American Songwriter
Thank you so much to American Songwriter for premiering our video for “Quintessence”. You can read the story here.
New Song: Quintessence
Marketa’s new song Quintessence is available now at Bandcamp & via other streaming platforms here. Please find more about the song in Mar’s own words here and click through to watch & read about the video, filmed in Iceland.
We Are Good
Hello there good people.
As we enter into a new year opening a new chapter in the Book of our lives, many feelings arise within us throughout this transition. Some are light and joyful, others heavy and troublesome. It is always a mixed feelings affair when we are brought to a point in time when an opportunity offers itself to consciously say goodbye to the old in order to make room for the new.
My wish for you is to look upon the road ahead with feelings of hopeful anticipation combined with a healthy sense confidence in your own ability to materialize your wishes and dreams, so long as they be in your Highest Good.
More than that, may you come to witness your own power to create the world you want to be a part of. For our thoughts and beliefs are what shapes the reality we live in more than we give them credit for.
I want to use this opportunity to share with you a video made back in 2012 in Argentina by my friend Alejandro Rojas to a song of mine called We Are Good. Apparently the right time to share it is NOW, for the right opportunity has not presented itself before. May the sentiments shared throughout this piece assist you in staying in a positive mindset and seeing a bright future ahead of you.
Thank you Ale, and all who offered their hand in assistance.
A Connection Was Made (How I found my way to Iceland and met Sturla Mio Thorisson)
When I was still a member of The Swell Season, and extensive touring around the world was my main occupation, I had the fortune and privilege of being in a position to meet many wonderful people and to make friendships and establish connections. Some short-lived, which faded just as quickly as they came to be, and others to be nurtured and grow stronger over the years to come. I believe that all the connections I made with people served a purpose of their own, big or small, for one party or both, but some of them were so significant, and their effects so life-altering, it is easy to track their path backwards in time and recall the steps that were taken in order for certain events to pass and for all the pieces of a grand design to come together. [Read More]
The Leading Bird Nominated
The Leading Bird video is nominated in the Nordic Music Video Awards, in the audience’s favorite category: The Gaffa Audience Award. What an honor! Thank you and congratulations to all other nominees, as well as the Icelandic creators of the Leading Bird video and my dear South American goddess Alejandra Maria Jara De Marco.
You can check out all nominated videos here.
Song of the Sea
Hey guys – I am just back in Iceland for a few days before we head out to Czech Republic for a show in Plzeň (March 29th), or Pilsen as it would be more known. I was asked to sing the Czech version of the title track of a beautiful Irish animated movie called Song of the Sea, originally sung by Lisa Hannigan. This was a very fun project for me and I wanted to share with you the trailer made for Czech cinemas where Song of the Sea premiered this month. Czech it out 🙂
Supporting Damien Rice in April
We are pleased to announce that Marketa will be joining Damien Rice for four of his US tourdates in April! Mar will be performing solo on these dates. She and Damien have shared the stage together before so this will be a special night of music. You can hear Mar on Damien’s new record, My Favourite Faded Fantasy on the song “Long Long Way”.
All but one of the shows is sold out thus far. So those of you who have tickets, here’s another reason to get down there early.
April 20 . Portland, OR . Keller Auditorium – Tickets available here
April 21 . Seattle, WA . Marion Oliver McCaw Hall . Sold Out
April 23 . Oakland, CA . The Fox Theater . Sold Out
April 24 . Los Angeles, CA . The Greek Theatre . Sold Out
The Making of MUNA : Part 2
Please enjoy The Making of Muna Part 2. This video along with Part 1 which aired previously, was created by film makers Zohreh Shayesteh and Malika Weeden. A great debt of gratitude is sent in their direction.
I am so glad I asked my friend Zohreh to join us on our travels during the making of MUNA, not just for the pleasure of her company which in itself would had been enough, but also to capture what was happening at the time. The making of MUNA was the most magical, enjoyable and exciting record making process I have ever experienced and I am grateful I have this beautiful piece of film-making to look at and bring myself back to those days from time to time.
What I love most about Zohreh’s approach to making documentaries, is her way of looking at the world and the people who’s stories she tells. To her, there is nothing ordinary about anything or anyone. She sees the uniqueness in all things, and that is a very special gift to the world. The world that often pressures us to add and subtract in order to be worthy of being seen. I am also grateful for Malika Weeden’s contribution. She did a wonderful job editing the footage and piecing it all together.
It makes me happy to share these memories with you. May they bring you closer to the story of MUNA, and the stories you are currently writing in the book of your life. Each of these is unique and worthy of being lived to the fullest. May you love your life.
