Like this artist? Click here to tune in to our stream and discover NEW Artists.
KGRL Exclusive Marianne Keith Interview
Unison Music Studio - 10.11.07
KGRL had a chance to go on a very comprehensive one on one interview with the young and amazingly talented, Marianne Keith. The interview was held in Unison Music's studio - 10.11.07. Enjoy another KGRL video interview!
Watch the exclusive Marianne Keith video interview using the player below!
*The player uses Javascript - be sure to enable it in your browsers.
Marianne Keith Video Interview (Click to launch the player!)
You can use the "pause" "back" and "forward" buttons to skip back or forward each of the Q&As.
This video is embeddable - you can use it on your blogs, myspace, website, etc.!
Having trouble viewing the video interview? Hit this link for IE7 Users!
Listen to Marianne Keith's responses in High Quality MP3 Stream using the player below:
Alternatively, you can download the responses by clicking the listen icons.
Offered in both High and Low Quality versions.
KGRL: Can you give us a brief introduction as to who Marianne Keith is?
Marianne Keith: Marianne Keith is a California girl – born and raised. I’ve lived here my whole life. I started singing in church when I was about six years old and I’ve just been singing ever since. I’ve been performing / playing shows for about 3 ½ years. I’ve been playing guitar for about 4 ½ and piano for about 3.
I’ve just always wanted to do this. I’ve always wanted to play music, write songs and sing. It’s my one true love in this life… Well, you know… and my family too! (Laughs)
High Quality |
Low Quality |
KGRL: How did you get into music?
Marianne Keith: Well, like I said, I’ve been singing since I was really young. But it was probably around 8th grade that I decided that this is something I really wanted to do. I started working on writing songs. I haven’t started playing guitar until much later.
Once I started actually playing and writing, I just fell in love with it. I wanted to be an artist. I wanted to be a singer / songwriter. So, from that day on I said "this is it for me; this is what I want to do" and nothing else sounded appealing anymore.
High Quality |
Low Quality |
KGRL: Did you have any formal music education?
Marianne Keith: Well, I was in choir when I was younger and I was in band… I was a band nerd. I played clarinet and that’s how I learned to read music. Then one day I pawned it for a guitar. I took a couple of guitar lessons. I wasn’t too serious about it.
I ended up teaching myself most of everything I know on the guitar and piano. I ended up taking the piano class in college. But other than that, I’m definitely not classically trained in anything. It’s really more just, trained
by myself.
High Quality |
Low Quality |
Photo courtesy of Suzanne Allison
KGRL: In which genre would you classify your music?
Marianne Keith: It’s really hard for me as an artist to classify it. I usually tell people that it’s pop rock but a lot of people think that I sound country. I’ve been fighting that my whole life. I have decided lately that I’m just not going to fight it anymore. People can draw their own conclusions from it and it’s going to mean something different to everybody. I still consider it pop rock but it is folksy too you know, it has some folk edge to it.
High Quality |
Low Quality |
KGRL: Can you tell us what you do to make your music stand out from amongst other pop artists?
Marianne Keith: You know when I started music, I thought a lot about "I need it to be a hit song. I need it to sound like this or sound like that…" The more I got into it, the more I realize it just isn’t genuine if you do that. So, I really just write from the heart and however it comes out it’s just how it comes out.
Like now, I don’t try to write hit songs – I don’t try to write songs I think other people will like. It just really is whatever is on my mind; whatever is in my heart that’s what comes out in my music. I really hope that people like it, but at least I know that it’s sincere. So, I just try to be honest with what I write.
High Quality |
Low Quality |
KGRL: You have won several awards at such a young age. Has it been much of a driving force for you to pursue a full-time career in music?
Marianne Keith: You know, the awards are nice in that they help you affirm the idea of "okay, maybe I’m doing this for a reason…" Like maybe people are actually going to notice what I’m doing. So in that way, yeah… I mean, this business can be very up and down, and encouraging and then discouraging and so… Yeah, I think anytime somebody takes note of what you’re doing definitely helps to encourage you.
High Quality |
Low Quality |
KGRL: We understand that you are a student at Cal State Fullerton, taking up Public Relations. But schooling is on hold as you are currently a full-time musician. Are you planning to go back and finish schooling at
some point?
