photo credit: Kyle Montgomery
Dallas-based musician and visual artist Nicole Marxen is pleased to share “Bones/Dust.” The song is the latest single to be lifted for her debut solo EP,
Tether out February 26 (
pre-order). The single debuted today at
Post-Punk and is also streaming at
Soundcloud.
On the song Nicole Marxen says:
Bones/Dust was the first song I wrote for the EP. The chords and lyrics came together in less than an hour, almost as if led by an invisible hand.
My mom was one of the funniest people I’ve ever known. When she passed, I used to say that she’d probably haunt me for a good laugh. There were countless nights where I’d be lying in bed, waiting for a presence to reveal itself.
A few months later, I saw the film Personal Shopper. Kristen Stewart plays a woman grieving the loss of her twin brother. The two had believed they were mediums and agreed whoever passed first would give the other a sign from beyond. Stewart’s character becomes obsessed in her anticipation, which resonated with me on an eerily similar level.
Last month Nicole Marxen revealed the official video the EP’s title track. The video which was directed by
Judd Myers premiered at
CVLT Nation and can be shared at
YouTube. On the song Nicole Marxen says, “‘Tether’ is about navigating the vast landscape of loss. In many ways, it was a crucial first step in my own grieving process and self-discovery as a songwriter.” She adds, “Being so rooted in showmanship, I hadn’t explored such vulnerability in my work before. When I began to shift my efforts inward, I found that my truth very much needed to be expressed. The song serves as a reminder to hold space for myself.”
“Tether” is available now on all streaming platforms to add to your favorite playlists.
Highlighted by QVC in an original docu-series on beauty & glamour, and featured by the likes of
Brooklyn Vegan, Impose Magazine, Tiny Mix Tapes, Daytrotter, and
The Observer, Nicole Marxen’s project Midnight Opera received praise for their “unpredictable songwriting; waterfalls of catharsis; gorgeous, haunting melodies.” Their visual feast live performances, a meld of opulent set design, choreography, and costumes, awarded the band the title of
“Best Group Act” from The Dallas Observer in 2018.
Nicole Marxen is known as one of the shiny dark innovators behind acclaimed avant-garde pop band Midnight Opera, her solo debut Tether is a meditation on the grieving process. Following the sudden passing of her mother, Marxen explores grief through the lens of a crystal—multifaceted among jagged and lustrous planes.
“I used to think that my life wasn’t worth writing about,” says Marxen. “I hid behind the characters I created, the haven of the stage, the armor of costume. My art was elaborate escapism.”
The EP’s title track finds itself traversing the vast, desert landscape of loss. Marxen says “in many ways, it was a crucial first step in my own grieving process and self-discovery as a songwriter. Being so rooted in showmanship, I hadn’t explored such vulnerability in my work before.” She elaborates “when I began to shift my efforts inward, I found that my truth very much needed to be expressed. The song serves as a reminder to hold space for myself.”
Soaring from screeching highs to icy subterranean depths, Marxen creates a sonic landscape in which she is unafraid to own her pain. Recorded at John Congleton’s studio, Elmwood, with Alex Bhore (formerly of This Will Destroy You), unresolved emotions began to take shape. Grief cannot be overcome, only carried. A raw, open wound, Tether is a captivating debut.
