Life & Work with Marloma of Phoenix

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marloma .

Hi Marloma, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Growing up I always really liked writing poetry. When I hit middle-school age, I joined choir and had my first official “songwriting” assignment where I got to add music behind my words and I was just fascinated by prosody and how I could make my words feel deeper through sound. I knew I loved creating this way, but I wasn’t sure it was going to be my career path until I was 14. My friend of the same age passed away from a rare form of cancer, and I wrote a tribute to her which her mom asked me to play at her celebration of life. This was one of the most pivotal moments for me in every aspect, I could feel the way it connected everybody in the room. For the first time (in a very long time) I wasn’t sobbing and my heart wasn’t aching. I was sharing my love for her and I felt embraced.
I then decided to record my first EP, but I was too scared to put it under my real name or face. So, my family and I came up with the alias “Marloma” and took photos where my face was covered to use as the album art. “Marloma” comes from a town in the Redwoods called “Loma Mar” where my family has spent every summer together. I wanted to dedicate my project to my biggest supporters. Now, “Marloma” is no longer a means to hide, it’s the name of my band – but I still like to go by this name because it’s fun for me!
I found my band through my music institution, and I wanted to prioritize a 3-part harmony as part of our sound to utilize my choral training as well as a standard rock rhythm section for intense expression. I am so proud of what we create, the events we play at and the way we give back to the community through local mental health charities.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The biggest obstacles in the music industry for me have been rooted in misogyny. It can feel like you are constantly being either underestimated or objectified. I post educational music videos on my social media and am often absolutely flooded with hateful comments from men (especially on the videos where I play historically male-dominated instruments). These either tell me I’m not good enough, or they completely disregard any of my training and playing by making inappropriate comments about my body. I’ve been physically harassed and berated at some of my gigs in the past as well, and it is just so disheartening that these events I am so excited for make me feel so unsafe sometimes. That will never make me stop though. I will keep speaking about it and encourage others to take action when a woman tells them she is uncomfortable.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I really like to experiment with different genres and styles of music. My most recent release, “Winter Autopilot” is an absolute melting pot of ballad, classical piano, hard rock, choral arrangement, lead bass, and extended metaphorical lyricism. I wrote the song about seasonal depression, and how it can feel like somebody else takes over your day-to-day functions, like a “Winter Autopilot”. It also felt easier to blame someone other than myself for how bad I felt, and this hypothetical pilot took the fall for me. Every member of the band has different inspirations and history, which is why it feels so special when we write together like we did for Winter Autopilot. As I may have mentioned, I was a choir student for 8 years and I studied classical piano very intentionally. I have always prioritized lyrics and have been inspired by female writers and poets. Our other two singers, Kalleigh Gibson and Cassidy Brooke (keys) also have backgrounds in choir and piano but listen to very different genres of music. Our guitarist, John Curtis-Sanchez has been active in the pop-punk scene and is extremely creative with lead lines and stacked riffs. The bassist Blake Manke draws inspiration from instrumental rock music and created a very specific and intentional complex part for thus song. Our drummer, Angelita has a bachelor’s degree in Music Education and is able to blend masterfully with the rest of the group without overshadowing any other part.
I am so proud of each member of this band and so impressed by them every day. I can’t wait to create and release more of my experimental projects with them in the future.

What’s next?
My biggest goal is to release more music. I love performing and meeting like-minded musicians, but the studio is where I feel the most creative and excited. John Curtis-Sanchez engineers our recording sessions and makes me feel so comfortable and inspired which I’ve found is a sort of rare connection to have with a producer. We have TONS of unreleased material that we are very proud of, and we are excited to create more, so it is only a matter of time. I also really want to play outside of Arizona. I never officially have and I think the next year would be a good time for a tour.

Contact Info:

• Website: Marloma.org
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/marlomaofficial?igshid=NDc0ODY0MjQ=
• Twitter: https://x.com/marlomaofficial?s=21&t=lNPCrJL3OtMVy3V05P72mg
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@marlomaofficial?si=ME32Q80HFaciYN8M
• Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/BGJkTiNExG4Lusx59
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3f1E9HaAmDcskYQnjZ6nzM?si=DoELB_RiSDOivLz8nQD60g
• Apple: https://music.apple.com/au/artist/marloma/1543331481
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marlomaofficial?_t=8X4965jop34&_r=1

Image Credits
Saul Jimenez Sleaze Mike Zimmerlich