Helen Marnie (born 21 February 1978) is a Scottish musician, known as the lead vocalist and one of the keyboardists and songwriters of the

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...

band

Ladytron Ladytron are a largely British electronic band formed in Liverpool in 1999. The group consists of Helen Marnie (lead vocals, synthesizers), Mira Aroyo (vocals, synthesizers), Daniel Hunt (synthesizers, guitar, vocals), and Reuben Wu (synth ...

. In 2012, she started a solo career as Marnie and released her debut solo album ''

Crystal World ''Crystal World'' is the debut studio album by Scottish musician Marnie, self-released on 11 June 2013 through the site PledgeMusic. The album was produced in 2012 in Reykjavík, Iceland, by her Ladytron band-mate Daniel Hunt in collaboration w ...

'' on 11 June 2013. Her second solo album, '' Strange Words and Weird Wars'', was released on 2 June 2017.

Biography

Helen Marnie was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and grew up in the same city. She is a classically trained pianist. Marnie studied classical piano at the

Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland ( gd, Conservatoire Rìoghail na h-Alba), formerly the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama ( gd, Acadamaidh Rìoghail Ciùil is Dràma na h-Alba) is a conservatoire of dance, drama, music, production, and ...

in Glasgow. She dropped out of university in Glasgow before going on to study music at the

University of Liverpool , mottoeng = These days of peace foster learning , established = 1881 – University College Liverpool1884 – affiliated to the federal Victoria Universityhttp://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/2004/4 University of Manchester Act 200 ...

, England where she received in 1999 a BA in pop music. In the summer of 1999, English producers and DJs

Daniel Hunt Daniel Hunt (born 25 July 1974) is an English musician, songwriter and producer. He is a founding member, principal songwriter and producer of the electronic band Ladytron. Biography Hunt met Reuben Wu in Liverpool in 1995 and formed Ladyt ...

and

Reuben Wu Reuben Wu (born 1975) is a British artist, photographer, musician, and industrial designer. He is also known as a keyboardist, songwriter, and producer for the electronic band Ladytron. Biography Reuben Wu was born in Liverpool in 1975, the so ...

met students Helen Marnie (through various DJ gigs) and

Mira Aroyo Mira Aroyo ( bg, Мира Аройо, ; born 11 July 1977) is a Bulgarian singer, musician, songwriter, DJ, and geneticist. She is best known as the keyboardist, co-lead vocalist, and co-songwriter of the electronic band Ladytron, which she co-f ...

(through a mutual friend). Sharing similar interests in music, they formed the

band

in the same year. Since then, Marnie has performed as the lead singer of the band, and also plays synthesizers and contributes to songwriting. On 24 May 2012, her Ladytron bandmate

announced that he would produce Marnie's solo album in

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its ...

in August 2012. On 16 September 2012, Marnie set up a

PledgeMusic PledgeMusic was an online direct-to-fan music platform, launched in August 2009. It was started to facilitate musicians looking to pre-sell, market, and distribute projects; such as recordings and concerts. It bore similarities to other artist p ...

account to help fund the making of her album. The album was produced in 2012 in

Reykjavík Reykjavík ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói bay. Its latitude is 64°08' N, making it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. With a po ...

by her bandmate

in collaboration with the Icelandic musician

Barði Jóhannsson Barði Jóhannsson (born 10 September 1975) is an Icelandic musician, composer, writer, TV show host (of the surrealist Icelandic TV show ''Konfekt''), clothing designer and film director. He is mostly known for his work with the groups Bang Ga ...

. Regarding her album, Marnie said that she wanted "to create an electronic album with more of a pop element and pristine vocals". Marnie shot her first solo music video on 30 April in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...

with a group of friends. On 16 May 2013, she announced the cover and the title of the album, ''

''. On 29 May 2013, Marnie premiered on her official YouTube account the music video directed by Michael Sherrington for her debut single as solo artist, "The Hunter". After some delays, Marnie released her debut album ''

'' on 11 June 2013. After PledgeMusic copies of the CD version were delivered in July 2013, ''

'' was issued to stores by

Les Disques Du Crépuscule Les Disques du Crépuscule is an independent record label founded in Belgium. The label was founded in 1980 by Michel Duval and Annik Honoré. It also had a prominent associated sublabel, Factory Benelux. Both are now run by former employee Jam ...

in August 2013. Marnie marked Record Store Day in April 2014 with a limited edition 12-inch single, ''The Hunter Remixed'', featuring mixes by Stephen Morris (of

Joy Division Joy Division were an English rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist Ian Curtis, guitarist/keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris. Sumner and Hook formed the band after atte ...

