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Amber Liu
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Marielle Kraft
When you hear Marielle Kraft’s music or experience her candid live shows, you feel as though you already know her. The indie pop singer/songwriter, now based in Nashville, displays craftsmanship beyond her years, following suit to artists like Colbie Caillat, Maisie Peters, and Taylor Swift.
Self-taught, the Rhode Island native began playing guitar at 16 and soon writing songs that strike chords with listeners everywhere. Her gift for storytelling is evident through her use of salient detail, raw emotion, and poignant word choice to describe moments “exactly as they feel.”
Over the past few years, Marielle Kraft has self-released two original EPs, including eight singles, and four official music videos.
Kraft’s 2017 debut single, "How Far You Feel," has collected over 1 million streams across platforms. The indie pop breakout track seeks to understand the dichotomy of physical vs. emotional distance in relationships, brilliantly expressing “what many feel but cannot find the right words to say.”
Marielle Kraft’s debut studio EP, “The Deep End” officially released on July 12th, 2019, featuring fan-favorite tracks like “Toothbrush” and “Better Without You”. Kraft’s first effort is notably strong both lyrically and sonically, described by The Music Mermaid as “song after song of mini pop addictions.”
In February 2020, Marielle Kraft co-released an “anthemic” and “heart-filled” single with Joshua Howard entitled “In It Together”, which has quickly gained support across platforms.
Marielle Kraft regularly plays at venues across the United States, sharing stages with names as big as Mt. Joy, Ava Max, and Betty Who. She presents her live shows as a seamless narrative: evocative yet encouraging, deeply reflective yet refreshing. The raw authenticity with which Marielle invites listeners into her story cultivates a relationship with them beyond the song, as she is known to “bring together a room full of strangers.” Her “winning personality,” “genuine connection",” and “gift for story telling” on stage have fueled the ever-growing crowds at each of her shows, with no signs of slowing down.
In spring 2018, she was crowned Grand Champion of the Mid-Atlantic Singer-Songwriter Competition, and the following June she delivered a Tedx Talk at Firefly 2018, discussing the importance of honesty rooted in her songwriting process.
In 2021, Marielle Kraft released 4 singles, each of which found major traction on TikTok before becoming fully studio produced releases. “Everyone But Me” (February 19th), “We Were Never Friends” (March 24th), and “Second Coffee” (July 19th) feature a more developed sound than seen from Marielle before, while her latest collaboration with Charlie Brennan called “Sidelines” (October 29th) reached Spotify’s “Fresh Finds” and Apple Music’s “Breaking Singer/Songwriter” playlists.
Kraft’s sophomore EP “Heartspace” landed on September 30th, with lead singles “Shrink” (April 8th) and “I Kissed A Boy” (May 19th) and a nearly sold-out headlining fall tour accompanies this highly anticipated release, with much more to come from this budding singer-songwriter.
Kraft launched into 2023 with two powerhouse pop singles “Owe My Ex” and “10x Better,” coupled with a nearly sold-out spring headlining tour across the United States.
October 27th, 2023 brought the latest offering from Kraft—an evolved EP of 4 songs, tied together as the concept project called “GOOD.” Co-produced with Nashville’s Quinn Redmond [Stephen Day, Emma Klein], GOOD marks an exciting new chapter for Kraft as she stretches her reach to opposite coasts and wider corners of the internet.
Since leaving her full-time teaching career to pursue a life committed to creating music, Marielle Kraft has promise to follow suit to artists like Julia Michaels and Maisie Peters as the burgeoning artist makes an impact in the indie pop scene, setting her on pace for an even bigger 2024.
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“Listening to Marielle Kraft’s music feels like FaceTiming your best friend. She’s comforting, honest and sometimes hilarious as she sings her way through moments that feel almost universal, especially to millennial and Gen Z women — first loves, hangovers, fights through the phone. The Nashville-based singer-songwriter has a knack for making her confessionals feel shared and her small moments feel huge” - Washington Post
“Kraft’s live show made the room feel like a big family reunion, with high energy and a supportive atmosphere. Her descriptive songs take the audience right into the heart of each moment.” - The Streaming Department
“Marielle has this admirable ability to translate the world’s unique, and shared, experiences into sweet, profound little tracks that are somehow always exactly what we need at the time.” - The Music Mermaid
“If you like indie-pop with singer/songwriter flair then it’s a must-hear. The songs from the EP sounded even better performed with a whole band in the live setting…they sounded fuller and had an extra dose of vibrancy.” - Love Is Pop
“‘Better Without You’ stands out on the EP and is the perfect breakup / female empowerment song.” - Rock On Philly
“Marielle Kraft finds vulnerability as the avenue to joy, light, and truth, as is rooted in each of her indie-pop songs. Marielle knows who she is, and that comes across so strongly in her music.” - The Narrative Now Podcast
“With each passing second, we allow ourselves to fall more deeply into this incredible soundscape.” - Imperfect Fifth
“Marielle showed a clever intensity in her material that, when coupled with her wonderful voice, pulled the listener into her story.” - Joe Trainor, Gable Music Ventures
"Marielle’s songs tap into young women and millennials’ romantic angst and euphoria in a way that feels flavored by Alanis Morissette and Taylor Swift." - Cheryl Squandrito, Philadelphia Inquirer