1st of February 2018

5 minutes with… MARDHYS

MARDHYS is a musical collaboration of European musicians combining poetic lyrics with hypnotic grooves. We spoke to band leader Melatti Braam ahead of their Fat Tuesday performances on 13 February.

How would you describe your sound?

We create a deep and energetic vibe by using subtle rhythmic elements, with a ‘dragging’ violin, fretless bass, Spanish guitar and tons of harmonies giving you that ‘cinematic’ feel, yet our strong hooks make it groove through the rooftop. Our sound is inflective, it changes form in different moods, stories and sceneries.

When did you know that you wanted to be a performer?

When I was a young girl I always dreamed of being a great singer, however I took me 26 years to decide I really wanted to do this as a profession.

What was the first album you bought?

Paul Simon – Graceland

When was your first public performance?

Singing: when I was 9 in school’s choir for children.

Who or what inspires you?

I am inspired by many different world genres (African, Indonesian, Balkan, South American), Folk artists like Paul Simon, Jose Gonzalez, Nick Drake. Oldies like Carole King and Aretha Franklin. More contemporary I am into an artist called This Is The Kit, a Bristol folk artist who currently lives in France.

I am inspired by Elizabeth Gilbert (writer). I am inspired by storytellers, by life and its complex situations and by journeys soul searching to connection.

What has been the proudest moment(s) of your career to date?

Performing in front of 2000 people in Glive (Guildford) alongside Frank Turner.

If you weren’t making music, what might you be doing instead?

Be a yoga teacher in Bali, learning how to surf. But I’ll always sing and write, no matter what happens.

Aside from Hastings Fat Tuesday, what are your plans for 2018?

Rehearsing recording, rehearsing, recording. Without rehearsing and practising our art, we can’t deliver a high quality product. And we would like to capture this product in high quality recordings. We have a tour planned in Holland around April. Also we have a couple of gigs planned around the UK (Liverpool, Brighton, London, Aldershot), and we are aiming for many more.