‘California’ is an ode to escapism, captured in Marie’s intoxicating soulful vocals with a backing of jazz-influenced keys, percussion and guitars. With a sonic air of melancholy, the track emulates an uplifting optimism in its contrasting down-tempo beats.
Regarding the single Marie says, “Quite simply, ‘California’ is a love letter to a place. It’s meant to capture the infatuation of being somewhere that is not your home. Where the mundane becomes marvellous and every detail is a souvenir.
“I wrote it after coming back to London - the verses are just lines lifted from my diary pages. It all happened - the smell of the dock, the drives to nowhere, the early sun rises, the coffee from big cups… We were staying on a houseboat on the dock where Otis Redding was said to have written ‘Sitting on the Dock of the Bay’.
“When it came to the chorus, I imagined all the places in the world as different people attending a pageant or a ball of some sort. Paris and London were in short black dresses looking chic at the bar but dare not dance, Italy was ordering the best food and wine to the table but California, she was dancing with her eyes closed in a loose white dress, right in the middle with no care in the world.”
‘California’ follows the release of ‘The Cage’ earlier this year. The song is also taken from the forthcoming EP and displays the further depth of Marie’s songwriting, featuring captivating lyricism addressing the need to break free. ‘The Cage’ is laced with guzheng strings throughout a delicate funk backing with an inescapable groove.
Marie’s upcoming EP has been recorded with Neil Comber (Florence + The Machine, Glass Animals, Charli XCX), Matt Colton (Arctic Monkeys, Christine and the Queens) and Simon Byrt (Pixx, Charlotte OC, Babeheaven).
It is a record steeped in influences from across the world, be it her half-Lebanese heritage, songwriting road trips across the US or life within the UK. They form the foundations of the stories Marie’s stunning vocals bring to life in a way reminiscent of the likes of Lianne La Havas, Florence Welch, Lily Moore and Maggie Rogers.
Over the course of just a couple of singles Marie has sold out a string of headline London shows including Omeara, The Lexington, Camden Assembly and Ronnie Scott’s, while clocking up great critical support along the way. And now the forthcoming EP is set to be a pivotal point in what has already been an incredible journey for the singer.
“Few singers have as much soul as Marie Naffah”
EARMILK
“A master of imagery and insightful wordplay”
London In Stereo
“Marie’s voice possesses a raw soul and her songwriting is endlessly honest”
FAULT Magazine
“No one has a voice quite like Marie Naffah’s. Smoky and soulful, like soot blackening the throat, it’s a tone so special that no matter what the London artist sings, it is bound to be beautiful”
The Music Mermaid
“Her incantations are addicting – her deliveries simply nonpareil as she carries her colorful lyrics with such lush control. The soul she brings is powerful, and when it all comes together, a true treasure is created”
Atwood Magazine
