Part 1

Name: Mary Middlefield
Nationality: Swiss
Occupation: Singer, songwriter
Current release: Mary Middlefield's new single “Sexless” is out now. Earlier in 2023, she released her full-length album Thank You Alexander.
Recommendations: These recommendations are not necessarily underground, new or unknown but these works have had a profound and lasting impact on me and my growth as a human being and an artist.
One record that in my humble opinion everyone should listen to is Connan Mockasin’s Forever Dolphin Love. It’s an innovative, moving, weird, beautiful, earnest and just very well/executed record.
My all-time favorite writer will always and forever be Albert Camus. The Stranger is a great place to start and one of my personal favorite books. It makes you ask yourself all the right questions and leaves you with very agonizing emotions.

If you enjoyed this Mary Middlefield interview and would like to stay up to date with her music and live dates, visit her official website. She is also on Instagram.



Where does the impulse to create something come from for you? What role do often-quoted sources of inspiration like dreams, other forms of art, personal relationships, politics etc play?

Each cited source significantly contributes to my work and there are numerous additional albeit somewhat random ones that may vary depending on the day I’m having. They spontaneously inspire and trigger me into the writing process and I rarely actually get to choose those moments.

What really gets me going are human relationships, be they personal or otherwise, as well as the intricate relationships individuals have with themselves. Humans are so emotionally complex and interesting.

The myriad ways in which we interact and communicate fascinate me, and it’s this fascination that fuels my frequent writing on the subject.

For you to get started, do there need to be concrete ideas – or what some have called a 'visualisation' of the finished work? What does the balance between planning and chance look like for you?

I typically avoid fixating on an idea or on a finished product until I have a blueprint in hand. For instance, I only begin considering the production style once I have a general idea of a story, structure, some chords, lyrics or toplines before me.

In all honesty, I’m not much of a planner. Planning feels somewhat unnatural and counterintuitive to me. In my circle, I’m known as one to follow wherever my heart and brain lead me, even as they constantly shirt and take me in various directions.

A prime example of this spontaneity is my song “Firearm.” Just four hours before we were due to leave the studio, it had no drums. Two days prior to mixing, the distinctive baritone guitar you hear throughout the song didn’t exist either.



That song was initially something entirely different, with an acoustic guitar that felt out of place. At the time, I envisioned it as a laid-back folk song, but something compelled me to experiment with adding drums and bless my producer, Gwen Buord, for incorporating the baritone guitar at the last minute.

Everything deserves a chance. It would be such a shame to miss out on something that could have been twenty times better than your initial idea just because it didn’t align with the initial timeline.

Is there a preparation phase for your process? Do you require your tools to be laid out in a particular way, for example, do you need to do 'research' or create 'early versions'?

It varies depending on the song, I guess. There are instances where I’ve just come into the studio with a voice memo from my phone and nothing else. In those moments, every possibility is on the table, which can feel overwhelming at times, but it’s incredibly rewarding when you eventually achieve a result you’re satisfied with.

On the flip side, there are songs like “Case Closed” where my producer and I had nearly finalized everything before entering the studio, only needing to professionally record the vocals and some instruments. Each composition is unique.



When it comes to production techniques or topics I wish to explore, I do conduction research, but I’m careful not to overdo it, as it can sometimes hinder the sincerity of my work. Clumsiness, mistakes and happy accidents all contribute to my evolution and growth as an artist and musician.

Evolution is a constant process for me. I love listening to my record and finding elements I might not approach the same way today. That’s a way for me to keep track of my growth.

Do you have certain rituals to get you into the right mindset for creating? What role do certain foods or stimulants like coffee, lighting, scents, exercise or reading poetry play?

I don’t have specific rituals or rely on any stimulants when making music. When I’m alone, I simply tune into what my mind and heart are calling for. If they are not in the mood for it, I’ll take a break.

However, when I’m working with others, the right team is what truly inspires me. I thrive on the sense of trust, enthusiasm, camaraderie, friendship and professionalism in the music-making process.

I’ve been extremely fortunate, as I’ve rarely been in a situation where I felt something off during the creative journey. I owe a huge thanks to my friends and collaborators for that.

What do you start with? How difficult is that first line of text, the first note?

I’ll typically begin with whatever comes to mind. It could be a topline, some lyrics, chords or a riff. The opening line is one thing I consider challenging to get right. I want to captivate both myself and my listeners. I think of it as if someone were trying to flirt with me: the initial words can either make or break the interaction.

There have been instances where that opening line flowed effortlessly, like when I wrote “Sexless.” Yet, in other cases, I’ve spent days, even weeks, trying to find the perfect opener.

When do the lyrics enter the picture? Where do they come from? Do lyrics need to grow together with the music or can they emerge from a place of their own?

It depends. Most of the time I’ll start with them. My notes app and my notebooks are essentially bins full of poems and stuff I’ve written down during the years.

In my opinion words matter. Human communication and language possess incredible power. So, if I feel like I really have something to convey in a song, I’ll adapt the music or the structure around a particular line.

That’s exactly what I did for “Mr. John.” That song doesn’t conform to a traditional structure; it’s just me pouring my heart out.



Sometimes I start with a chord progression or a riff I really like and if I’m lucky, the right words and melodies will just flow out. If not I’ll just record what I have, let it breathe a little and return to it. To answer your second question, I think both approaches are valid; it just depends on one’s workflow.

What makes lyrics good in your opinion? What are your own ambitions and challenges in this regard?

Honesty. I love hearing a story that feels real. I may not always relate to it and that’s okay. Hearing a songwriter pour their heart out, embrace their sincerity and vulnerability deeply resonates with me. I’m drawn to genuine pain and joy. It’s what I continually strive for in my own work.
 
I view any piece of art, whether it’s a song, a poem, or a painting, as a snapshot of a specific moment in the artist’s life. You can’t alter it and there’s no reason to be ashamed of that. That concept became particularly clear while writing “Sexless.” That song captures a fleeting instant in my life that I felt needed to get out.

Lately, I’ve been struggling in trying to find something in my life worthy of sharing. The stories and the lyrics are not coming out the way I would like them to. That’s okay - it happens to everyone. Maybe there’s some part of my life or emotions I haven’t fully confronted yet to appropriately put it into words.

To quote a question by the great Bruce Duffie: When you come up with a musical idea, have you created the idea or have you discovered the idea?

I’d prefer to say I’ve discovered the idea. I’d never give myself credit for creating ideas because almost everything has already been done.

I’ll never label myself as a musical genius or an innovator, and the artists I admire for those qualities may not view themselves that way either. Perhaps my brain unconsciously recalls something that I’ve read or heard at some point in time and adapts it to my likes.

In my case, I would even say I have rediscovered and tailored the idea …

From your experience, are there things you're doing differently than most or many other artists when it comes to writing music?

I don’t like to compare myself to anyone. We’re all different and the same in a sense. We all make music, we all try to do our best and are passionate about the same thing. Even though genres and personalities might be different, our hearts are in the same place. We all love something about music.

I also don’t like to say I do things differently than somebody else. There’s so many of us. There might be someone out there who has the same sound and vision as I have and I just haven’t discovered them yet.