Rising London-based artist Serra Marinheiro is emerging as a compelling new voice in ethereal dark pop and art rock, captivating listeners with her haunting vocals, raw emotional intensity, and classic writer aesthetic. Having previously released music under an old project for ten years, this song marks the first of many to come in this new era of reclaiming her artist identity completely independently. The name Marinheiro is a call back to her Portuguese grandparents’ restaurant they opened when they first moved to Canada, meaning “sailor”.
In this exclusive interview, we sit down with the Serra Marinheiro to discuss her creative journey, what’s next and more.
Hey, thanks so much for sitting down with us today – what’s been the absolute best part of your week so far, music aside?
Apart from releasing my very first single, I went to see Harry Styles at Wembley yesterday and finally (after living here for three years) bought myself an I heart London tank top. big win.
Which genres best describe your music?
Alt pop made by someone who reads a lot of gothic novels and waves to animals on the street
If someone wanted to understand the real vibe of you, beyond the music, what’s one story from your everyday life that says it all?
A few months ago, I felt like my life was in a really good place. I was in the perfect apartment, had a good job, was in a relationship I loved, and had a good group of friends. Then one day, water started gushing from my ceiling and my apartment flooded. A few other things went pretty wrong not long after and I really had to build everything up from scratch again and come back to the things I truly wanted. The music I made for this project really mirrors that. Anyone who’s experienced any flavour of grief knows it’s often a circle. You realise what you want for a second, lose it, blame yourself, blame others, look for answers (in the right and wrong places), and then come back to where you’ve known you should be all along. This time, with a lot more clarity and acceptance. In that respect, I think it’s for anyone who’s had a dream, however big or small, constant or fleeting that might have been, and the roads you have to go down to meet yourself there.
What’s the wildest creative risk you’ve ever taken in the studio that actually paid off in ways you never saw coming?
I suppose mine was outside the studio – choosing to park a project I’d had for 10 years with a lot of traditional industry support behind it in order to start from scratch and find the actual fans who are going to want to play these songs on repeat in their rooms because the music matters to them. It was very scary to rebrand and I thought about it for years, but everyday I know it’s the right thing because the point of this whole thing is to make good music. In the studio the biggest risk I took was really not being afraid to mix genres and moods. No two tracks on this project sound the same and I think that’s actually its biggest strength.
How often do you hope to release new music?
There are new songs coming out nearly every month for the rest of the year
What is the date of your next planned single/EP/Album release?
I’d keep your calendars marked for the end of July
If you could change one thing about the modern music industry overnight, what would it be?
That every young artist/songwriter had someone safe to mentor them. The music industry is a great but very non traditional space. There are things that are normalised to all of us that shouldn’t be. Some people I know have been very lucky to have this experience of having someone a bit older and more experienced to guide them through their first introductions to the world, but I really believe if everyone had access to that in a structured way (through programs, label support, etc) the industry would produce a lot more artists who are more empowered and informed to not only make better business decisions, but more compelling and interesting art.
Do you see AI as a threat to musicians, a helpful collaborator, or something else? How do you plan to keep your music relevant as the industry changes rapidly because of these tools? By embracing AI, avoiding it, or taking a different approach?
Music made by people will always be relevant because I believe the reason we love to listen to it is because we want to know we’re not alone. If an algorithm writes you a perfect pop song, you won’t have the satisfaction of knowing the voice on the other end stayed in the same dead end long term relationship you did or misses their mom sometimes late at night but is too proud to call her or is nervous to come out to their family. Maybe for some people the song would be enough. But I think on the whole, we need more than that to feel any type of attachment. People using AI for music creation are only feeding a system that is making music less of an experience and more of an algorithmic background track to make your coffee to
What is the single biggest challenge you currently face as an independent artist/band?
Output. It’s no secret that major labels have loads of people behind the scenes manufacturing success, whether that’s in the form of fan accounts, paid user generated content, or the staff themselves posting audio at the same time from the same location. As an independent artist you don’t have access to that same type of network. Maybe you can run a few accounts yourself to push your music out there but at the end of the day, you’re competing against whole teams of labels trying to do the same thing. which is why I believe so much in community and trying to make music for the people who have always supported your art. they are what will make it all worth it. I’m so thankful everyday for the people I’ve met online who share my music. They’re part of the reason I’ve never given up.
What core themes were you hoping listeners would connect with in your latest track?
The frustration with being a woman in a room full of men. and the fascination of being in a room full of women knowing you fancy them.
If you could revisit one decision from your artistic journey and do it differently, what would it be?
Look before you leap off that drum riser in Hamburg. It is very painful spraining your ankle in the middle of the set, but it will make you feel like Dave Grohl.
What’s one unexpected influence, maybe from outside music, that keeps showing up in your work?
Film! I’ve always known I’m very inspired by books I read but in the last few years I’ve really drawn more from cinema than I ever have. Mostly because when I write, I see things so visually. I’m in the studio writing thinking about the music video potentials and stage shows that could one day accompany it. Film is such a great place to draw a mood from because the lyrics I love are the ones that really paint a scene.
What’s one fun or ridiculous moment from the studio or road since this release that still makes you smile?
My girlfriend and I took the album art on my phone in my kitchen. Everything I’ve done in music for the past years has always felt like it needed to be perfect with the perfect lights, the perfect team, the perfect location. Turns out perfect happens when you’re just the most yourself.
Stream ‘The Way a Woman Sounds’:
Follow Serra Marinheiro:
Spotify – Instagram – TikTok
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