I’ve been obsessing over Laura Marling since I first heard the song “New Romantic”, and the rest of Laura’s 2007 album, My Manic And I. “Ghosts” had me music-crushing on her even more. I was drawn into her take on folk and storytelling. Her music has always been right up my alley.

When 2017’s Semper Femina was released I fell even harder for Laura Marling. It was the last track that had me head-over-heels first (“Nothing, Not Nearly”), but soon it was the entire album that had me by my heart-strings.

Lately, it is “Wild Fire” that I keep slipping into playlists and hitting repeat on when I’m driving in my car.

“Wild Fire” by Laura Marling
from the album, Semper Femina (2017)
Song Of The Day

“She keeps a pen behind her ear,
in case she’s got something she really, really needs to say.
She puts it in a notepad.
She’s gonna write a book someday.
Of course, the only part that I want to read,
is about her time spent with me.
Wouldn’t you die to know how you’re seen?
Are you getting away with who you’re trying to be?
Trying,
trying to be.”

I love the writer bits above and the curiosity/insecurity of human nature. The line about wanting to know what someone writes about you, how they see you, and whether or not you are pulling off the “self” you put out in the world is insightful, honest, and relevant – especially now in the age of Social Media. I feel like we spend so much of our time curating a life to put out on display, never really knowing how people are perceiving us. Is it in the way we want? Is it in the way we are trying to orchestrate our life? Or do they see something completely different?

As a writer, too, I relate to the feeling that people in my life look for themselves in my writing, sometimes misinterpreting things that aren’t meant to be them/about them/anything even near them. I think some of my fear of submitting work/having work published is how it will be perceived, and how people will see themselves/or think they see themselves in the stories and poetry. I think I’m mostly afraid of people and experiences and relationships I have written about. I am not one to name names, but I write what I know – and some stories, some experiences, some people and relationships haven’t been pretty. I’m not sure I’ve quite figured out how to deal with that – if I am ever published.

Does anyone really know how to deal with that?

Laura Marling is another artist that I’d really love to see perform live (and haven’t had the opportunity to do so – yet). I hope she comes around to Los Angeles sometime soon.

“Wild Fire” (live from 6 Music Room Sessions) by Laura Marling