Marianne Keith: Yeah, it’s on hold right now. I don’t have that much left of it – probably like another year. And yeah, I think one day maybe I’ll go back to school. But at the same time, this is my love, you know?
Going to college is a great experience, I’m glad I did it. But you go to school and a lot of people find themselves there and they find out what they want to do with their life. But for me, I already know… and I know that this is what I want to do. So, if I can be successful in this, I don’t feel like I need to. But stay in
school kids!
High Quality |
Low Quality |
KGRL: We've seen your parents attend your shows in the couple of times we've seen you perform. What was your parent's reaction to you taking formal education aside for your musical career?
Marianne Keith: I think it was scary for them, a little bit. But they’ve been really supportive from the beginning. They know how much it means to me. A lot of people that I know that are musicians, their parents really freak out over that.
I was really blessed with parents who understand that for me, music is like breathing. This is what I want to do so they’re supporting me in it. But yeah, I think it’s a little scary for them you know? They always told us that we’re going to go to college and everything from when we are little.
High Quality |
Low Quality |
KGRL: Can you give us an introduction regarding Unison Music?
Marianne Keith: Unison Music is the record label I am on. It’s a small independent label out of Hollywood. And really, we’re more like a family than anything else. There are three acts that are on the label (Marianne Keith, Peech, and Noah Sugarman). We have toured together in the past two tours. The label’s focus is really about making an artist who is going to have a lasting power, staying power.
I really agree with their ideals (they told me when I signed up with them) about music and they want to have artists that are "true artists" that are legitimate - we’re not hiding anything, it’s not hype, it’s not fake… we are what we come off to be.
Also they said to me, it’s not about the record you’re making now. It’s about the record you make when you’re 30. I want music to be a lifetime career. I don’t want to be a one hit wonder, a flash in the pan. That was really what attracted me to the label. They really care about us as artists. They listen to us whine. They listen to our feelings about things. Really, they just care about the artist. And that is something that is so hard to find these days and especially in this industry, someone that actually has your best interest at heart.
High Quality |
Low Quality |
KGRL: Can you tell us who your musical influences are?
Marianne Keith: Yeah, I grew up listening to a lot of my parent’s music. I did grow up listening to some country. But a lot of like: Van Morrison, The Eagles, Stevie Wonder, CCR, all kinds of different music. My dad would always put on (music) then he sees me and he’s like "Oh you got to hear this!" or whatever. So I know all these words, I could sing pretty much every song in oldies station. I don’t always know who it’s by but I know every word. Actually, the other artists that I tour with call me the "self-proclaimed jukebox" because I know every word to every song. I’ve had a really wide range of influences.
But people I really look up to are: Carole King (I think she’s a great artist), obviously Sheryl Crow (a little bit more of my generation), and like I said before - John Mayer (I definitely think he’s one of the greater voices of our generation too).
That was early on… and then later I listen to a lot of different artists that are newer. Rachael Yamagata is one that I really like. I really enjoy David Gray. Now, these people are mellow but I like that kind of music. But then I like Jimmy Eat World… just all kinds of random stuff… pretty much everything except not a lot of hip-hop and maybe some really hard metal. Other than that, I got an open mind, so…
High Quality |
Low Quality |
KGRL: Can you tell us how your songwriting process is? Do you write lyrics or music first?
Marianne Keith: Generally, I write the lyrics first and then I come up with the music. That’s just how it works for me. I usually have something laying heavy on me. I kind of use the emotion, to draw from whatever I’m feeling. And so, I’ll start writing something. Sometimes I write all the lyrics and then I write the music. But most of the time, I’ll write just the beginning of it and then I’ll start coming up with the melody and then they kind of go together. So yeah, usually the lyrics first though.
High Quality |
Low Quality |
KGRL: How long does it usually take for you to finish writing a song?
Marianne Keith: If I just actually sit down and I write through the whole thing, it could take 40mins. And most of my songs, if I sit down to do it, it’s about half an hour or 40mins. Later in, on the studio, you might make some kind of modifications or when you make the background parts and stuff like that, it takes more time. But the actual song, yeah it usually comes out in about 30-45mins.
But then I’ll have some that I’ll get stuck on. I’ll be like "I’m just not in the right headspace to finish this." And I’ll end up finishing maybe like the bridge, sometimes, a couple months later. It really depends. But most of them happen pretty quickly because I’m in that mode, the inspiration mode.
