BRITISH POWERHOUSE MARIELLA DISCUSSES HIGHLY ANTICIPATED DEBUT EP ‘DEEPER THAN YOU’

With just a handful of singles to her name, Mariella is already making waves across the UK R&B and soul scene — and it’s easy to see why. Armed with a voice that’s both feather-light and fierce, and a pen that cuts straight to the core, the London-based artist brings vulnerability, passion, and perspective to every note she sings.

Having left school at seventeen to chase music full-time, Mariella’s journey has taken her from guitar-led beginnings inspired by Lianne La Havas and Lauryn Hill, to the sultry, alt-R&B sound now drawing comparisons to Jorja Smith and Sabrina Claudio. With tastemaker support from BBC Radio 1, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and more, she's fast becoming one of the most captivating new voices in UK music.

We caught up with Mariella to talk early influences, writing from emotion, and what’s coming next as she steps boldly into her breakout moment.

Your debut EP Deeper Than You has already received incredible support from major tastemakers and platforms. What does it feel like to be recognized by such influential outlets, and how do you handle the growing momentum?

It’s quite mind blowing really, I’m a fully independent artist, so when I finally plucked up the courage to release my music without of any sort of team (label, manager etc) around me, I really never imagined my music would be received to well. So I feel incredibly grateful and lucky! 

Handling and maintaining momentum is something that takes a lot of hard work and thought, as there are many foundations that are laid around releases and knowing what to do next. So I’m always looking ahead and thinking about my next move. Which is very exciting! But takes dedication. 

You’ve mentioned in your bio that you struggled with emotional vulnerability in your youth, yet now your music is a powerful exploration of those feelings. How has your personal journey influenced your songwriting, and how do you hope your listeners connect with that vulnerability?

I think a lot of why I write music stems from trying to find a way to self-soothe. Music was always a place of escapism for me, before I even began to write. I’d find myself in other peoples stories, and suddenly I was less alone in a feeling or experience. 

So I started making my own songs to express all those emotions that I found difficult to navigate or talk about. When I share my songs, I really just want them to find people who connect with them. Releasing music is like a full circle experience for me, I find comfort in other people finding their own comfort in my songs. That’s ultimately what I hope for.

With influences ranging from Lianne La Havas to Lauryn Hill, and a blend of R&B and Indie-Folk, your sound is unique. How would you describe your musical evolution over the years, and what’s been most influential in shaping your current sound?

I definitely have a lot of influences! But i’d say my music has always been deeply rooted in Soul music, I grew up listening to some of the greats; Aretha Franklin, Erykah Badu, Angie Stone etc. It’s where I started to sing at home as a child and find my voice/tone.

Throughout the years, I’ve explored how great songs can come in many different shapes & forms. Leading me to find a deep connection in music from different spaces; Indie bands, Folk, Pop and much more. It’s hard to pin point the exact science, but it’s as simple as how a song or artist makes me feel.

I think being open-minded to the songwriting craft has been the most influential part of my sound today.  As my sound has evolved, I’ve consciously wanted to create music that feels good to me and strip away the intention of making a specific genre/style of music. I actively allow ideas to flow in, without too much judgement. I let my voice lead when I’m writing, and the rest follows. 

Your song “Passing By” serves as the ultimate break-up anthem. What was the process of writing that track like, and what message or feeling did you want to convey through the lyrics and production? 

This was my favourite song on the EP to write. During the making of the project, I was listening to a lot of indie/pop artists like MICHELLE, The Japanese House, Victoria Canal and feeling so much relief in some of their upbeat songs that were healing me during a difficult time - something I’d not really found myself doing before, usually we listen to sad/slow music when we want to cry or let something out, but this was a bit different. 

Naturally, I started playing around with a very simple two-chord progression on guitar, playing with a bit of angst and finding the right tempo. Then the words and melody quite literally just fell out of my mouth, “I know I think, a little deeper than you”. 

I was feeling all the emotions a person feels when the end of a relationship is looming; sadness, anxiety, anger, disappointment, and specifically frustration that it seemed to be only me who felt this way between us. The chorus is really telling a story of resistance, but ultimately acceptance, “maybe after all, I’m the daylight, you’re the night wine, and we’re just passing by”. I was learning to accept the truth and be ok with it. 

I really want the song to serve as reassurance, in this momentary and fleeting pain, time will heal you and you’ll move on. When we get to the production, I wanted it to feel euphoric, freeing and like a sense of relief. Much like the songs that influenced these choices, and how they soothed me - something you can cry-dance to! 

You’ve gained incredible support from Spotify playlists, BBC Radio 1, and other outlets early on in your career. How have these platforms and the support from such tastemakers shaped your journey, and what’s next for you as you continue to build your career?

They’ve been absolutely amazing, I still can’t quite get used to seeing my music alongside artists i’ve looked up to & followed for years! Having so much support at such an early stage has really been vital in my confidence as an independent artist, whilst these things are not the be-all and end-all, they are often a little insight into how tastemakers are seeing you & your music. When you don’t have a label, manager or team, it can feel like you’re quite disconnected to the music industry - so these moments can be very rewarding. Obviously building a community is at the heart of everything I do, but these other support systems definitely play an important role.

Next for me will be even more music! I’m really focused on not gatekeeping songs this year, and sharing as much as I can, building my community on TikTok and working on EP 2. I would love to play a couple shows this year as well, I’ve been so zoned in on this EP - so now it’s in the world I can shift my focus a little to IRL events.