/ New Order) and Glasgow electro radicals Roman Nose, as well as the album version of the song plus a mix of Sugarland by

Mark Reeder Mark Reeder (born 5 January 1958) is a British musician and record producer. He grew up in Manchester, England. At a young age, Reeder became interested in progressive rock and especially early electronic music. In his teens, he worked in a sma ...

. The single was limited to 500 copies in clear vinyl. She also released the James Slater directed music video of "Hearts on Fire" on the same day. On 9 September 2014, she premiered a new single titled "Wolves" from the upcoming second solo album, initially planned for release in 2015. The song was produced by Jonny Scott and was released on iTunes on 14 September 2014. The music video was published on YouTube on 17 September and it was co-directed by Marnie and Michael Sherrington. On 18 April 2015 (Record Store Day), "Wolves" with a

Marsheaux Marsheaux is a Greek synthpop duo formed in Athens in 2003. The group is composed of vocalists, songwriters and keyboardists Marianthi Melitsi and Sophie Sarigiannidou. The name Marsheaux is derived from the first syllable of each band member's ...

remix as a B-side was released on 7" vinyl as a limited edition (500 copies). In 2015, Marnie performed vocals on

Bang Gang Bang Gang is a downtempo band from Iceland founded by songwriter and producer Barði Jóhannsson (see also Lady & Bird). The band was formed in 1996, in Barði’s hometown of Reykjavík. Bang Gang were initially a surf band but it moved into ...

' song "Silent Bite". In 2016, she collaborated with the musician

RM Hubbert RM Hubbert (Robert McArthur Hubbert, born 12 May 1974 in Glasgow, Scotland), commonly known as Hubby, is a Scottish guitarist and singer. Best known for his solo work as RM Hubbert and as a member of Scottish post rock band El Hombre Trajeado, ...

on the song "Sweet Dreams". On 24 January 2017, she released the first single titled "Alphabet Block" from the forthcoming second solo album, '' Strange Words and Weird Wars''. The second single, "Lost Maps", was issued on 30 March and its music video, a day later.

Touring

In 2015, Marnie started touring as a solo artist with a backing live band that consists of Emer Tumilty (synthesizers and backing vocals), Jonny Scott (guitar, synthesizers) and Peter Kelly (drums). She performed songs from her solo career and from Ladytron's back catalogue. Marnie and her live band played in Lima (Peru) and Santiago de Chile (Chile) so far.

Musical influence

Marnie grew up with pop music like

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "Honorific nicknames in popular music, The Voice", she is Whitney Houston albums discography, one of the bestselling music artists ...

Belinda Carlisle Belinda Jo Carlisle ( ; born August 17, 1958) is an American singer. She gained fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, the most successful all-female rock band of all time, and went on to have a prolific career as a solo artist. Raised in ...

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the " King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over ...

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

The Bangles The Bangles are an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1981. The band recorded several singles that reached the U.S. top 10 during the 1980s, including " Manic Monday" (1986), " Walk Like an Egyptian" (1986), "Hazy Shad ...

Carly Simon Carly Elisabeth Simon (born June 25, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter, memoirist, and children's author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records; her 13 Top 40 U.S. hits include " Anticipation" (No. 13), " The Right Th ...

, and

ABBA ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The grou ...

. She claimed musical influences such as

Kate Bush Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and dancer. In 1978, at the age of 19, she topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks with her debut single " Wuthering Heights", becoming the first female ...

Maria Callas Maria Callas . (born Sophie Cecilia Kalos; December 2, 1923 – September 16, 1977) was an American-born Greek soprano who was one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. Many critics praised her ''bel cant ...

, and

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her st ...

. She also mentioned artists like

Bat for Lashes Natasha Khan (born 25 October 1979), known professionally as Bat for Lashes, is an English singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. She has released five studio albums: '' Fur and Gold'' (2006), ''Two Suns'' (2009), '' The Hau ...

MGMT MGMT () is an American indie rock band formed in 2002 in Middletown, Connecticut. It was founded by multi-instrumentalists Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser. Alongside VanWyngarden and Goldwasser, MGMT's live lineup currently consists o ...

