Marigo Bay
Singer-songwriter
“SOMEBODY HAS TO DO IT, WHY NOT YOU”
Hi Marigo Bay, how are you?
I’m doing great! Lately, I’ve been feeling unstoppable, fueled by a wave of positive energy.
How has your summer been?
My summer has been both chaotic and overwhelming—in the best way possible! I've had the incredible opportunity to perform at festivals all over Belgium with my amazing band, which has been a dream come true for many years. Balancing family, life, and music during this high season in the music industry has been challenging, but it’s exactly what I’ve been working towards for the past nine years.
On your website you say that you’ve been performing since you were seven. What sparked your initial interest in music?
If you asked my mom, she’d probably say I’ve been singing since I came out of the womb laughs. I grew up immersed in music, watching concert videos of artists like Kylie Minogue, Britney Spears, Peter Gabriel, and Diana Krall. Their performances ignited a fire in me that was already burning from a very young age. When I was seven, I jumped at the chance to participate in my school’s talent show, a rare opportunity in Belgian schools. I decided to write my own song for the occasion, titled “Ik Wil De Zon” (I Want The Sun)—a song about longing for sunlight during another typical wet Belgian summer. This was the start of my a cappella songwriting journey. I couldn’t play any instruments at the time, so I would imagine the accompaniment in my head, which I later realized wasn't as entertaining for those who couldn’t hear what I was imagining! laughs But that didn’t stop me. After performing at the talent show and winning a shiny, albeit plastic, gold medal, I was hooked. This experience fueled my passion for songwriting even more. When I moved to the USA at ten years old, I continued writing songs, although I could kick myself for not keeping the countless rainbow-colored sheets of paper covered in my early lyrics. I’m not one to hold on to things, and moving across the world didn’t help. But I still cherish those memories.
During the pandemic, you focused a lot on songwriting and artist development. How did that period shape you as an artist?
The pandemic was a paradox for me—both brutally challenging and incredibly rewarding. Having just moved back to Belgium from the USA a few months before lockdown, I felt discouraged and defeated. I had planned to continue my journey as an independent singer-songwriter on Belgian stages, but that became impossible. As a 21-year-old relying on income from teaching fitness classes and songwriting for DJs—who were also sidelined by the pandemic—I suddenly had a lot of free time and a DIY studio in my bedroom.
Since I was 17, I’d been writing songs daily, or at least five songs a week. I collaborated with anyone in the industry I could connect with, soaking up as much knowledge as possible. But with the pandemic limiting those collaborations, I turned inward and focused even more on my own writing. My output doubled, and I was writing faster than I could record demos. It was an incredibly creative time, and I’m grateful for that. But the hardest part was not being able to share all this new music on stage. So while the lockdowns gave me valuable time to hone my craft, they also left me feeling lonely, stuck, and impatient about advancing my career. It was a double-edged sword, but ultimately, it made me a better writer and artist.
What’s your creative process like when writing a new song?
Since I don’t want to take over every page in your magazine, I’ll try to narrow this down to the details *laughs*. I’m someone who hates doing just one thing at a time, so I often write while driving. I spend a lot of time on the road, and once I’ve caught up on my true-crime podcasts (Crime Junkie for life! #iykyk), I turn on the recording app on my iPhone and hum new melody ideas or start with a lyric that comes to me. When I reach my destination, I save the recording and revisit it later to flesh out the idea on my piano. If the song has that “it-factor,” I’ll bring it to one of my producers to turn it into a fully realized track.
For the past two years, this has been my primary method of writing. But if inspiration strikes when I’m not driving, I sit down at my piano and play around with chords until a story emerges, whether autobiographical or not. I draw inspiration from anything—personal experiences, friends’ stories, documentaries, or fictional series. This openness allows me to be a prolific songwriter. I recently checked my notes app and realized I’ve written 953 songs since 2016—an average of 2-3 songs a week. While there are plenty of songs that have gone missing along the way, half songs that I’ve never bothered finishing, or forgotten melodies I’ve haphazardly hummed into my recording app, I think that’s a pretty solid number of songs to write and consider this the best way to become a better and more experienced songwriter. Write, write, write and write some more! Even the weirdest ideas sometimes turn into the biggest of songs, so follow every idea and let your creativity flow!
You’ve performed in various venues, from local bars to open mic nights. Is there a performance that stands out as particularly memorable? Why?
Hell yes! My band and I were absolutely BLOWN AWAY by the crowds at The Gentse Feesten this past summer of 2024. We were invited to come perform at The Groentenmarkt for two evenings during this 10 day music festival, and the crowds were fantastic. I truly don’t have the words to describe specifically why we felt such a connection to these crowds, but the feeling was incomparable to other performances. There was just something magical in the air.
