Born in London and raised in Devon, Billie Maree has always had a free spirit. She has lived and worked in Australia, traveled in the US, India, and the Far East, is a trained yoga teacher, an experienced vegan chef, and has most recently grown food for a community in the Spanish desert for a year. The thread of music and songwriting has been present throughout, and upon arriving back in her home town of Totnes in the winter of 2022, she knew she was ready to fully embrace this part of her. "Whale Eyes" was self-recorded by Billie Maree at Siren’s Studio in Falmouth after she won a bursary to learn about production there.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
Kamil) Hey Billie Maree, super nice to have the chance to chat with you. What first got you into music?
My parents were avid record listeners. I was surrounded by music as a kid and creativity was encouraged. I remember hearing these songs by Fleetwood Mac and Joni Mitchell and thinking “I want to do that.” When I started to learn to play piano it really opened a door of potential to writing songs. I took until last year to feel comfortable with singing and sharing music.
Are there any musicians who inspire you? What qualities do you admire about them?
I usually am inspired by the deeper feelings of the human experience so I connect to artists who capture and portray this in their music. Most recently I was inspired and deeply moved by Ram Dass’s EP ‘And now he has wings’. I reached out to him about working together and he became the mixing engineer for ‘Whale Eyes’ and my future releases.
Your latest track is 'Whale Eyes'. Can you share with us the background of its creation and did any unusual things happen during its creation?
I wrote ‘Whale Eyes’ after my dearest friend shared with me a vision she had had during a meditation. Involving watching a part of her she had been holding onto, letting go and transforming into light. Moments after she told this story, I was struck with inspiration; it touched something within me. I had to leave the room to write a song and 15 minutes later came back and ‘Whale Eyes’ had been born.
Which skills have you gained that help you perform effectively as a musician?
Since starting to write my songs on the guitar last year, I began practicing more everyday. Knowing my way around the guitar and being able to go between picking and strumming has helped me write more smoothly.
What are your favourite musical genres, and are there any you dislike?
My favourite genres of music seem to differ from the ones I write. I have always been a big listener of funk, disco and 60s rock and pop. I have very diverse taste and enjoy listening to a wide variety of music, I don’t have strong dislikes.
Are there people who help you with the production of the songs?
I had great support from the manager of Sirens Studio in Cornwall when I had my residency there. She guided me through the ways of Logic and I wouldn’t have the confidence I have now without that help.
What are your long term goals?
I have a goals to really define myself as an artist, to produce an album and get a band together to go on a mini tour!
What is it about music that makes you feel passionate?
It’s a powerful gift which resonates with us all, its essence is something that connects us as. Music has the power to touch people and make us feel something, whether that’s joy, pain or anger. It’s a doorway into parts of our being.
How do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business?
I feel that with the popularity of streaming it has obviously shifted the focus from buying physical copies of music creations. Impacting the possibilities for artists to make a living from their creative pursuits.
What are your plans for the future?
In the near future I have plans to release my debut EP. It is about half way done and hope to begin my crowdfunding campaign soon, to be able to release it by the end of Summer. In the meantime I am gigging as much as possible and performing at a few festivals during the summer.
Warm regards,
Billie