Not so Quiet: An Interview with girl in red

girl in red aka Marie Ulven is best known for her dreamy bedroom pop songs that have resonated with so many listeners across the world. Now she’s ready to debut her first full-length album and talks all about her new sound with Unpublished in this charming and candid interview.

[UNPUBLISHED:] How are you?

[GIRL IN RED:] I'm just cleaning in my apartment right now and making some coffee, just doing daily life stuff that tends to not be prioritized. When I get over that, “I need to clean” it's actually kind of therapeutic. Seeing the floor getting cleaner – it gets me going, I'm not gonna lie.

[UNPUBLISHED:] I agree with you on that. I love cleaning because when my room’s a mess I get so much anxiety and I feel like I can't do anything.

[GIRL IN RED:] I wish I was you. I know that I thrive in clean environments but I'm just too stressed all the time so I keep putting stuff everywhere. I got to get better, life is here to improve or I am here to improve life maybe.

[UNPUBLISHED:] We're super excited to talk with you about the album.

[GIRL IN RED:] The album is coming out really soon. I'm shitting my pants because I'm so nervous.

[UNPUBLISHED:] How does it feel to release your first album?

[GIRL IN RED:] It's so cool and I'm so nervous, but I believe in it. I really think it's a good record, so it feels good.

[UNPUBLISHED:] How do you want people to feel while listening to this album?

[GIRL IN RED:] First and foremost, I want them to be like, “Oh my god, this is so fucking good.” That's one thing I want people to feel but I also just want people to feel whatever they need to feel. If they're fucking sad and they need some comfort, maybe they'll find a song that will fix that mood. If they just want to dance and mess around with their friends, they'll have a song to do that with. Ideally, it's a soundtrack to life.

[UNPUBLISHED:] Do you have a favorite song?

[GIRL IN RED:] All those tracks are my favorite tracks because I had a bunch of ideas but I picked those to be on the record. I love them all in some way.

[UNPUBLISHED:] How does it feel to share your personal experiences through your music especially on an album that seems a lot more personal?

[GIRL IN RED:] It feels good, I feel like I've only been making stuff that I'm comfortable with telling people. I don't feel like I'm pushing myself to be super honest, it feels good to talk about my life and reflect upon all those things. I feel like I'm so confident in what I'm saying.

[UNPUBLISHED:] What was it like writing and producing some of the songs entirely by yourself?

[GIRL IN RED:] I started out writing all the songs in my apartment and I started producing them and figuring out the idea and where I wanted to take it. I actually haven't been all by myself through that process because I've been in the studio with my studio engineer and producer called Matias Tellez, who I love very much. It's been mostly him and I, and it's been really great to be able to have someone in the studio to laugh with and have fun with and not just be me because being a musician is kind of lonely sometimes. Everyone's out here talking about how shitty the pandemic is with being alone but that's kind of what it is like being an artist all the time.

[UNPUBLISHED:] When we were listening to the album we noticed that a lot of the songs are more upbeat and fast-paced. This is compared to the bedroom pop sound that you've released in the past. What influenced these changes?

[GIRL IN RED:] I think it's just natural musical progression. I've just been continuing to write music and make music. That's what has led me to make the music the way it sounds. I've changed a lot and also I've grown a lot. 2019 Marie would not get along with 2021 Marie. We're two different gals.

[UNPUBLISHED:] What is your music-making process?

[GIRL IN RED:] I've actually recently concluded that I'm letting go of any idea of what my process is because I really don't know. I realized that it doesn't really matter to me what my process is as long as I sit down and I make something. I'm in a weird place trying to figure out what's going to happen for album two.

[UNPUBLISHED:] If you could describe this album in three words, what would they be?

[GIRL IN RED:] Really fucking good.

[UNPUBLISHED:] What are you most excited about in regards to the album?

[GIRL IN RED:] I think I'm most excited to have people hear the songs but also playing them live. I just really want to play it live, but I also just can't wait for people to discover it and let it live not just on my computer

[UNPUBLISHED:] Since there were so few artists that openly express their sexuality who get as popular as you are, do you feel pressure to be representative of the gay community?

[GIRL IN RED:] I don't feel pressure to be anything other than myself. I just happen to be a queer woman so I feel a responsibility to make music for anyone who can't be as open and loud as I have to opportunity to be. I could be extra loud but at the end of the day I really just want to make music. That's my main focus but also if someone feels like I represent them I'm like, “Fuck yeah.” Anything good, I want to be a part of.

[UNPUBLISHED:] I'm sure you've heard the phrase, “do you listen to girl in red?” How do you feel about people using that to ask if someone is gay?

[GIRL IN RED:] I think it's really fucking dope. I don't really have a say in any of this other than, I made the music and people are embracing it in a way that also happens to be incorporated into language and fucking pop culture and shit like that. I think it's really dope and if anyone figures out they have a crush and they find out that they like girls in that way, that's iconic. The only thing that bums me out is that I can't use that phrase, it would be so fucking weird if I did that. I can't. I gotta let the gays have some fun.

[UNPUBLISHED:] What is the first thing you're going to do once the pandemic is over?

[GIRL IN RED:] I obviously want a tour. That's a no-brainer but I also want to party. I want to go out and dance and not worry about getting someone else sick or getting sick. I just want to not worry about the pandemic, I want to have fun and go out for a beer in the sun with my friends – simple stuff like that. Go to a cafe and sit there the entire day and pretend I'm doing something productive. That's my favorite thing to do and I haven't been able to do that for so long. It's sad, almost, that we need a pandemic for people to realize we live in such a fast-paced world. We need the entire world to shut down to be able to appreciate all these things, it's weird.

[UNPUBLISHED:] Aside from this album, is there anything else exciting coming up that we should be on the lookout for?

[GIRL IN RED:] Yeah, but I can't say that yet. All the exciting stuff is stuff I can't talk about which sucks but soon everyone will know. Another exciting thing is I'm going to go back to the studio this summer, I'm really excited about that because what keeps this project going is music, therefore, I gotta keep making music.

[UNPUBLISHED:] Do you prefer working in the studio versus your room?

[GIRL IN RED:] I'm working in my room right now but I'm working on the stuff I want to bring to the studio so I do. I like to do both now. I just need time to figure out what a song is before I start letting another person's thoughts and brain touch it.

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