Thanks to her captivating voice and her widely praised debut album RAIF, Marlene Bakker has secured a unique spot in the Dutch music world. Even listeners who don’t speak the Gronings regional language are moved by the cinematic quality of her music, rich with longing, nostalgia, and romance. Her second album Oaventuren only confirms that. In Usquert’s Berlagehuis, about thirty kilometers north of Groningen city, Marlene Bakker – joined by Bernard Gepken on guitar and Ferry Lagendijk on keys – played Zolaank, Oktober and a cover of Villagers‘ The Meaning Of The Ritual.

“The first time I saw Villagers perform live was at a festival in Eindhoven just after their first album Becoming a Jackal was released”, Marlene Bakker shares. “I was so moved by Conor’s performance, the way he sang. Almost angelic but at the same time his lyrics were of a ruthless honesty. It’s also what I love about Sufjan Stevens’ music. Just brutal honesty, sung in the most honest way you can imagine that leaves the listener breathless.”

“The song The Meaning Of The Ritual really stands out for me. The way he sings about his love for writing, the sacrifices that he’s willing to make all for a good song. It’s a songwriter’s blessing and curse. He expressed that beautifully in that song. You have no choice but to forgive him. That verse: ‘My love is selfish. And remembers everything. Like the first time it was moved enough to sing. How it dangled on that stage just like a puppet on a string.’ It slays me every time.”

‘My love for heritage and nature was instilled in me from an early age.’

Marlene Bakkers has always had a fascination for everything old and valuable. “I grew up in Westerwolde, a beautiful old area where there’s still some pristine nature and history is tangible. You can really feel a bit of mysticism in the air there. My parents have an antique store, and my father restores antique furniture in their centuries-old Saxon farm. My love for heritage and nature was instilled in me from an early age. That is one of the reasons why I wanted to film in the Berlagehuis in Usquert. It such a unique building, the architecture is beautiful, and the rooms still have their original furniture from the 1930s. It’s like going back in time, I love it.”

“Groningen has a lot of beautiful nature and heritage, that’s something that I always try to incorporate in my videos as well. I love to show how beautiful this province is and that our regional language can also be appreciated outside of the province. However, singing in the Groninger dialect was not self-evident, that came about when I moved to Tilburg and started studying at the Rock Academie. Writing and singing in Gronings started very intuitively. I don’t speak the language fluently, but I did feel the need to have it close again, to make it my own again.”

“When I hear Gronings, my ears prick up. There is a beauty and authenticity in the language that I don’t feel when I hear Dutch or English. And Gronings lends itself incredibly well to sing in, it has beautiful round sounds, and it is also very poetic. You can say a lot with just a few words. A lot of typical sayings that I use in my work have multiple layers and meanings, it’s very cool to play with that. And of course, the language touches memories, family and a good dose of Low Saxon identity.”

Regional languages are important, Bakker feels. “It can tell us a lot about who we are, and it connects you to your roots and each other. Without the language the soul would disappear from an area.”

‘I had all the freedom and time to develop myself.’

Growing up in that old Saxon farm was a dream, Marlene Bakker tells me. “My father built my bedroom in the barn, so I was able to listen to and make music without bothering anyone. My mother made cassette tapes with all kinds of music, and we always played them in the car. She has an ear for really good songs, and those tapes had all kinds of music on them. Looking back, it really helped me in getting to know a lot of diverse music. And I was always singing along in the car, my head close to the window, so my voice bounced back, that was my first microphone.”

“My parents bought a piano when I was about fourteen years old. I played it every evening; writing my own songs and recording them on cassette tapes. I had all the freedom and time to develop myself as a singer and songwriter. When I wasn’t making music, I was listening to all kinds of alternative bands and artists. I listened to a lot of grunge bands like Hole, Nirvana and the Breeders. I was (and still am) a huge fan of Courtney Love. I started my own grunge band when I was fourteen years old with friends from school. It was awesome and so much fun.”

“Later, I also started to listen to artists and bands like Radiohead, Fiona Apple, Sheryl Crow, PJ Harvey, Tracy Bonham, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, QOTSA and Ani DiFranco. When I first heard the album Little Plastic Castle by Ani DiFranco I was blown away. I love the brass arrangements and the songs on that album. It sounds like she had a lot of fun and freedom recording it. She’s such a skilled songwriter, a feminist icon and folksinger of our time. I have been a fan ever since. Her music inspired me not to shy away from any kind of topic as a songwriter and to become a DIY artist as well.”

Theater tour

Marlene Bakker is touring Dutch and German theaters as we speak, and I highly recommend you getting a ticket for one of them. See all dates on her website.

Photos

Keep watching

Thank you for watching and enjoying this session. You’ll probably like some other sessions from The Influences’ archive too, like these earlier ones we filmed with Villagers and others.