Seasick Mama is a stunning and brilliant creature who, somehow, I identify with to an ineffably intense degree (right down to the people we call “friends”). Seasick Mama is Marial Eve Moon, a singer, songwriter, and model. She has been the face (and body) of several of the most hiply racy ad campaigns of recent history and has also churned out two quite cool EPs this year, most recently Tip Top Shape, which dropped earlier this month. Her sonic aesthetic is soulfully post-riot grrrl at times, but chicly danceable at others… Her influences would seem to run the gamut from punk to funk to blues to disco to dub and the most postmodernly interesting kind of pop. Her musical exposure (Her literal exposure is a different story… just Google image search her.) is relatively limited thus far, but she does have an upcoming December 5th gig at Santos Party House in NYC and in a recent chat she also told me that definitely plans to take her music to the road in the near future and a Philthy stop is inevitable. We also talked about a number of other things… like Neil Young and scantily-clad photography.
Izzy Cihak: First off, thanks for “following” me on Twitter. You actually seem to be acquainted with a lot of people I know, like Hank & Cupcakes, Lily & the Parlour Tricks, and Walking Shapes. They’re all really cool people…and I hate most people (laughs).
Marial Eve Moon: The lead singer (Nathaniel) of Walking Shapes is actually my roommate! We live together, write together, and have become really great friends. A little dirt on Nathaniel: he cleans his room once a year and overstocks the freezer with frozen meat.
Izzy: This project is still relatively new and there’s not a ton of information available about it thus far. What do you think is most important to know about Seasick Mama?
Marial: The project is very new and there is a lot still to be discovered. The most important thing to know about Seasick Mama, especially for those who haven’t listened yet, is not to categorize me. I am still exploring genres and evolving and I really hope that every record I do is a different sound. Pop to reggae, I want to cover it all. Any country producers out there? I am so down.
Izzy: And what have been the highlights of the project, thus far?
Marial: The highlights so far…Taking the band to the Dominican Republic to play a festival and shoot the music video for “Man Overboard”… The time we opened for The Fray at the Wellmont Theatre…and touring with ZZ Ward…
[youtube http://youtu.be/4u2ADM9FxQ0]
Izzy: I’m curious as to what it is that inspired your moniker.
Marial: I learned about the term “Seasick Mama” from a Neil Young song called “For The Turnstiles,” from his albums Decade and On the Beach. It’s a sailor’s wife. Or, to paint a picture, a loyal woman who waits for her man to come home from sea, waiting patiently at the docks, constantly returning, in hopes of seeing his ship in the distance.
Izzy: You recently released your Tip Top Shape EP. What were the EP’s most significant influences and inspirations?
Marial: I wrote the EP last year. I was getting into a lot of trouble, so I wanted this EP to be the best reflection of myself, hence the title, Tip Top Shape. I felt like I needed to prove myself, take pride in something. I worked with David Sitek from TV on the Radio and Peter Wade of MNDR (amongst others) and we made some killin’ tracks. I wasn’t listening to anything in particular at the time… just taking advice and direction from the boys.
Izzy: In addition to your music, you’re a model. Do you feel like your time in the world of fashion has any significant impact on your musical output?
Marial: The only real reason that I model is because I am only going to look like this for so long. When I am 60 and my boobs are saggy and my teeth are yellow, I want proof that I was once a youthful babe. The photos, yes, help with the musical outreach.
Izzy: Is there any overlap of the two fields? “No” is a perfectly fine answer (laughs).
Marial: There is definitely an overlap in music and fashion. Overlap in music and modeling… don’t even know what to say here.
Izzy: You’re going to be playing Santos Party House in early December. What can be expected of the live experience?
Marial: Yes! I am excited to play this show. I am playing with Wreaths and Killer Bangs, two other rock bands. My band and I’s performance started pretty hard and heavy – and over time we have evolved a bit to the more pop realm. But at Santos we are going to take it back to the louder shit.
Izzy: What do you have planned or are hoping for in 2014?
Marial: 2014 I am hoping for lots and lots of cash money. And maybe start a “side project,” where I am a member of a band and not just a “solo artist”… I want to work as a unit.
Izzy: Any chance of a tour, or possibly just a show in Philly?
Marial: We are planning a weekend tour in February, maybe hitting some colleges and the Brite Music Festival in Cleveland, Ohio. Philly is en route, so duh!