With a Glastonbury 2019 ‘Emerging Talent Competition’ prize under her belt, singer-songwriter Marie White signs a major deal with Decca Records, joining the iconic label’s diverse roster which includes The Lumineers, AURORA and Jacob Collier. Her debut single under her new label home, ‘Blue Jumper’, is out today to commemorate Glastonbury’s 50th anniversary weekend.
Following her win at the festival’s annual competition in April last year, Marie went on to perform every single day across Glastonbury’s Rabbit Hole, Green Peace, Acoustic, Hospitality and BBC introducingstages, capturing the hearts of hundreds of festival goers.
Marie’s debut single, ‘Blue Jumper’, is the perfect introduction to her captivatingly raw vocals and prowess as an accomplished songwriter. Composed at just 16-years-old, the track is a true story written in the height of naivety. Marie reveals, “It’s actually really hard being young, everything always felt like the end of the world!” With pulsing heartbeats and enchanting atmospherics, the production by Carey Willetts(Dermot Kennedy, Freya Ridings) embodies the song’s emotive lyrical message perfectly.
Growing up listening to her Mum’s R&B favourites: Stevie Wonder, Luther Vandross and Aretha Franklin, as well as her Dad’s classic rock collection including David Bowie and Bruce Springsteen, this eclectic combination of influences really shines through in her music. Singing with charismatic charm, Marie’s irresistible vocal delivery and anecdotal story-telling sparks an unexpected emotion within every listener. Think Tracy Chapman meets Lewis Capaldi.
Marie’s musical journey began after a life-changing sports injury that altered the course of her future. Bed bound and heartbroken, Marie crafted her problems into poetry. She says of the time, “I would never have continued doing anything musical if I still played badminton, I was so terrible when I first started singing! I had no reason to carry on!”
Despite years of continuous stage fright, she soon found the courage to turn these rhymes into rhythm. Her first solo performance was to an audience of two at her local pub in Hastings. This one, seemingly dismal performance soon snowballed into multiple gigs across East Sussex and Kent every week. From bars to functions, parties and festivals, more and more familiar faces began to appear.
After supporting Keane at their reunion gig in 2018, the band personally asked her to join them on the UK leg of their ‘Cause and Effect’ tour in September 2019. Marie won the affection of thousands of fans across the nation with her heartfelt ballads and witty humour, not to mention her intriguing aesthetic. With a mop of curly hair, a loveable smile and enough retro sportswear to fill a vintage store, her colourful jackets and patterned shirts represent her unapologetic individuality.
In this new chapter of her musical journey, Marie is ready to bring her heart-warming pop numbers to a bigger audience than ever before. She hopes to touch the hearts of many; not only with breadth of emotion she’s able to convey through her music, but also with her spirit, “Oh I’d like there to be a few tears,” she says. “I’d like people to cry a little bit”.
‘Blue Jumper’ is out now on Decca Records.
He discovered the gem when he was 12 years old and still has it now, claiming it to be why he fell in love with music. He likes to play disc golf when he's not writing about music. He is a one-of-a-kind individual who is always the first to bust out his air guitar on the dance-floor.
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