At just 26 years old, Billie Marten already has five studio albums under her belt. Starting out by posting YouTube videos at a young age, she slowly gained attention and was able to release her first EP at 15. Fast forward to now, millions of streams and monthly listeners later, and Billie Marten has found her sound, her loyal fanbase and her groove- but she’s just getting started.
Last year saw the release of her fifth studio album, Dog Eared – an inspiring collection of deeply personal tracks that showcase her impeccable storytelling ability, as well as her delightfully dreamy vocals. It’s truly her best work yet, which seems to be a pattern for Marten- each release is somehow better than the last.
During her recent Australian headline tour, Marten sat down with me to chat about the whirlwind months following the release of Dog Eared, as well as her passion for supporting fellow artists.
“In all honesty there hasn’t been a lot of time to reflect, what with all the touring last year.” Marten says when taking a moment to step back and consider the reception of her record. “But I’m starting to end the Dog Eared time here in Australia and New Zealand, and will finish it in the southern states of the US, so come spring I’ll be able to shelve this time, and I think I’ll look back on it very fondly.”
Marten’s usual songwriting process typically involves waiting patiently for the songs to manifest, but this time around she worked with producer Phil Weinrobe, who did things a little differently. “I felt I had a deadline to hit almost, which is not a usual way of working for me… I had an objective to write around, and that was knowing I was bringing the songs into a room of musicians who would add their own twists and musicality to things, so I purposefully wrote with a lot of space and movement in mind.” Marten muses, adding, “I felt I didn’t have to fill in all the gaps and the narrative wasn’t solely on me.”
2024 saw Marten on the lineup for Beyond The Valley, and a little over a year later she returned to play headline shows across Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Launceston. From the outside, Marten has had a massive year – releasing her best work to date, touring consistently and gaining mainstream popularity. “In a year’s time, I wonder if the change has been apparent to me.” Marten says. “ I suppose I’m less worried about making the live show as close to the record as possible – the songs are breathing on their own and connecting to previous albums to make the whole show more cohesive. Last year was a solo run so it’ll be nice to let everyone hear my beautiful band.”
Thinking back to my own childhood, I changed my mind daily about what I wanted to be when I grew up, and it feels like I’ve lived a thousand lives since then. For Marten, though, music has always been her calling. Posting videos to YouTube at just nine years old, she’s hardly looked back since. “It’s still a mystery to me in many ways.”, she says as she looks back at her progression within the industry. “Being in music is incredibly difficult and personally challenging to quantify. But I suppose once someone opens a door, they also open a window, and then suddenly it’s an open house, and you’re being offered a plate of triangle sandwiches as you walk in. Sure, there’s a few flies in there as well, but overall the feeling is tasty… Was that a ridiculous analogy to make? Yes, yes I think so.”
Ridiculous or not, it makes sense – over time, music has consumed Marten’s life and now there’s nothing else she’d rather be doing, flies and all.
In a previous interview with NME, Marten discussed the challenges that come with relying on streaming, stating that most artists are in financial ruin. This sparked conversation healthy discourse online, and continues to be something that Marten is passionate about. When asked how we can effectively support smaller artists, Marten says, “Essentially this boils down to the current social climate and their listening habits. In any artistic field, I feel strongly that the answer lies in going against the current- actively searching for the things your ears and eyes enjoy, remembering your tastes before they were decided for you.”
“The point as an artist is to not entertain the masses, but the few. And those few realise that their zeitgeist was perhaps larger than they thought. In the physicality of it – buy merchandise, buy music, attend shows even on a Monday night, be a friend to your heroes.”
Billie Marten’s latest record Dog Eared is available to stream, and you can support Billie by catching a live show, buying merch and staying up to date HERE.
Header image credit: Eloise Coomber – you can see Eloise’s full gallery from Billie’s Croxton show HERE.
