Mood Board is our column where artists share a few of the things that inspired their new record. This time, Marci, aka the LA-via-Montreal artist Marta Cikojevic, tells us about how being a Gemini, exaggerated Americana, French tip manicures, and more shaped her new record Mask Lady and Late Night Girl — out now on Arbutus.
— Annie Fell, Editor-in-chief, Talkhouse Music
1. Geminis
I’m a Gemini myself, so I’m probably a little biased to loving Geminis. I think we’re very passionate and emotional, with a natural ability to move between extremes. Most Geminis I know have a good balance of introversion and extroversion, and I think that duality is often mistaken for being two-faced. I am constantly caught between two extremes where I'm either moving to the country and never seeing a human ever again or I'm perfectly happy staying up all night with a bunch of people I just met. Balance? Two heads are better than one.
2. Hollywood and exaggerated Americana of films and television of the ‘80s and ‘90s
Fascinated with the larger-than-life almost caricatured version found in pop culture. Every time I would give an exaggerated vocal take or hear something that sounded really good and cheesy I would say it was “Hot Sexy USA.” I lived in Hollywood for four years, up until a few months ago, and when I first moved there I would drive around at night just taking it all in. There was a strange sadness and excitement in the air — you could feel the weight of people’s dreams and disappointments. A place that can lift you up and make you feel like anything is possible, only to bring you back down just as easily. I love going to the Frolic Room on Hollywood and Vine, where you can have a Martini right next to the stars baby! Tell Joe I sent ya.
3. French tip manicure
My nails are short right now :(. But I maintained a French manicure during most of the recording and it made me feel really chic and sassy. I'm a nail biter but will go a couple months in a year with really nice nails, and when I have them I will talk about them/show them off… I even put them into the lyrics of songs… When you feel sassy, your songs feel sassy. Now you know how I get the Marci sound.
4. Being chaotic
But in a good way? There is such a thing… I think it comes down to balance again. Maybe the record is inspired by BALANCE.
I’m rocking back and forth hugging my knees to my chest saying “balance” over and over.
I have some fun stories… of getting into strange and funny situations. I feel like I've lived a few lives already. One day, I'll tell you my stories. If you get me on a good night I'll probably let one slip.
Chaotic moments inspire me. The highs and the lows, the absurdity and the uncertainty, have a way of revealing parts of myself I might not have otherwise discovered. There’s something special about that, to be able to look back at the chaos and find meaning in it.
A photo I took when I was living in Hong Kong 2011, one of the more “chaotic” times of my life.
