Marianne Keith: Finding Her Voice

While she continued to pursue music, it wasn’t until she was nearing the end of her teenage years that music began to show itself as more than just a hobby.  She started writing music and began to focus on her musicianship. Hard work and determination caused her to quickly receive attention from fans and the local music scene. The folk-pop sounds of Marianne Keith are acoustically driven and can be said to resemble that of early Sheryl Crow. While her sound is distinct and conveyed effortlessly, for Marianne, finding that voice has been a process.

“I’ve spent the last year figuring out where I fit in and finding a direction. At one point, I was all over the map and I realized I needed to narrow my focus and really mature as an artist,” Keith says.

For her, much of that growth can be attributed to touring with other artists. While each artist has a different and unique style, Keith believes touring was and continues to be a key factor in her growth as an artist. “Being exposed to other artists helps me figure out where I fit in. And being submerged among other artists and spending days with each other helps me totally appreciate others’ art,” she says.

Her latest album, Long Way Home, is a collection of songs that gives a glimpse of the direction Keith hopes to go musically. “It was a fun project I did between tours in March 2011that really strips things down to the roots. I’m still proud of the selection of songs we chose.

For Keith, creating songs is a process that is as unique as each of her songs. Inspiration comes quickly and some songs are started and finished within half an hour. “I’ve begun to recognize the feeling of when inspiration comes and all I have to do is reach out and get it,” she says. “It just moves right through you and at the end, I’ll sometimes ask myself…did I just write that?” While the creative process seems to come with ease, Keith faces problems just as every other artist. Without a label, there is no backing and with no backing, it is very difficult to get on the road.

However, Keith credits the Internet and organizations like Pledgemusic with providing great ways for artists to connect with their fans and create ‘pre-paid’ tours. “Letting your fans know that you’re still out there is really important,” Keith says. “Out of sight, out of mind really is true so you have to constantly be providing your fans with content.” Creating content is something Keith does continually. She is currently writing and plans to start recording this winter with an entirely new team of producers.

Check out www.mariannekeith.com for information and to stay up-to-date with her tour dates and latest music.