Fairport Convention Fairport Convention are an English folk rock band, formed in 1967 by guitarists Richard Thompson and Simon Nicol, bassist Ashley Hutchings and drummer Shaun Frater (with Frater replaced by Martin Lamble after their first gig.) They started o ...

Serge Gainsbourg Serge Gainsbourg (; born Lucien Ginsburg; 2 April 1928 – 2 March 1991) was a French musician, singer-songwriter, actor, author and filmmaker. Regarded as one of the most important figures in French pop, he was renowned for often provoc ...

, Grimes, and

Chvrches Chvrches (stylised CHVRCHΞS and pronounced "Churches") are a Scottish pop band from Glasgow, formed in September 2011. The band consists of Lauren Mayberry, Iain Cook, Martin Doherty and, unofficially since 2018, Jonny Scott. Mostly deriving fr ...

as her favourites.

Personal life

Marnie was married in 2011. Near the end of 2012 she moved back to

, after living in London for more than a decade.

Instruments

Helen Marnie - Live at the Arches, Glasgow 2011

During

's live shows, Helen Marnie sings and occasionally plays one synthesizer. She played live the following instruments for the band: *

Korg , founded as Keio Electronic Laboratories, is a Japanese multinational corporation that manufactures electronic musical instruments, audio processors and guitar pedals, recording equipment, and electronic tuners. Under the Vox brand name, th ...

M500 Micro-Preset (''604'' tour); * Roland Juno 6 (''Light & Magic'' tour); * Korg MS2000B (''Witching Hour'' tour); *

Roland Juno-G Roland Juno-G is a music workstation/synth introduced in 2006 by Roland Corporation. It is based on the Roland Fantom-X, Fantom-X series, having a vintage design that resembles the first Juno synthesizers, such as the Roland Juno-106, Juno-106. ...

(early part of ''Velocifero'' tour); *

Delta (''Velocifero'', ''Best of 00–10'' and ''Gravity the Seducer'' tours). On the early part of ''Witching Hour'' tour, Ladytron used to name their four identical Korg MS2000B to be easier installed on stage. Her MS2000B keyboard was named Cleopatra. On her solo career gigs, she sings and plays a Korg Delta.

Discography

Ladytron

Studio albums *'' 604'' (2001) *''

Light & Magic ''Light & Magic'' is the second studio album by English electronic music band Ladytron. It was released in the United States on 17 September 2002 by Emperor Norton and in the United Kingdom on 2 December 2002 by Telstar Records. The album has ...

'' (2002) *''

Witching Hour In folklore, the witching hour or devil's hour is a time of night that is associated with supernatural events, whereby witches, demons and ghosts are thought to appear and be at their most powerful. Definitions vary, and include the hour imme ...

'' (2005) *''

Velocifero ''Velocifero'' is the fourth studio album by English electronic music band Ladytron and their first to be released by Nettwerk. The album was first released digitally on 19 May 2008, followed by a physical release on 2 June in the United Kingdo ...

'' (2008) *''

Gravity the Seducer ''Gravity the Seducer'' is the fifth studio album by English electronic music band Ladytron. It was released on 12 September 2011 by Nettwerk. Recorded in Kent, England, the album has been described as "haunted, evocative, romantic", and having ...

'' (2011) *''

'' (2019)

Marnie

Studio albums * ''

'' (2013) * '' Strange Words and Weird Wars'' (2017) Singles *"The Hunter" (2013) *"Wolves" (2014) *"Alphabet Block" (2017) *"Lost Maps" (2017) *"Electric Youth" (2017) EPs *"The Hunter Remixed" (2013) *"Lost Maps Remixed" (2017) Music videos *"The Hunter" (2013) *"Hearts on Fire" (2014) *"Wolves" (2014) *"Lost Maps" (2017) *"Electric Youth" (2017) Collaborations *

- "Silent Bite" (2015) *

with Marnie - "Sweet Dreams" (2016) *Nightwave feat. Marnie - "Transmute" (2019) *Union of Knives feat. Marnie - "A Tall Tale" (2020) *Union of Knives feat. Marnie - "A Little Life" (2021) Helen Marnie in Mexico 2011

References

External links

Ladytron official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marnie, Helen 1978 births Living people Scottish electronic musicians Musicians from Glasgow 21st-century Scottish women singers Scottish keyboardists Ladytron members Synth-pop singers Women keyboardists British women in electronic music Alumni of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Alumni of the University of Liverpool