Marina V
And Is Currently Celebrating Her New Status As A U.S. Citizen
“Killing My Dream,” the closing song on singer-songwriter Marina V’s stunning, critically acclaimed album Simple Magic, paints a haunting portrait of a painful romantic relationship. But it could easily be a reflection of her childhood in Moscow, where the charismatic, Russia-born performer encountered stiff early resistance to her exuberant artistic spirit and grand aspirations.
When her piano teacher at music school dismissed an early composition as “nonsense,” Marina (whose last name is Verenikina) put her songwriting on hold. But true to the independent spirit which now defines her music and career—to the tune of an average of 110 shows per year in her adopted country, the United States—she went skateboarding, swimming and figure skating and…started listening to the Beatles on illegally smuggled tapes a friend had given her. She spent hours playing their songs on the piano and even more hours trying to find more Beatles music—a difficult task in the old, culturally restrictive Soviet Union.
In a million years, the ambitious singer and musician—who broke through in America thanks to numerous tours of Borders Bookstores, and whose voice earned the L.A. Times’ praise as “hauntingly beautiful”--could never have imagined that someday, her first official album (Simple Magic) would have two tracks (“Killing My Dream” and “Underneath Your Sky”) produced by Jack Douglas, who rose to fame by engineering John Lennon’s Imagine and produced many later projects for Lennon, his fellow Beatle George Harrison, Aerosmith, Cheap Trick and others. Marina’s manager is David Krebs, who was instrumental in building the careers of Aerosmith, Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Don McLean, among others. She produced the other tracks with her longtime songwriting collaborator Nick Baker.
Marina also pays direct homage to The Beatles with her tender piano-vocal version of “Here, There & Everywhere,” which has received several thousand plays on her myspace page. The song is included on her soon to be released CD Live At Soundmoves, which she recorded in front of 50 lucky fans at a studio in Sun Valley, California, in an environment she says was heavily inspired by the Fab Four’s “All You Need Is Love” session.
Instead of being a concept recording, Marina says, Simple Magic—which is being distributed throughout California by WEA--is a collection of songs about her multitude of emotions and the almost cinematic sweep of experiences in her life. “This includes love and heartbreak, dealing with and overcoming obstacles, being hopeful and creating a unique path in life,” says Marina, who, despite her memory of economic hardships back home, celebrating her recent U.S. citizenship and vast appreciation of American freedoms, says that the most difficult thing she ever did was leave her family and the “special world” of Russia behind. She came to the U.S. for the first time alone at age 15 after winning a national scholarship competition.
“Every song is based on a personal reflection,” she adds. “The tune ‘I’ll Be Alright’ is about making a better life for myself, and realizing nobody else will do it for me. ‘Underneath Your Sky’ is about that magical feeling of finding someone who makes you complete, the whole soul mate thing come to life. ‘When I Come Home’ touches on elements of regret that happen when you leave everything you know to find a different life. And ‘Killing My Dream’ tells the person that no matter the pain they have caused, they will always be in your heart. There are so many factors that have made me a better songwriter, starting with listening to Russian folk and classical music and my mother singing to me and playing upright ‘four hand piano’ with my grandmother at her house every summer.”
Marina also boldly includes one Russian language song on Simple Magic, whose title “Pesnya O Tebe” translates to “Song About You.” Performing in nearly every state, she receives an incredible response each time she plays. “Most people I sing for have never heard anything sung in Russian before,” she says. “I truly love being a cultural ambassador, sharing and showing the positive side of my homeland. I also enjoy singing the Russian folk songs that are so much a part of me. I feel as though I am on a cultural mission, and it makes me feel really proud to convey positive impressions of Russia. It’s exciting and hopeful to see that my fans can relate to someone from another side of the world.”
Even the name of Marina’s label, Crazy Apples, is a reference to the hope she had in her heart of a shining future for herself while growing up in Soviet Russia: “When I was growing up, I really didn’t have too many things, let’s say, I had just one pair of jeans for a few years. It was quite normal in the Soviet Union. There weren’t too many bright things, but mostly dark, solemn colors. When my mom first went to America in 1991, half a year before the USSR fell apart, among other things she brought me a small plastic bag. It was white with bright green apples all over it, and it said in hot pink ‘Crazy Apples’. It was the first bright thing that I ever owned.”
Marina discusses her sense of responsibility as an artist and her commitment to various organizations and environmental causes in a special section of her website (www.marinav.com) called Make A Difference. In addition to a wistful reflection of her experience as a Russian performer winning the hearts of American audiences, she includes passionate writings about her love for the environment, the importance of recycling, and tips for how to contribute to making the world a better place to live. Putting her money where her mouth is, she recently bought a Toyota Prius and drives it as she tours.
“I am a huge environmental activist who believes that even one person can make a difference,” she says. “And I try to make my difference and inspire others to make theirs as well. I believe that the connection between my fans and me is very important, and it constantly inspires me. There are certain emotions that happen when I play live that don’t occur in any other place. It’s great to be in the moment and having that spark of energy that cannot be repeated ever again. I could play the same song 200 times before, but it’s different the next time because of the emotion of that moment, just between me and my audience. To me, it’s the most amazing thing in the world to realize that something I have written and sung can touch somebody’s soul. That’s a wonderful gift that I always love sharing.”
Download a free (legal) copy of the very beautiful "Let This Minute Last" on Marina's MySpace
Learn more about Marina on her website.