Marianne Barlow

Bio:

She was born in Van Nuys, California (Like omiGOsh, the VALLey!). She was a Girl Scout too and before you think “big nerd” the answer would be, well, kinda, if that means intelligent folk with lovely earth-based imagery. Her songwriting career began in college when she heard someone else’s attempt at a tune about babies and death – don’t ask – and thought, I could do better than that. And better she is. Ask singer-songwriter Christine Kane who says, "Marianne Barlow's music speaks of beauty and depth. She weaves haunting emotional and personal lyrics with strong melodies and rhythms to create some real gems.” She’ll remind you of established folk artists like Judy Collins, with a timeless interweaving of melody and lyrics but with a sound more suited for an MP3 age.

With music shaped by folk-rock stalwarts like the Indigo Girls and Natalie Merchant, her songs come through her from another place -- the universe, God, her right breast (more on that later), whatever you want to call it. She offers a sweet take on a relationship in “Dreamin,’” with harmonies as rich and full as the emotion. There’s a more ancient sound in “Dzunakwa,” a compelling story which ends with:

I walked along the shore and gathered up those shells and bones I saw the faces of the women carved into the stone I walked into the woods and saw the lakes and mountains high I heard the whispers of your story drifting to the sky

In “Even the Blue” she uses color as a metaphor for finding our place in the world, adeptly touching on universal themes, like a good Dar Williams song. “California February” leaves you wishing for a day like this:

Gorgeous morning, kiss the sunshine, gorgeous glowing afternoon Freedom speaks a flowing language, play with me in nature’s room

There now, doesn’t that make you feel better about OmiGOSH California? Oh and the breast thing? It’s a song about taking care of yourselves, especially for women. It’s a lighthearted look at a serious issue, partly centered around a friend who had breast cancer but there’s also this:

You know the Amazons, they didn’t need ‘em Didn’t have babies or just didn’t feed ‘em

Her dad is a jazz musician who’s shared the stage with everyone from Engelbert Humperdinck to Lindsay Buckingham. The musical genes don’t stop there, her sister is also a singer and it’s not unusual to hear all three of them doing a gig together. Marianne performs around the bay area in California (Rose Street House of Music, San Francisco Free Folk Festival, live on KWMR) but it wasn’t long ago that she made a detour to London – yep, the one in England. With a new album in the works and an eye toward promoting it, expect to see her beyond her usual circle of San Francisco and Oakland, whether it’s at a KOA campground (she’s a Kampertainer) or in a cozy café in your hometown.

When she’s not doing her singer-songwriter thing she performs with the Merry Ukuladies, a group that performs at hospitals and nursing homes. Marianne also runs a monthly showcase at the Bazaar Café in San Francisco. She’s a preschool teacher too, so many of her fans are under five, but it’s a guarantee that adults will enjoy her too. Just don’t hold the Valley thing against her, ‘k?

Member Since:

February 23, 2006

Members:

Marianne Barlow, acoustic guitar and vocals.
Louis Vega, bass

On Dzunakwa:
John Sullivan: toms
Tilman Wolff-Moore: drum programming & bass

On My Right Breast:
Gania Barlow: backing vocals
Marianne: drum programming on Garageband.

On Time Again & Light of the Crescent Moon:
Louis Vega: bass
Carrie Jahde: drums
Recorded & mixed by Joe Rizzo at Cosmic Circuit Studio in Berkeley, CA

On Magic Words:
Marcie Brown: cello
Also recorded & mixed by Joe Rizzo

Influences:

Indigo Girls, Dar Williams, Rebecca Riots, Francine & Nymiah, Melissa Etheridge, Simon & Garfunkel, the Beatles, Sheryl Crow, Alanis Morissette, Sarah McLachlan, Cat Stevens, Natalie Merchant, David Gray, Nick Drake, Tracy Chapman, Gillian Welch, The Judds, Bonnie Raitt, Counting Crows, Crowded House, Goldenhorse, Catie Curtis, Kristi Martel, Dido, Suzanne Vega, Ruth Huber, Judy Fjell, Harmony Grisman, Jamie Anderson, Judith Silver, Christine Kane, Polly Paulusma, KT Tunstall, and Brandi Carlile.

Sounds Like:

Indigo Girls, Tracy Chapman, Sarah McLachlan, Suzanne Vega, Dar Williams, Marianne Barlow.

Record Label:

Jump to Space Records