I fell in love with the music of Marina and the Diamonds the moment I first heard the song "Forget" from the stunning Froot (2015) album. The band name represented the persona of Welsh alternative indie pop singer-songwriter Maria Diamandis, while 'the diamonds' referred to Marina's dedicated fan base. Froot is still an impressive and cohesive album that spawned several successful singles along with "Forget", including title track "Froot", "Happy", "I'm a Ruin" and "Blue."
Following the album release and accompanying tour for Froot, Marina decided to take a break. To place more emphasis on self vs. persona, she's since shortened the band name to MARINA. The diamonds have not been forgotten, but are now visually incorporated into the MARINA logo (a diamond appearing between each letter of MARINA). And now the break is over, and MARINA is back with "Handmade Heaven", her first new solo material since Froot's final single ("Blue"). The song is also the first taste of new material from her forthcoming fourth studio album, LOVE + FEAR, set for official release on April 26. On social media, Marina refers to the double album as "two 8 track collections that form a set."
"Handmade Heaven" is a gorgeous, melodically uplifting musical return for this amazingly talented musician. I can't imagine a more appropriate and complementary accompanying music video for the song, with its bold colors, magical wintry landscape, and bold, bright colors. The visuals are breathtaking. Speaking of colors, Marina has previously described that she experiences synesthesia, a phenomenon where an individual perceives or experiences particular colors when hearing musical notes and sounds. Perhaps this has had some influence on the colorful visuals in the music video.
Regarding the inspiration for "Handmade Heaven", Marina notes, "I wrote the song at a time when I felt very out of sync and lost in the world. One thing that helped me at that time was taking time to look closely at nature everyday."
But in this handmade heaven, I come alive
Bluebirds forever colour the sky
In this handmade heaven, we forget the time
'Cause birds of a feather fly together
Watch the accompanying music video for "Handmade Heaven", directed by Sophie Muller and filmed in the stunning winter landscape of Tallinn, Estonia.
MARINA "HANDMADE HEAVEN" (Official Music Video)
Be sure to follow MARINA on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, official website) for details of her upcoming European and North American tours, and listen to MARINA's music on Spotify, SoundCloud and iTunes.