I also vividly remember a performance from a mini tour I did in 2017 in NYC’s Rockwood Music Hall. I played their gorgeous, in-house grand piano to crowd test some new music I had written that winter. Although the venue was far from full, it was my first crowd over 20 people, which was a huge deal for me at that time. I got massive tips that evening and played a grand piano for the first time. Can’t complain, right? *laughs*. The best part about this memory came much later on in life, actually. In 2024 I worked on a single and EP with Velvet Road Collective and Ozark Henry, whom I’ve spent hours with in the studio by now. We love having existential chats about life, and deep-diving into the music industry’s most fucked up ways of working. When we met, I told him about my performances in the USA, including the one at the Rockwood Music Hall in NYC, to which he enthusiastically interrupted, saying, “I performed there too!!!”. Turns out, he often crowd-tests new music incognito in NYC. Little did I know back in 2017, that I was touching the very keys of a piano the Ozark Henry played from time to time, only to write and work with him as an equal years later. A super wild full circle moment.
Do you have any pre-show rituals or superstitions?
I’m a bit of an unconventional vocalist in that I don’t warm up before a show—my soundcheck doubles as my warm-up, and that works best for me. Traditional vocal warm-ups make me nervous and amplify my pre-show jitters, so I avoid them. I also don’t eat anything two hours before showtime and only drink room temperature water. It’s not that I think my performance would actually suffer if I deviated from this routine, but why take the risk? My mind is a powerful tool that keeps me going in my career, but it can also throw me off if I don’t stick to this scientifically unfounded ritual.
What’s your favorite song to perform live?
My favourite cover song to perform live would be “Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus. As someone who was severely bullied and excluded as a kid and teen, I relate to this song on a personal level. I remember driving around with my mom in Belgian rainstorms listening to Scala’s version of this track, both recognising how the words hit home for me, and using it as a way to help place my emotions after tough days at school. As a performer, it’s a song that’s super energising to sing, 90% of the crowd usually screams along, and it sits well in my vocal range. What more could I ask for?
From my own songs, my favourite songs to perform are probably “All My Fault”, “Empire State” (unreleased, will be on album 2025) and “Watch It Burn” (unreleased, will be out October 2024). Singing “All My Fault” live is always fun because I get to interact with my band during the verses and see non-fans' faces come to the realisation that they know the track! AMF did so well on the Belgian radio’s that most people have already heard it before, subconsciously enjoying my music before they even knew me! Performing “Empire State” (unreleased, will be on album 2025) is a treat because there’s a hook where I actively involve the audience. It’s one where I reward the loudest singers with some merch and praise, giving me an intimate moment to truly connect with the audience and fans. “Watch It Burn” (is out today!) is a song that’s just crazy fun to rock out to. I always see so many hands in the air and people jumping up and down, the lyric “set it on fire, watch it burn” coming to fruition before my very eyes.
If you could open a show for any artist, who would it be and why?
Based on the pop/rock genre I’m in, I think I would mesh really well with Olivia Rodrigo, Paramore, or Reneé Rapp. I could also see myself connecting with Chappell Roan, Taylor Swift, and Harry Styles, especially on a songwriting level. Opening for any of these artists would be an absolute dream come true—a moment where my vision becomes reality, and I’m living my dream with my eyes wide open.
Could you tell us a little bit more about some things that your gonna do in the upcoming year?
I’m beyond excited to finally release my single “Watch It Burn” ! I’ve been performing it for over a year now, and I can’t wait for fans to be able to jam to it wherever they are. And of course, my debut album is set to drop in early 2025! There’s no set date yet, as I wanna have all the mixed and mastered projects in hand before promising a release date to my patient and yearning fans, but after a 12 month setback I can proudly promise everyone a polished pop/rock album that is ready to climb the global top charts sometime in the beginning of 2025! Make sure you follow me on Instagram (where I’m most active) to see all the behind the scenes, making of and deep-dive content I’ll be posting about “Watch It Burn” and the album! There’s no better feeling than being the one to discover an artist before they get famous, so let me the artist you get to brag about in the near future!
Tell us something to inspire the culture!
One of my favorite quotes is, “Somebody has to do it, why not you?” This phrase keeps me going, especially during those slower times when bookings or songwriting opportunities seem scarce. It’s a reminder that everyone who has ever made it in this industry started somewhere, just like me. We’re all just human, navigating life with our hearts as our compass. So when self-doubt starts creeping in, I let myself feel it for a moment, but then I shift my focus. I think of the past five years and all I’ve accomplished, instead of focusing on the next five years. That gives me a sense of pride and renews my motivation to keep pushing forward.
The music industry—and any artistic field, really—is full of highs and lows. Sometimes, opportunities come flooding in all at once, and other times, you’re just hoping for one good gig or collaboration to get you through the month. It’s easy to fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others, but that only drains your energy. There will always be someone who seems to do it better, faster, or with more recognition. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is staying true to your own voice, your own sound, and your own passion. Keep going, and the rest will follow naturally.
CHECK OUT HER NEW SONG ON SPOTIFY!
