NEW ALBUM : BILLIE MARTEN releases album FLORA FAUNA today

Billie Marten has today released her brand new album Flora Fauna on Fiction Records. The critically acclaimed Flora Fauna has already been lauded in glowing terms by the likes of NME, The Line Of Best Fit, Dork, DIY, Gigwise, and more. New single ‘Human Replacement’ premiered this Monday as Annie Mac’s Hottest Record in the World and comes accompanied by an incredibly powerful video by Joe Wheatley. Marten’s ‘Creature Of Mine’ (also a Hottest Record) is currently on the playlist at BBC R1, BBC Radio 6 Music (A-Listed from next Monday), and Radio X. Billie Marten will embark on a UK tour later in the year, which includes a date at London’s EartH on 30 September. 

Built on the minimalist acoustic folk foundations she made a name for herself with, Marten’s third album Flora Fauna is a more mature, embodied album fostered around a strong backbone of bass and rhythm. Shedding the timidity of previous work in favour of a more urgent sound, the songs mark a period of personal independence for Marten as she learned to nurture herself and break free from toxic relationships – and a big part of that was returning to nature. “I wasn’t really treating myself very well, it was a bit of a disruptive time. All these songs are about getting myself out of that hole – they’re quite strong affirmations. The name Flora Fauna is like a green bath for my eyes. If the album was a painting, it would look like flora and fauna – it encompasses every organism, every corner of Earth, and a feeling of total abundance.”

Speaking about the video for ‘Human Replacement’, which was directed by the award winning creative Joe Wheatley, Marten explains: “This video is absolutely needed to match the message of the song, which was initially something I shied away from talking about. As creative discussions began between Joe Wheatley (Director) and I it became incredibly important to convey the absurdity of simply not being able to go out anywhere at night as a woman particularly, without that hideous stone-cold fear of what might happen to you. Hence every woman in the video needing the comfort and protection of full army gear to carry out the simplest of everyday tasks (like going for a run or walking home from work) and every man is without it. My trusty safety tank gets me to the shop for a pint of milk. It’s a deliberately absurd illustration of a disturbingly real problem that needed to be addressed.”

Raised in the rolling hills of North Yorkshire on artists such as Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell, Joan Armatrading, and Kate Bush, Marten’s critically acclaimed debut album Writing of Blues and Yellows, was released in 2016 when she was still just 17, while its follow-up Feeding Seahorses By Hand was similarly lauded in 2019.Recorded with Rich Cooper in London, Marten’s new material blends those signature hushed, resonant vocals with a rapid pulse and rich instrumentation, her inspirations now stretching from krautrockers Can, to Broadcast, Arthur Russell, and Fiona Apple. 

Alongside her nomination for the BBC Sound of 2016, support throughout Marten’s burgeoning career has rolled in from the likes of The Evening Standard, The Independent and The Sunday Times Culture. Flora Fauna’s singles ‘Garden Of Eden’ and ‘Creature of Mine’ have been met with rapturous praise, drawing in national airplay from the likes of Annie Mac, Jack Saunders, Sian Eleri, Arielle Free and Gemma Bradley at BBC R1, Dermot O’Leary and Jo Whiley on BBC Radio 2, and landing playlist spots at Radio 1, 6 Music (‘Garden Of Eden’ featured on the A-List) and Radio X. The tracks were also praised by Clash, DIY, Dork, NME, Notion, Stereogum, The Forty Five The Guardian, The Line Of Best Fit, The Independent, and many more tastemakers. 

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See Billie Marten live in 2021:

Jul 31 | Y Not Festival, Derbyshire

Aug 12 | The Joiners Arms, Southampton

Aug 13 | Boardmasters Festival, Newquay

Aug 29 | Victorious Festival, Portsmouth

Sep 12 | Lancaster Library, Lancaster 

Sep 16 | Stereo, Glasgow

Sep 17 | O2 Academy, Leicester

Sep 18 | Jericho Tavern, Oxford

Sep 19 | Leadmill, Sheffield

Sep 21 | Castle & Falcon, Birmingham
Sep 24 | Brudenell Social Club, Leeds

Sep 28 | The Portland Arms, Cambridge

Sep 29 | Academy 3, Manchester

Sep 30 | EartH, London

Oct 2 | Ipswich Sound City, Ipswich

Oct 3 | The Boileroom, Guildford

Oct 8 | FOCUS Wales, Wrexham

Oct 9 | Are You Listening? Festival, Reading

Oct 10 | Tunbridge Wells Forum, Tunbridge Wells

Oct 16 | Wild Paths Festival, Norwich