Thank you so much for talking with us!!! What is your favorite dish to cook? Lasagna, hands down. My family and I actually host a very large Lasagna Party every year (I know, it’s violently Italian) where my mom and I cook about 17 pans of lasagna and then just have 40 people over to eat them. That’s the whole point of the party. It’s great.
How do you drink your coffee? I usually order a cappuccino! Or a flavored latte of some sort. I’m a sucker for fancy drinks.
What is your favorite breakfast? Croissants and coffee, a classic. I unfortunately don’t get to have them both at the same time too often, but when it happens, that’s a sign of a good day.
Best food that’s deep fried? Does deep fried ice cream count?
For newer fans, how did your passion for music and career come about? I joined choir in 4th grade, and as soon as I started to sing, I knew this was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. It took me a while to figure out exactly how I wanted to incorporate music into making a living, but once I got to high school and realized that I’d been writing songs for years as a natural reaction to the world around me it just made sense to pursue my passion as an artist!
What song that you have recorded means the most to you and why? Probably “A House.” I wrote it about a year ago, and it just really helped me to release some feelings I’d been afraid of admitting. Once I started playing it out for crowds, there wasn’t a single show that didn’t end up with someone crying during that song. It’s definitely the one people have been dying for me to record the most, so I’m really happy that it finally felt like the right time to do that this year. It’ll be released soon!
How was the last year for you? What were your highlights? This year definitely took off for me professionally. I released my song “Gold” in 2018 and it got a much bigger response than I was expecting! So, I took some time to really focus on my goals and build my brand - I recorded an EP I’m super excited to release soon, and I taught myself as much as I could about the various ins and outs of the business. I took my old sound and kept the main aspects of it, but kicked it up several notches. I had amazing opportunities to record music videos and live sessions, and just overall to grow as a human and an artist. 2019 was amazing, but I have a feeling 2020 is going to be even better.
At the end of the day, what do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope people take away from your songs? I hope it allows people to breathe and process. I think having some time every day dedicated to stillness is important, especially when we spend so much time running around and stressing ourselves out. We tend to move so quickly from emotion to emotion, and we run the risk of losing sight of how much beauty there is in emotions that are slow, lingering, and multifaceted. There are so many songs out there that focus on black and white emotions, happy all the time or sad all the time, and it’s important to remember that it’s ok to feel things in between. It’s ok for love to be complicated, it’s ok for you to love your life and have no idea of your direction, it’s ok for you to just sit down with a cup of tea and feel things you don’t understand. Hopefully people can listen to my songs and just feel things.
What’s your advice for young artists trying to establish a name for themselves? Especially young females that may see you as a role model. This is cliché, but be yourself and write what you want. Seriously. You may rise to success really quickly by following a formula, but what good is success if you don’t connect with the songs you write or the image you present? Find what you love, craft an image that is true to who you are, and use that as your artist brand. That way it’ll change as you change and allow you to be honest and open with everyone (including yourself).
Finally, if you could be sponsored by one food/drink brand who would it be and why? Definitely Firepot Nomadic Teas. I absolutely love tea, and their dedication to the history of tea, its social benefits, and overall sustainability is amazing!
Website: martapalombo.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MartaPalomboMusic/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marta.palombo/?hl=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/martapalombo?lang=en YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsamJIF_b9b31CdAG4i2GJQ
If Joni Mitchell and Florence + The Machine had a 21st century hippie daughter, it would be Marta Palombo. Hailing from Florence, Italy, she found her home in Nashville, Tennessee where she spends her time writing, recording, performing, and curating a cabinet full of local teas. Marta effortlessly weaves diverse influences and genres into her own unique blend of off-kilter folk-pop.
Initially honing her wordsmithing and performance skills through poetry, Marta found nationwide recognition as Poetry Out Loud’s 2016 Georgia State Champion and National Runner-Up. After moving to Nashville, she geared her talents towards writing music full-time, releasing a steady stream of covers in English and Italian, as well as original compositions.
Marta has already made quite a name for herself in Music City, garnering a very loyal fan base. She’s played at well-known venues like Café CoCo, True Music Room & Bar, Commodore Grille, Bowery Vault, Two Old Hippies, Boulevard Records, Just Love Coffee, and Belcourt Taps. In addition, Marta has added both the Schermerhorn Symphony Center and Bridgestone Arena, where she sang back-up for Josh Groban, to her impressive musical resume.
Marta’s biggest hit came from an acoustic cover of LP’s 2015 single, “Lost On You”, soon followed by her debut extended play: 2016’s Revisions. Half personal introspection and half mission statement, the EP evokes imagery of halcyon days with hopes for the best of times to come, and a willingness to revel in the unknown, no matter the consequences. The single “Sparrows” followed in 2017, as well as two new songs in 2018: the soul-baring ballad titled “Bitter End” and the bubbly, optimistic “Gold.”
Admiring her roots while simultaneously eschewing the traditional notions of what a singer-songwriter should be is paramount to who Marta Palombo is as an artist. With Marta, there is always new music on the horizon, including an EP due in February 2020, and an ever growing passion for telling life’s stories, big and small.
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