Maria discusses the importance of talking about the pain and loss of miscarriage, and how this inspired her latest track. She also touches on her inspirations, and what music means to her.
“We already worship external perfection; superficiality rules over substance. So when unborn babies perish inside us we become hermits. We stay quiet, ashamed that we couldn’t be the perfect female with perfect reproduction. But perfect on the outside hides chaos on the inside.”
Panish singer Maria Malmø’s latest single, “Bleed me Dry”, is challenging societal preconceptions about women who suffer the tragedy of miscarriage. Maria feels that we are not talking about this loss enough, as women who experience this awful event also experience shame, and the idea that they are somehow less than perfect.
“We already worship external perfection; superficiality rules over substance. So when unborn babies perish inside us we become hermits. We stay quiet, ashamed that we couldn’t be the perfect female with perfect reproduction. But perfect on the outside hides chaos on the inside.”
Maria speaks from her own experience. She feels lucky and delighted to have two wonderful children, but she wasn’t always so lucky. She hopes that by speaking out about miscarriage, she can raise awareness and start to break down the taboos about speaking on loss, pain and the terrible reality of losing a child before you even meet them.
No limits
Maria hails from Alken, near Aarhus in the north of Denmark. She’s deeply inspired by natural beauty, as well as her travels around the world. A multi-instrumentalist, she doesn’t like to limit herself.
“I play every instrument I can get my hands on,” enthuses Maria. “I love experimenting with new instruments and sounds. New songs can often appear out of the sound of a newly found instrument. For example, I recently bought an Indian harmonium on eBay. It has this amazing vibe, and the drones – it’s almost like you can touch the sound. It’s dusty, quirky and has a story to it. Who knows which Indian guy had this instrument in his hands before it was shipped to me. I also play drums, keys, synths and guitars. I even have a banjo somewhere in my little house too.”
This experimental nature has lent itself to the unique sound of her musical creation, MALMØ. She collaborates with Christian Tronhjem, Jens Mikkel Madsen, Andreas Skamby, Asger Jakobsen, and Mathias Jæger. Described as a “poignant alt-pop anthem”, the new track has been met with a positive reception, both for the message and the music. Get In Her Ears described the song as being: “Propelled by whirring beats and Maria’s emotion-rich sultry vocals flowing along a stirring soundscape, it oozes a soaring celestial power.”
Vision
For Maria, it’s as much about the visual aspects of the performance as the music.
“We also have four dancers who join us at the concerts. I strive to create visual concepts around each album and bring that concept with us when we play live.”
Maria also feels fortunate to have a team who support and understand her vision.
“Behind the music – which is just as important – I have Nick Tarbitt from Integrity Records and Integrity Publishing and his whole team working globally to get my music out. In the Nordic countries, I’m with Songcrafter Music, run by Roar Amundsen. They totally get my music and it is a joy and honour to work with these experienced guys and learn from the best people who work from their heart. They have become very dear to me in this process because without them there would be no-one listening.”
Soaring vocals
MALMØ’s debut album, “We Come From The Stars,” was released in May 2019 via Integrity Records. One of the notable points of praise for the album was how deeply personal it was, not only in the lyrical content, but in the way Maria’s voiced seemed to reach every listener on an intimate level. Described as “cinematic musicality” and “stylishly produced”, the album combines texturally intellectual music with Maria’s soaring vocals.
Of her sound, Maria accepts a certain amount of inspiration from Björk, but generally finds that it’s the things around her that bring her the most ideas. She believes her first musical influences came when she was in the womb, from the nearby sounds of her own mother humming or dancing along to the music she loved. Today, she takes inspiration from nature, the ocean, art, and other people – particularly her children.
Outgoing energy
That inspiration has led to not only recorded music but some amazing live shows. The band recently played an international showcase concert at the Nordklang Festival held in St. Gallen in Switzerland. Other gigs included the Arctic Sounds Festival in Sisimiut in Greenland, and even a range of UK shows. Does Maria prefer the sanctity of the studio or the rawness of playing live?
“I wouldn’t want to choose, as both are equally important for the process of creating music. It’s two different energies: outgoing energy when performing live and more invert energy when diving deep into recording in the studio.”
The lyrics and content of “Bleed me Dry” might be difficult for some to handle. Miscarriage is a very painful subject, but that’s exactly why Maria believes we need to start being more open about it. She explains, “As I began to tell my story, sisters, aunts, neighbours appeared with their similar stories and experiences – only when I was vulnerable, other people dared to open up. Roughly every 4th pregnancy ends in miscarriage, but it is not something we are talking about and most of us have no idea about this. One thing is my personal experience, but it just opened up in my family and my network, and I began to look into it and found that the number was as high as every 4th pregnancy. But there are very few women talking about it. I would love to do that if it means opening up to how “common” it is to actually have a miscarriage. There are many more than we know who experienced it – we just don’t talk about it.”
Hopefully, by encouraging everyone to talk about the pain they are experiencing, these women will realise they are not alone.
Maria believes that music has given her the ability to do more than she ever thought she was capable of, and it’s clear that MALMØ is a musical phenomenon that’s here to stay.