High Quality |
Low Quality |
KGRL: Speaking of inspirations... Where do you usually draw inspirations for writing music?
Marianne Keith: Usually, and especially with the songs in this record (Beautiful Distraction), it’s a lot of the times – it’s relationships. I think heartbreak is the first time that a lot of young songwriters feel strongly enough and affects them deeply enough to really create from it. I also feel like the relationships we have in our lives, not just romantic relationships but the relationships in general, are the only thing that you can take with you when you die. I feel like they’re very important and so a lot of times I’ll write about relationships, whether it’s romantic or just someone else in your life.
But lately, the older I get the more I’m looking outside of myself and around myself. I’ve been writing more and more about things I notice in the world. Maybe things that are wrong or just things are the way they are. So, yeah, the older I get the more I write – I’m kind of going more outside myself. But even then, I still definitely feel that attached with relationships.
High Quality |
Low Quality |
KGRL: You've been writing a lot of your songs acoustically. We understand that you currently shifted to writing electric guitar-based songs. How challenging is it for you to transition from one medium to another?
Marianne Keith: It was a little bit hard. Electric is actually easier to play physically. It’s easier to hold down the strings. In that way it’s easier but it’s just very different. It just has different sounds. But for me, more than hard, it was just exciting because it broaden my range of tools.
I have definitely written some rock songs now. I don’t know, I have so many songs I don’t know what I’ll end up putting on the record. But yeah, I’ve written some songs that are more aggressive and also some stuff that are even mellower than the acoustic. It has a totally different feel to it. It’s been really exciting. A little bit difficult but more exciting than difficult.
High Quality |
Low Quality |
KGRL: Mostly when people get their first electric guitar, they tend to play a bit more of rock. Does the transition from acoustic to electric-based bear a difference in your writing style?
Marianne Keith: Yeah, I definitely think so. When you just have an acoustic guitar, you can have the sound that you’re thinking of for the song in your mind but it’s all going to sound like acoustic guitar until you get in the studio. With electric, you can put so many different effects on the guitar that when I come into the studio to record I can say "this is what I have in mind." It goes as far into communication too, it’s easier that way.
High Quality |
Low Quality |
KGRL: Which amongst the songs you wrote is your favorite?
Marianne Keith: That’s really hard to decide. Gosh, there have been so many. As I listen to my record more, I kind of gravitate towards one or the other. It’s really hard… For me, I love Too Late, number 4 in the CD. No matter what time period it is in my life, I just always go back to that song and there’s something about it that just always affects me. Yeah, I’m going to go ahead and say that’s my favorite. But I might feel different a bit later… I don’t know… if I have to give an answer.
Which other songs? I love Sideways Rain. That song always will be a part of me. All of my songs, they’re really like my children. That’s why it’s hard for me to pick a favorite because I feel like I’ll be hurting the other ones feelings and they’re all really special in their own ways. (Laughs) I seriously sound like I’m talking about kids here. Gosh I don’t know… I love all of them for different reasons. But you know, you do like some better than others.
Now, listening to my new songs… Look out for one new song that I have coming, hopefully will be on the record… I’m not sure what I’m going to call it yet but you’ll notice because it will have this in title… it’s called Yellow Bird and it’s one of my favorites right now - I’m loving it. So we’ll see… if it’s on the record you’ll know that’s my new favorite.
High Quality |
Low Quality |
Photo courtesy of Suzanne Allison
KGRL: Have you tried collaborating with someone to write a song?
Marianne Keith: Lately, I actually have been playing with other people especially on tour. It was really my first chance to hang out with other musicians. I lived with them. So we would just sit around and jam.
As far as actually coming up with a solid song that we both wrote, I still haven’t done that, no. But taking advice and just getting new ideas from them, I’ve been doing that. It’s been really cool to get other
people’s insight.
High Quality |
Low Quality |
KGRL: Anyone you wish to collaborate with someday?
Marianne Keith: Probably, I would love to collaborate with John Mayer. I would love to collaborate with John Mayer, definitely. I just really like the way he says things. He takes something that "yeah, I’ve thought about that" but he presents it in a totally new way and that is something I respect about him. And he’s a great player too. I guess yeah, that would be my answer for now. There are older musicians I would definitely want to as well, but…
High Quality |
Low Quality |
KGRL: You've spoken a lot about John Mayer, which songs/album by him do you like the most?
