Laura Marling has announced the title and release date for her sixth album, entitled Semper Femina, as well as a music video for the lead single from the album, ‘Soothing.’
‘Soothing’ will be the opening track for the album, and lives up to its title, blending the soothing melodies, instruments and sounds of jazz and folk to create a beautiful, calming and thoughtful single. The video for the track, which was directed by Marling herself, features two women interacting on a bed in a scene that is intimate rather than sexual, while figures looking on from the corner of the room seem to comment on a voyeuristic society that seems to have a particular fascination with women’s bodies. Per NME, the video was inspired by vivid dreams Marling had while recording the album in LA back in 2015. You can check out the results below:
The album’s title gives a clear indication as to its contents, namely a focus on gender, sexuality and identity. Marling elaborated on this topic in a statement via NME, saying, ‘I started out writing ‘Semper Femina’ as if a man was writing about a woman, and then I thought, ‘It’s not a man, it’s me. I don’t need to pretend it’s a man to justify the intimacy, or the way I’m looking and feeling about women. It’s me looking specifically at women and feeling great empathy towards them, and by proxy, towards myself.’’ She added further, according to NME that the album’s purpose was ‘addressing questions of how society views sexuality and gender but without seeking to provide definitive answers’. Marling has also explored some of the themes dealt with in this album in her podcast series, ‘Reversal of The Muse’ which looks at the role of women in the music industry.
The album will be released on the 10th March on her own record label, ‘More Alarming Records’ after it was recorded in LA with producer Blake Mills who has worked with Alabama Shakes and Jim James in the past. This was largely done during down time from her touring schedule to promote her 2015 album, Short Movie. The full tracklist for the album is as follows:
- ‘Soothing’
- ‘The Valley’
- ‘Wild Fire’
- ‘Don’t Pass Me By’
- ‘Always This Way
- ‘Wild Once’
- ‘Next Time’
- ‘Nouel’
- ‘Nothing Not Nearly’
Marling has also announced a UK Tour which will take in 9 cities next March (2017). Tickets for Marling’s tour are available now with a pre-order of Semper Femina, or alternatively they go on general sale from 9am on Friday 2nd December. Full dates are shown below:
8/3 – O2 Academy – Leeds
9/3 – Colston Hall – Bristol
10/3 – O2 ABC – Glasgow
12/3 – Albert Hall – Manchester
13/3 – O2 Academy – Oxford
14/3 – Institute – Birmingham
16/3 – Dome – Brighton
17/3 – Roundhouse – London
18/3 – City Hall – Salisbury
