Mary In The Junkyard: A Band to Watch
The story of Mary In The Junkyard is a mystical one, beginning with a spell cast by the band members themselves. In a small cafe in Deptford, London, the trio of Clari Freeman-Taylor, Saya Barbaglia, and David Addison shared a slice of tiramisu and coffee, reflecting on their first meeting. It was at a squat, following a protest against a Tory police bill, where they were introduced by a mutual friend. Freeman-Taylor and Barbaglia, both classically trained musicians, had a shared history of playing together, while Freeman-Taylor and Addison had collaborated on a different musical project. But it was their first time as a trio that truly sparked their musical journey.
The band's music exists in a realm where fantasy and reality intertwine. Their debut album, 'Role Model Hermit', explores the space between the fantastical and the everyday, blending eerie folk-rock with intimate confessions and ancient fables. Freeman-Taylor's lyrics, rich with imagery, teeter between Poseidon-like decrees and primal sentiments, capturing the uncertainties of youth and the people we love. The album's songs feel both rooted and untethered, as if they've drifted in from another century, only to reveal their connection to our present lives.
Mary In The Junkyard's creative process is a delicate balance of discipline and intuition. Barbaglia, despite her classical training, embraces the beginner's process, constantly learning new instruments and finding excitement in the initial stages of learning. Freeman-Taylor, with her classical background, describes it as a restrictive world filled with tension and the dimming of personality. However, she found liberation in leaving that world behind, allowing her creativity to flourish.
The band's approach to songwriting is a reactionary process, akin to a sneeze or a fart. They don't know what they're making when they start, and the songs just come out like a 'poo'. This intuitive approach extends beyond music, with Freeman-Taylor's childhood ambition to be a clown, a dream that feels absorbed into the band's identity.
The album's artwork, featuring Freeman-Taylor as an old fisherman with a mouse on her shoulder, symbolizes the reunion of old souls in a new life, while also recalling a devastating past. The song 'Mouse' is a delicate portrayal of this, expressing sorrow and the idea of past lives we all cycle through.
Mary In The Junkyard's music is a blend of the distant past and infinite future adventures, much like a paper-mâché ship they envision as a symbol of their album. Their shows are not about precision but about connection, with Freeman-Taylor measuring a good night by the jokes that make people laugh. The band's philosophy is rooted in art as a life practice, drawing inspiration from Sonic Youth and Fugazi, and their shows are a reflection of this, creating networks and supporting other artists.
In conclusion, Mary In The Junkyard is a band that embraces the mystical and communal, blending fantasy with reality, and discipline with intuition. Their music is a testament to the power of creativity and the beauty of embracing the unknown.
