Are you into cults, not the band..cults? Confusing, eh? Regardless, Billie Marten isn’t drab. Check out her tune “Leap Year” above or below. Whatever your preference. Read the press release too as it’s better written than my accolade.
“Cult folk favourite” (DIY) British singer-songwriter Billie Marten releases “Leap Year,” the third single from her forthcoming album, Dog Eared, out July 18th via Fiction Records. Following the “gorgeously graceful and head-bob catchy” (Stereogum) lead single, “Feeling,” the irrepressible “Leap Year” was written on Leap Day in 2024 while Marten wrestled with winter malaise in bed.
Marten’s first non-autobiographical song considers a couple who can only rendezvous every four years, on our astronomical makeup day. They long for the future but cling to the moments they have. The song is the centerpiece of Dog Eared, with Sam Evian’s epochal guitar solo perfectly framing a couple trying to feel their way forward while knowing they are destined to fail.
Recalling the track’s genesis, Marten says: “This is what happens when you’re having a sick day in bed but your mind wanders off somewhere dreamy and there’s no stopping it. Leap Year is the first fictional love song that I’ve written – but lain over the top of such a traditional structure and songwriting form. I had just been listening to a lot of 1920s/30s music for a project and I remember thinking, ‘what would happen if I did it like they did it?’”
In the summer of 2024, Marten headed to New York to record what would become Dog Eared, with Phil Weinrobe (Adrianne Lenker, Buck Meek, Laura Veirs) at his Sugar Mountain studio, alongside an all-star cast of musicians. The likes of Catalan singer-songwriter/guitarist Núria Graham, bassist Josh Crumbly, virtuosic guitarist Mike Haldeman, multi-instrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily, revered indie-rock musician Sam Evian, former Dirty Projectors vocalist/folk musician Maia Friedman, Brazilian percussionist Mauro Refosco, drummer/multi-instrumentalist Vishal Nayak, keys/synth player Michael Coleman and acclaimed folk musician Sam Amidonsprinkle their gold dust over Dog Eared.
What resulted was a warm, rich and textured record that bristles with confidence and self-belief, with Marten already approaching the prolificacy of a “lifer” with so much life left to live. It’s a left turn from her previous recordings, albeit a subtle one, taken with a deftness of touch. The album sees Marten embracing change while staying true to her core self.
The 10 songs of Dog Eared tell the story of who Marten was as she wrote and recorded it, cleaving her adolescence from her adulthood in order to move forward. She is a consummate singer-songwriter who has dared to push beyond the limitations of that form and make a stunning record that marks a new page, suggesting what comes next through the strength and beauty of what’s right here.
Billie will tour North America next month ahead of the release of Dog Eared, opening a string of shows for Tennis. A full list of dates is below with tickets and further information available here.
BILLIE MARTEN TOUR DATES Wed. May 21 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue* Fri. May 23 – Chicago, IL @ The Salt Shed* Sat. May 24 – Indianapolis, IN @ Hi-Fi Annex* Sun. May 25 – Cleveland, OH @ Globe Iron* Tue. May 27 – Toronto, ON @ The Concert Hall* Fri. May 30 – Boston, MA @ Roadrunner* Sat. May 31 – Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall* Sun. June 1 – New York, NY @ The Rooftop at Pier 17* Tue. June 3 – Washington, DC @ The Anthem* Thu. June 5 – Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz* Fri. June 6 – Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern* Sat. June 7 – Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl Nashville* Mon. June 9 – Dallas, TX @ The Factory in Deep Ellum* Tue. June 10 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall* Wed. June 11 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater* Fri. June 13 – Cardiff, UK @ Cardiff Castle^ Wed. June 18 – Coventry, UK @ Warwick Arts Centre Thu. June 19 – Gloucestershire, UK @ Westonbirt Arboretum^ Fri. June 27 – Somerset, UK @ Glastonbury Festival (acoustic stage) Thu. July 3 – York, UK @ York Museum Gardens^ Sat. July 5 – Vilanova i la Geltrú, Spain @ VIDA FESTIVAL 2025^ Sat. August 30 – Darmstadt, DE @ Golden Leaves Festival* Mon. September 8 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater Wed. September 10 – San Diego, CA @ Lou Lou’s Thu. September 11 – Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre Sat. September 13 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent Mon. September 15 – Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater Tue. September 16 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile Wed. September 17 – Vancouver, BC @ Hollywood Theatre Thu. October 9 – Tourcoing, FR @ Le Grand Mix Fri. October 10 – Brussels, BE @ Botanique Sat. October 11 – Paris, FR @ Le Trabendo Sun. October 12 – Feyzin, FR @ L’Epicerie Moderne Wed. October 15 – Madrid, ES @ Teatro Lara Fri. October 17 – Zurich, CH @ Bogen F Sat. October 18 – Munich, DE @ Strom Sun. October 19 – Vienna, AT @ Flucc Wanne Tue. October 21 – Warsaw, PL @ Hybrydy Thu. October 23 – Berlin, DE @ Frannz Club Sat. October 25 – Copenhagen, DK @ Vega Small Hall Sun. October 26 – Stockholm, SE @ Nalen Klubb Tue. October 28 – Oslo, NO @ Parkteatret Fri. October 31 – Hamburg, DE @ Nochtspeicher Sat. November 1 – Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg Max Sun. November 2 – Cologne, DE @ Luxor Wed. November 5 – Dublin, IE @ Vicar Street Thu. November 6 – Belfast, UK @ Empire Music Hall Fri. November 7 – Glasgow, UK @ SWG3 TV Studio Sat. November 8 – Newcastle, UK @ Newcastle University Student Union Mon. November 10 – Nottingham, UK @ Rescue Rooms Tue. November 11 – Bristol, UK @ SWX Thu. November 13 – Manchester, UK @ Academy 2 Fri. November 14 – Leeds, UK @ Irish Centre Sat. November 15 – London, UK @ O2 Forum Kentish Town
Greg started Culture Fiend as a way to discuss the many facets of pop culture. Greg usually surrounds himself with Star Wars action figures, Legos and a healthy supply of interesting films and unusual records.
