New album "Big Sigh" - Marika Hackman faces her fears
At its best,music is like medicine for the soul. Are you sad? The "Impromptu for String Orchestra op. 5" by Jean Sibelius can comfort you. Having trouble at work? A few bars of "Let There Be Rock" by AC/DC will make you feel better. Do you have doubts about humanity? Harry Nilsson gives you back hope with his version of "Mother Nature's Son". Or do you just want to clear your head and dance a little? Then put on something by Prince, D'Angelo or James Brown.
Now Marika Hackman, 31, is adding another medicine to the medicine chest of music. On her fourth album "Big Sigh", which will be released on January 12, she confronts her fears. In ten songs, the singer talks about her vulnerability, anger, sadness and self-doubt. Each song gives an insight into her soul.
Opening up and sharing crises with the audience is what distinguishes artists, whether they write books, paint pictures or compose music. That gives courage. The message: we are not alone with our fears. And despite everything, we manage quite well.
Art springs from fear
Marika Hackman knows all about fears. She was 17 years old when she was confronted with death. Her appendix burst and an emergency operation saved her. Looking back, Hackman sees this experience, which was exacerbated by sepsis in hospital, as the starting point of her musical career. "That was a big shock to my body," she says. "I had my first panic attack then, and I've been anxious ever since."
Otherwise, her childhood sounds quite idyllic. Hackman grew up with her older brother in Selborne, a village in the English county of Hampshire. The family later moved to Devon. Her mother and father, a Finn, worked as cartoon animators. Hackman learned to play the piano, bass and drums at an early age and later taught herself the guitar. She founded the cover duo "The Clementines" with Cara Delevingne, who is now famous worldwide as a model and actress. Despite her initial success as a musician, Hackman began studying art in Brighton after school. She dropped out at 19 and a few months later she had a record deal.
Since then, her life has revolved around music - until corona came along and put everything on hold. She found the silence that came with it extremely agonizing, says Hackman. Meeting friends, swimming and going on tour - everything that had done her good and taken her mind off things disappeared from her life overnight. "I have pretty severe anxiety. Normally that's manageable, but having no control for two years during the pandemic was bad."
Hackman stopped writing music. Her anxiety grew. With the end of the restrictions, however, her creativity returned. Initial ideas became songs, songs became the new album. "Big Sigh" is the result of this artistic rebirth, says Hackman today, adding that the work was an arduous but healing process. "It took a long time to make this album. It wasn't easy, and when I got to the end, I was calm."
Marika Hackman has done it. She turned her fears and hurts into exciting music. You can hear her courage. It is infectious.
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After turning her fears and hurts into music on her fourth album "Big Sigh", Marika Hackman's courage is evident in every note. With the release date set for January 12, this album is set to be another medicinal touch of comfort in the world of music and entertainment. Despite facing her own anxiety, Marika Hackman's artistic rebirth has led her to confront her fears and create an inspiring album that encourages listeners to face their own anxieties and know they're not alone in the world.
Source: www.stern.de