Marianne Keith: I really love his new album. I think it’s the best. Continuum… I think it’s the best record he’s made. But I would have to say, my favorite track on that record is Vultures, which I think is number 4- I may be wrong. But I really like that one. It’s my favorite. It’s easy for me to pick favorites of other people’s songs, but not my own.
High Quality |
Low Quality |
KGRL: Regarding the album you recorded prior to Beautiful Distraction... How do you feel about that record when listening to it these days?
Marianne Keith: It’s called Make No Mistake. You know, it’s really hard to listen to it now just because I’ve grown so much. I even feel like my voice sounds very different on it than I sing now. I was just 16 when I started it. Some of the songs are so old and I was like "Oh, what was I thinking?" You know what I mean?
But you have to still respect that that’s where you were at that time. There’s nothing wrong with it. But I think you just feel like "Gosh, if I could re-do that now, it would be a lot better." So yeah, it’s hard to listen to sometimes but you have to accept it. It’s like your old school pictures, you know? Like, if only I could go back and re-do my hair? But you can’t… so you’re just stuck with it. (Laughs)
High Quality |
Low Quality |
KGRL: How about Beautiful Distraction? Do you feel like this record is in the right direction as to how you want your music to be?
Marianne Keith: I think that it’s a really good start. I’m proud of it. There’s nothing about it that I would change. I think it’s a good way to introduce me to the world. Some of the songs in it were written a few
years ago.
I feel like just within the past couple of years, I’ve grown a lot as a person. So my next record, I feel, is going to be a lot more mature. But it’s still a good representation of me (Beautiful Distraction). I think people will notice that it’s younger than the next record. But yeah, I’m definitely happy with it. Hopefully, I won’t feel like I do about the other one (Make No Mistake) - about this one (Beautiful Distraction).
High Quality |
Low Quality |
KGRL: What was your best experience playing live so far?
Marianne Keith: Every show has something different about it that makes it good. It will depend if I’m talking about the venue, the crowd response, or what exactly I liked about it.
One of my favorite places to play here in Southern California is the Gypsy Lounge, it’s in Lake Forest. Every time I play there, whether there are 5 people or 50 people, it’s just the environment – I love it. I feel at home there. I feel comfortable on the stage. There’s just something about that venue that I really love. So, venue-wise I love to play there.
I guess I’ll tell… For the tour, we played in Monterey at this restaurant called Captain Bullwackers and we had a bunch of people that came see us in the last tour come out. And so we really felt like we were surrounded by friends. Then it started raining and we were playing in the rain and they still hung out there and watch us play. That was really cool. Just a story from the tour… That’s something I’ll definitely remember. Of course, I wish I was singing Kiss Me In The Rain when it was raining - because I just think that would be cool if that ever really happened - but of course, not…
High Quality |
Low Quality |
KGRL: Have you played electric guitar in any of your gigs yet?
Marianne Keith: I haven’t yet. When the next record comes out though, I definitely plan on doing that. Hopefully, some of the songs that will make it on the record will have been written with electric. So, I definitely want to do that. I just need to actually do it. (Laughs)
High Quality |
Low Quality |
KGRL: So do you think that you'll be comfortable with an electric guitar, like rocking it out on stage?
Marianne Keith: Yeah, I think so… I definitely think so. It will be different than playing acoustic but I’m ready to play with a full band too. I think it would be awesome. I’ve done a few shows recently with a full band and it is fun. It’s different but it’s really fun. So, it’s something I’m looking forward to.
High Quality |
Low Quality |
KGRL: If you were to play outside US, which country would you pick and why?
Marianne Keith: That’s a good question. There’s so many… I’ve always wanted to go to Spain. I know a little bit of Spanish. So, I think that would be cool. I’ve always wanted to go to Barcelona. I’d love to see every country but that’s the one I definitely would like to go to.
High Quality |
Low Quality |
KGRL: How hard is it for you being an independent artist?
Marianne Keith: It has its challenges, definitely, not having a million dollars behind you and doing a lot of the stuff on your own as far as booking a lot of shows. You really have to take control of your own career because if you don’t do it, nobody else will. So that makes it tough but at the same time you get a lot more creative control. And in a way, you kind of control your destiny more than a lot of other commercial artists.
