New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Dallas-based musician and visual artist
Nicole Marxen is pleased to share the offical video for her single "Bones / Dust." The song is lifted from
Nicole Marxen's acclaimed debut solo EP, Tether out now. The video for the single, which was directed by Richard Krause, debuted today at Audiofemme along with an exclusive interview with Nicole.
Highlighted by QVC in an original docu-series on beauty & glamour, and featured by the likes of Brooklyn Vegan, Impose Magazine, Tiny Mix Tapes, Daytrotter, and The Observer,
Nicole Marxen's project Midnight Opera received praise for their "unpredictable songwriting; waterfalls of catharsis; gorgeous, haunting melodies." Their visual feast live performances, a meld of opulent set design, choreography, and costumes, awarded the band the title of "Best Group Act" from The Dallas Observer in 2018.
Nicole Marxen is known as one of the shiny dark innovators behind acclaimed avant-garde pop band Midnight Opera, her solo debut Tether is a meditation on the grieving process. Following the sudden passing of her mother, Marxen explores grief through the lens of a crystal-multifaceted among jagged and lustrous planes.
"I used to think that my life wasn't worth writing about," says Marxen. "I hid behind the characters I created, the haven of the stage, the armor of costume. My art was elaborate escapism."
The EP's title track finds itself traversing the vast, desert landscape of loss. Marxen says "in many ways, it was a crucial first step in my own grieving process and self-discovery as a songwriter. Being so rooted in showmanship, I hadn't explored such vulnerability in my work before." She elaborates "when I began to shift my efforts inward, I found that my truth very much needed to be expressed. The song serves as a reminder to hold space for myself."
Soaring from screeching highs to icy subterranean depths, Marxen creates a sonic landscape in which she is unafraid to own her pain. Recorded at John Congleton's studio, Elmwood, with Alex Bhore (formerly of This Will Destroy You), unresolved emotions began to take shape. Grief cannot be overcome, only carried. A raw, open wound, Tether is a captivating debut.
