After spending much of last year turning out a wealth of vibrant anthems, Malaysian artist Mardiana returns once again to deliver her wondrous new single 'DANCE ALONE'.
Bringing back more of that bright and shining alt-pop energy she is known for, 'DANCE ALONE' makes for a warm and inviting listen throughout. With her passionate voice layered across a soaring production from start to finish, she is kicking off her new year with one of her most impactful cuts yet.
So with the new single available to stream now, we sat down with her to find out more about her origins and what has been inspiring her most lately.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
I started playing the piano at the age of 3. However, I wouldn’t say that 3-year-old Mardiana “fell in love” with it immediately. When I was a kid, learning an instrument felt like just another educational pursuit. I didn’t realize that it would be the crucial building blocks of my identity as a composer, songwriter and producer.
I didn’t fall in love with playing the piano as a skill itself. Rather, I fell in love with the sense of creative freedom that the skill provided me. I could spin up melodies from thin air and create a beautiful piano piece, which could then be translated into an upbeat pop song or an electronic dance track - any direction that I want it to go in. Having the ability and the freedom to create art on one medium and transfer it to a different medium, that’s what I fell in love with.
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
Lots of pop-punk/pop-rock bands. Boys Like Girls, OneRepublic, Green Day, Fall Out Boy.
I also loved Avril Lavigne’s music when I was a teenager - still love it now! “My Happy Ending” holds a special spot in my heart, forever. I screamed it at the top of my lungs when I was ten years old and I’ll scream it again today as a 24 year old. Never gets old.
What was the first album you remember owning?
‘Red’ by Taylor Swift. My classmates surprised me on my 14th birthday and they got me that album because all of us loved Taylor Swift’s music. Back then I don’t think we used Spotify yet, so they got me the CD. And it was the deluxe edition too! With the little lyric booklet.
I still have that CD today. In fact, I just listened to it recently and it brought tears to my eyes. It’s crazy how I was listening to the exact same songs at 14 - but now, as an adult, it feels completely, wildly different when you understand the lyrics and emotional context. Such a beautiful and timeless album.
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
This is a wonderfully difficult question. There are so many!
“Ghost” by Justin Bieber is one of the most well-crafted songs I’ve heard in a while. The lyrics are so poignant and haunting. Anyone who has lost a loved one will be able to relate to the mournful sentiment.
The production is smooth, polished and sounds so effortlessly clean - but I’ve learnt that the most seemingly effortless things are often the hardest to execute. It delivers the emotion so, so well. It’s ridiculous. It’s so good.
It’s the perfect balance - the song is sad yet the music doesn’t drown you in its melancholy. It feels hopeful in a way. Which is the exact feeling I always strive for when creating my own music. Huge props to the songwriters and producers on this record.
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
I don’t think I have any specific rituals. The most important thing is that I have to be relaxed. Creativity doesn’t come to me if I’m stressed out or overwhelmed with life.
Sometimes I’ll listen to other music before I start working on my own, just to get in the right headspace and calm myself. I listen to music that feels good. I don’t like to listen to songs that are too depressing or have toxic lyrics because it brings my mood down.
I usually write new music at night. I don’t know what it is about daytime, but I just don’t get my best ideas during the day. I’m at my creative peak when it’s late at night. It’s just much more peaceful and somehow I can hear my thoughts clearer.
My writing style is introspective, so I’m always reflecting on events in my life or recent conversations that I’ve had with people, and that helps me to write lyrics.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
Recently I’ve been listening to VisionV, an electronic music artist. He has a song called ‘Renaissance’ and it’s a blend of classical music and electronic music - somewhere in the realms of stutter house and deep techno. I don’t even know the right name for this genre but the music just transports me to a 4am warehouse rave in Berlin. And I’ve never even been to Berlin!
At the moment, I’m really drawn to music that is genre-fluid. Music that is innovative, that is different from everything else on the radio; that makes me sit up and go like, “Hold up, what did I just hear??”
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
I’d love to open for an EDM artist, like Gryffin, ILLENIUM, or Porter Robinson. And Avicii, if he were still here today (RIP legend).
Simply because my new EP, ‘Dance Alone’ would be perfect for an audience that enjoys electronic dance music. And also, I am hugely inspired by their work.
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
Knowing that my work has a real impact on people.
Seeing that my music touches people’s hearts and makes a difference in their lives. It drives me to work even harder so my music can reach even more people.
When I meet fans after shows, they tell me stories of how they healed from a breakup by listening to my songs. Or how they started their own musical journey because they were inspired by mine.
That really means a lot to me because when I release music, I can’t actually see the impact it has on people. I can only see numbers, view counts and streams. But I can’t see listeners enjoying it in real time; I can’t see the look on their face when they fall in love with a song and immediately save it to a cherished playlist. So when people tell me these things, I feel touched and grateful. It’s really beautiful to be able to connect to them in that way.
And what is the most frustrating part?
The most frustrating part is how unrewarding it can feel! Haha. Like I mentioned earlier, I can’t immediately see the fruits of my labour. I can’t see the music’s impact in real time. And it’s no secret that being an artist is not financially lucrative when you’re first starting out.
As an artist, people might think I just sit here and write my cute little songs. Well, on top of writing and producing, which is already incredibly time-consuming, I’m constantly bouncing back and forth between the multitude of tasks. Being an independent artist is essentially owning a business - I am the business.
Music is only 50% of the job. The other 50% is marketing strategy, branding, photoshoots, social media (filming, editing, posting and engagement), admin things like emails and meetings… The list goes on and on.
This was a massive learning curve for me because there was no blueprint. No one taught me how to market my music; no one gave me advice or directions. I spent so many sleepless nights thinking: what can I do better, how can I improve, and why the hell was everything so difficult? Am I really made for this? On top of that, it’s also super isolating when people around me don’t understand why I do what I do, and they can’t relate to any of the problems I’m facing.
It’s like, you have to be brutally honest with yourself and if this is the path you choose, well then toughen up, babe!
I started making music because I’m passionate about the craft. But I quickly learnt that the music by itself is not enough, and there are a hundred other things that I have to learn, in order to keep doing the thing that makes me feel most alive.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
I can’t remember where I read this quote or who wrote it, but it goes like, “For every new level, there’s another devil.”
When the journey gets really difficult, it’s not a sign for you to admit defeat. It’s because there’s a lesson that you need to learn from it. There’s a part of yourself that needs to go through some tough growth before you’re truly ready to receive the opportunities on the other end.
Patience and persistence is the key.
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Mardiana's new single 'DANCE ALONE' is available to stream now. Watch the new video for it in the player below.