I think too, that you have a chance to make yourself more like a credible artist, you kind of pay your dues or whatever. That can be hard but I hope eventually that it will pay off. Yeah, it has challenges but it definitely has upsides too.
High Quality |
Low Quality |
KGRL: Do you forsee yourself branching out to genres other than the one you are in right now?
Marianne Keith: Yeah, you know I would like to try different things definitely. And since I plan on having a very long career, I probably will try a lot of different genres. I think the acoustic or always starting out with the acoustic – the whole singer / songwriter thing is very important to me. It’s very much from the heart. I will always want to write my own music and I will always want it to be the same in that way. I’ve thought about, at some point, doing a record that’s all piano-based instead of guitar, because I do guitar and piano but more guitar than piano.
There are certain things like that that I want to do. Do a record that’s totally upbeat and then do one that’s totally mellow. Just in those smaller changes, I’d like to do stuff like that. But who knows? I might go with like Imogen Heap-thing one day. I don’t know, I kind of see myself always playing an instrument but you’ll
never know.
High Quality |
Low Quality |
KGRL: Regarding your recently repackaged Beautiful Distraction... Why did you decide to take out one song from it (Good Times) and replaced it with a new one (I'm Not The Girl For You)?
Marianne Keith: Well, I wanted to do a new song when we repackaged it and when we re-pressed it because I want to have something newer. Something for the people who want to buy the new one again, they have the other one, they’re going to have something new.
The song that we put on there is called I’m Not The Girl For You. It’s one that I’ve wanted to record for a while. It’s just kind of a fun song. We decided that it would just be better to have 12 tracks instead of 13 so we’ve taken Good Times off, which is a little be sad but it will still be on the first record.
The label called me and said "We were thinking about it and we think you’re a big girl now and so we’re going to take Good Times off and put on I’m Not The Girl For You." I’m like, "Oh, Ok…" So that’s how it happened. But I think it was a good choice, a good trade.
High Quality |
Low Quality |
KGRL: Are there any new artists you listen to?
Marianne Keith: Let me think if there’s anybody I’m listening to right now that’s new… Honestly, I don’t know if this is good or bad but I’m getting more into older music even. It’s hard when you’re trying to be a part of the new music, to be finding and looking for new music. But I’ve been trying to go back to music like roots… well not just its roots but the whole 60s and 70s period of music and really listen to it more. Like I’ve been listening to Kiss and AC/DC.
Just from their names, I remember when I was younger being like "Oh, they’re probably scary" And listening to them now I’m like "this is awesome!" So I’m just getting into a lot of older music. I don’t know. That’s what I’ve been focusing on lately.
High Quality |
Low Quality |
KGRL: How much new materials have you written for the next record?
Marianne Keith: I’m always writing. I have over 60 songs written to choose from. So, it’s going to be really hard to choose. I think right now it might even be up to 70. I’m not sure. We’ll see by the end of the recording period. I’ll never stop writing so I might end up putting something very new that I haven’t even written yet on the record. So, it’s going to be exciting. I’m excited to see what will go on there.
High Quality |
Low Quality |
KGRL: If given a chance, would you choose to sign up with a major record label?
Marianne Keith: Honestly, I’m happy where I am. I’m happy with Unison. I don’t think that major labels are where it’s at right now. The music industry is really going through a weird phase. Major labels are falling apart too. Everyone has to rethink how they’re going to get their artists out there, how they’re going to make any money too – because of the internet and everything. We believe in like a grassroots type of thing. I don’t think it would be worth the fame and fortune or the "15-minutes" of fame. I’d rather stick with something that I think is going to help me have a longer career.
High Quality |
Low Quality |
KGRL: Any last words for the KGRL listeners?
Marianne Keith: Just keep listening to KGRL because it’s awesome! And I guess, thanks for watching this video because if you got to this point you sat there and listened/watched the whole thing. That’s it… Just buy my record if you like it. (Laughs)
High Quality |
Low Quality |
Special thanks goes to Marianne and Nicole Keith, Peech, Noah Sugarman, and Unison Music.
Marianne Keith Links:
Official Website: http://www.mariannekeith.com
MySpace Page: http://www.myspace.com/mariannekeith
-> Click here to go back to the main feature page! <-