Kristen Marlo

Kristen Marlo is an artichoke—an artichoke with a pitch-perfect, emotive voice who writes heartfelt, relatable, indie-folk-pop songs. Why an artichoke? Because she has a huge heart that she pours into everything she does, especially making music. And because a big, soft heart needs a tough exterior to protect it sometimes.

Plus, like an artichoke, Kristen’s music has lots of layers. At its core, her new single, Stay, is about temptation and vulnerability, but it’s dressed up in layer upon layer of synth melodies and vocal harmonies. The end result is an upbeat, danceable pop song with deceptive depth. And although it’s been eight years since her last release, Kristen thinks Stay was worth the wait. “I’ve written dozens of songs since my last record, I Think You’re Swell, and I’m proud of many of them,” she says. “But Stay is the one that inspired me to get back in the studio.”

Looking ahead, Kristen has a slate of new releases planned for 2020, including polished, pop versions of her songs Hampton and Make it Count. In addition, she’s working on a seven-song EP with renowned indie producer Brandon Bee, which will be a return to the acoustic, folk-tinged, Americana aesthetic of her live shows and previous recordings. And, speaking of live shows, that’s really where Kristen is at her best. With the right audience, she begins to let her guard down, and fans may glimpse the big-old heart she’s usually careful to protect.

These days, Kristen lives in Tacoma, WA, but the artichoke metaphor has roots in her childhood in New Mexico. In seventh grade, she had to write an essay about what fruit or vegetable she would be, if she were one. “Artichoke” was an apt answer then and just as true now, twenty years later. Plus, there’s one more thing Kristen’s learned about artichokes since seventh grade: if you give them enough time, they grow into big, beautiful flowers.