Billie Marten may only be in her early 20s, but she’s already a seasoned pro at this point, with two excellent albums behind her and a new one called Flora Fauna coming out on May 21 through Fiction. The news of the album brings with it the also verdantly-named single “Garden of Eden”, with Billie saying:
“It’s a song of growth, and competition to evolve as individuals in an increasingly suffocating and vacuous society. I liked the idea of humans growing up like tomatoes in the greenhouse, needing water and oxygen and space, but not getting any of it. The idea of seeking the natural elements and needing only that to survive plays into my constant dichotomy of living urban or bucolic. The choruses act as a burst of relief to allow space to breathe and to express that want of living right. This was one of the first pivotal songs for me as the general sentiment breeds happiness and optimism, which is something I wasn’t particularly familiar with thus far.”
As the opening track of the forthcoming Flora Fauna, and a message on intent for what’s to come on the record, “Garden of Eden” is certainly a powerful one. During the verses, Billie toils through quotidian struggles over physical guitar and drums, a relatively gritty sound for her. This makes the brightness of the expansive chorus all the more breathtaking as she announces “I want to feel alive”, radiating pure strength. It’s the sound of a flower thrusting itself through the crack in a pavement, powering itself to live in the toughest conditions and simultaneously reminding everyone that passes of the beauty in life, giving them a moment to pause and take stock for moment. “Garden of Eden” continues the young songwriter’s evolution and shows undoubted growth too – which we’re sure we’ll get to hear much more of on Flora Fauna.
You can listen to “Garden of Eden” on streaming platforms or watch the video, created with Lydia Poole, below.
Billie Marten’s new album Flora Fauna arrives on May 21 via Fiction. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
