Marie Chain went to see the world when she was a young lady. She slogged away in part-time jobs, scraped her savings together, and on leaving school moved to Barcelona to make her dream come true of living life as a musician. In Spain, this singer, songwriter and pianist from Germany began performing on streets and in bars before soon finding herself gigging from Sweden to Switzerland. She even released two albums under her own steam.
Being the free spirit that she is, Marie Chain kept moving.
She relocated to Berlin, and continued to travel the world with sojourns in London, New York and Austin/Texas, where she finally found her own sound. The piano and her earthy soul vocals permeate her new album, which flirts with pop and a hint of jazz, and is also evocative of film music. With the glamour of vintage soul and the emotionality of blues touching base with the lightness of house music, it's only logical that Marie Chain's mix of genres breaks down barriers just like she herself does. Marie has got what it takes to be Germany's next soul diva, yet at the same time she's a child of pop. She's just as much inspired by music from the 1950s and 1960s by the likes of Ray Charles and Etta James as she is by the sounds of the 1990s. The fact that this needn't be a contradiction is firmly upheld on her new album with the apt title 'Freedom'.
"I regard 2020 as the year when individuals break free from social norms and oppression," says Marie Chain. "I want my new album to inspire people to live their own freedom as they see fit. That's so important, now more than ever." Her determination was spurred on by movements such as the demonstrations for equal rights and environmental protection around the globe. "It's our responsibility to act now!" she declares. But there's more to freedom than this. Her new albumalso gets to grips with external expectations and negotiating dependencies between people – for instance when it comes to love and relationships.
Marie's preoccupation with social issues was already apparent on her debut LP 'Chainge', where she dealt with her desire for internal and external transformation. The issues addressed on her follow-up Freedom include not just the rights of members of the LGBTQI+ community, but once again female role models. She has years of experience as a solo artist, in bands and as a session musician, and also collaborated with a wide variety of colleagues ranging from rappers like Kontra K and Alligatoah to producer Charles 'Chicky' Reeves (known for his work with James Brown, Prince and the Rolling Stones) and Hansi Kecker (Game Of Thrones Live, Pet Shop Boys, Nena).
The last few months she played concerts in Guatemala and Mexico. She organized the first 'Freedom Festival' in San Marcos in Guatemala, the second one took place in Berlin in September. Freedom Feestival is a festival which celebrates freedom, music, spirituality and community – Marie Chain´s philosophy of life.
By the way, Marie Chain's favorite drink is whiskey.
In fact, she has her very own brand: 'Chain Whiskey'. After all, when you're trying to make the world a better place, sometimes you need a good drink!
