November 2007, included all these songs. The EP was fired by Diamandis itself on CD and sold on their MySpace page. Estimated 70 copies were sold.

In January 2008, a talent scout from Neon Gold Records, Derek Davis was aware of them. Davis booked Diamandis for the preliminary program of the Australian singer Gotye, where the label Warner she discovered her and got a recording contract with 679 Recordings. In the same year she released her first single, a double A - side with the songs Obsessions and Mowgli 's Road. This, their second EP The Crown Jewels EP, which also contained her second single I Am Not a Robot. On December 7, 2009, she was placed on the list of nominees for the BBC Sound of 2010, where she reached the second place behind Ellie Goulding.

2010-2011: The Family Jewels

→ Main article: The Family Jewels

Diamandis ' debut album The Family Jewels was released on 22 February 2010 at the United Kingdom and on 14 May in Germany. It reached number five on the UK Albums Chart, where it was certified gold. The album took Diamandis on together with Pascal Gabriel, who has worked for artists such as Marc Almond, Yello, New Order and Kylie Minogue. A re- release of the single Mowgli 's Road was the album as the lead single. On February 14, 2010 started their first tour, which included seven concerts in the UK, Ireland and continental Europe. After the release of their third EP The American Jewels under the American label Chop Shop Records and released their debut album in the U.S. was published.

In spring 2010, Diamandis has worked with the American songwriter and producer Benny Blanco and guitarist Dave Sitek on new material. They also suggested a re-release of her debut album The Family Jewels with some bonus tracks. They also announced that predominantly publish EPs instead of studio albums in the future. They justified this with the statement to be able to bring EPs by a steady flow of songs to their fans, instead of letting this longer time to wait for a new studio album.

Diamandis ' Single Hollywood, an indie - pop song of the seduction of the " American Dream ", was also released in the spring of 2010. The song reached both in Germany and in the UK Top 15 singles chart and made Diamandis known internationally. Even before the German publication, the single was played by many radio stations and was therefore in twelfth of the German radio charts. On 21 May 2010 the song then climbed to number 15 in the German single charts. In Austria, he was released at the same time and reached position 17

Since 2011: Electra Heart

→ Main article: Electra Heart

During her 2010 tour Diamandis announced that it is working on a second album. The album is named Electra Heart, which was released on 30 April 2012 in the UK. The German publication on 25 May 2012. In the United Kingdom, Ireland and Scotland, the album reached No. 1 on the charts. On 10 July 2012, the album was finally released with a slightly different song list in the U.S., where it reached number 31 on the charts.

On October 1, 2011, the song Radioactive, produced by Stargate, the UK has been published. It reached number 25 on the charts. The German publication took place on 7 October 2011. This song is, however, only on the deluxe version of the album. On the album are also collaborations with Greg Kurstin, Rick Nowels and Liam Howe, who produced a bulk of the songs from their first album, included.

The first single of the song was released Prima Donna on 16 April 2012 in the UK, which was co-written with Julie Frost and produced by Dr. Luke, and Diplo Cirkut. The German publication was made on May 18, 2012. The song reached number 11 on the British charts, which is so far the best single placement of the artist. In Germany Prima Donna reached # 18 on the charts in Austria he could even run inside the top 10, at number 3. In Switzerland, it reached number 16

2 May 2012, it was announced that the song Power & Control should be the second single. The release in the UK on 22 July 2012. The video, directed by Casper Balslev again, premiered on 31 May 2012. It shows Diamandis and her partner in a combative relationship.

On 3 July 2012, the song was How to Be a Heartbreaker, which was initially only on the American version of the album, announced as the third single in the UK and as the second single in the United States. The song, which as Prima Donna by Dr. Luke was produced, was published on 7 December 2012.

The video for the song Electra Heart was released on 8 August 2013.

Music style

Diamandis described their music in an interview as " experimental pop ". From the professional world her music style is described very diverse and often compared to the other musicians:

" Marina Diamandis [ ... ] on mixed The Family Jewels ' the naturalness of the young Kim Wilde, the chutzpah Lily Allen, the good moments of the early Pat Benatar and the inherent sanctity of Abba [ ... ]. Even more beautiful than the snappy, memorable on the spot hit material as, I Am Not A Robot ',' Mowgli 's Road ',' Are You Satisfied? 'And' Hollywood ' but the sincere confessions are in the rather less impressive pieces. "

" Marina's songs have everything. They are both catchy and edgy - catchy enough for the charts, edgy enough to stir even the indie environment. , Oh my God, you look just like Shakira / No no, you're Catherine Zeta / Actually, my name 's Marina ' she was raised in, Hollywood ', their settlement with the dream of dreams (, Living in a movie scene puking American dreams ... ') before and presents itself as a wanderer between the worlds. [ ... ] Marina [...] is the missing link between Siouxsie and Lady Gaga. [ ... ] Irony like Katy Perry? Marina Diamandis, each authentication. Sometimes their Hi -Energy - Freak - Pop drifts into the esoteric from - not even affects the fitted or made ​​up, but has charm. "

" Diamandis [ ... ] has [ ... ] a voice that certainly has brand recognition in timbre and talk and [ ... ] served some references - which then goes from ABBA and Kate Bush to Tori Amos and sometimes P nk - of course may in the list also Kate Nash and especially Florence Welch aka Florence the Machine not missing. The songs themselves are strong around knitted to this voice and offer powerful, yes, sometimes even exuberant arrangements which will in terms of polyphony no compromises. "

Discography

Albums

EPs

Singles

Awards and nominations

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