‘The Right Here’ Video Premiere
Please enjoy Marketa’s official video for The Right Here from MUNA.
Thank You
Ok. It’s been a couple of weeks now since I came home from touring with my new record MUNA around the States and Europe, and although two weeks isn’t a long time, it is perhaps long enough for me to have integrated at least some if not all the experiences of this adventure. I returned home with an immense sense of accomplishment, along with a mixture of joy, gratitude, pride, sadness and relief. [Read More]
Fortune Teller video premiere on NPR
Marketa’s video for the MUNA track Fortune Teller premiered at NPR’s First Watch today. Directed by Petra Hermanová, the video was shot in a garden at Mar’s folks’ home over the summer in the Czech Republic.
A Visit to Once on Broadway
Marketa joined the curtain call of Once at the Bernard B. Jacobs theater in NYC last week. You can see some photos from the evening here and listen in below.
I got to sing a song with the cast of Once the Musical last night! It was so lovely!!! Thanks everyone, for giving me the experience of singing on a Broadway stage.
Win Tickets to see Marketa in NYC
Wondering Sound is having a contest to win tickets to see Marketa’s October 10th gig at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City. There are 2 ways to enter:
1. Follow @WonderingSound on Twitter and retweet one of the tweets promoting the contest. (If you already follow us, you only have to do the retweet portion!)
2. Email editors [at] wonderingsound [dot] com with your name, age, address and phone number to be entered. Please use the subject line “Markéta Irglová Ticket Giveaway Sweepstakes.”
The contest ends at 9am EST on October 8th. Full details and rules can be found here at WonderingSound.com.
MUNA Premiere Today at Wonderingsound.com
Thanks to Wondering Sound for debuting MUNA today as a full album stream! MUNA comes out next week on September 23rd, but you can pre-order it now here and get This Right Here instantly followed by the full album next week. Marketa’s tour begins on October 8th in Ann Arbor, Michigan USA. For more tour date information visit the Tour section.
Exclusive Video: Making Of MUNA
Check out this behind the scenes look at the making of MUNA. We’re excited to share some of the creative energy that went into the recording process.
The album will be released on September 23 and is available now for pre-order on iTunes here.
Produced & Directed by Zohreh Shayesteh
Edited & Co-directed by Malika Weeden
Sound Mixing by Laura Sinnott
Additional Sound Mixing by Sturla Mio Thorisson
“The Leading Bird” Video Premiere
We’re so pleased to share this new video for The Leading Bird from the upcoming record MUNA. It features dancer Maria Alejandra Jara De Marco and was made in Iceland by our friends at Refur Creative, Hörður Sveinsson, Helgi Jóhannsson and Atli Viðar. It premiered at Spin.com earlier today.
“I am inspired by the open space, the wilderness of the nature, the strong energy coming from the land,” Irglová said of Iceland’s influence on her new music. “There is a harmony, a balance, something that allows for a freer flow of creativity. It is easier to be one with oneself and one with everything and everyone around.”
My Friend Mary
I met Mary many years ago, when I was still living in Ireland. I came over to Glen’s place for a cuppa tea one day and there she was in his garden, helping him to plant some onions. I fell in love with Mary straight away. Her hands and shoes were covered in mud, and her chestnut hair was held up with pins in the most beautifully wild way. Her woolen swather was well worn and it’s threads intertwined with strands of dried grass, revealing how common spending time in a garden was for her. She contained within her the earthiness of her people which I loved and enjoyed during my time living in Ireland. [Read More]
My Trinity
Back in 2010, when I had just made a transition from living in Ireland to renting an apartment in Manhattan, I attended a concert held at a cafe/art gallery called Zora space in Park Slope, Brooklyn. I was invited by my friend Jake Clemons, who was performing as one of the acts, and I accepted his invitation with a fair amount of excitement, having made a conscious decision at the time to embrace the more social life of New York City in comparison to my “out in the country” life in Ireland. I took the F train to Smith and 9th street and walked to the cafe a few blocks away. [Read More]
MUNA
We’re elated to announce that Marketa’s second solo record, MUNA, will be available on 23rd September 2014 worldwide on ANTI Records and she will be touring North America and Europe this Fall.
Muna means “to remember” in Icelandic. Remembering that which has been forgotten is a recurring theme throughout this record. “I had been to Iceland for the first time with the Swell Season,” Marketa says. “I fell in love with it then and was sad to leave, although I knew someday something would bring me back. I am inspired by the open space, the wilderness of the nature, the strong energy coming from the land. There is a harmony, a balance, something that allows for a freer flow of creativity. It is easier to be one with oneself and one with everything and everyone around. This makes for better art, in my opinion.” Click through to learn more about MUNA & to hear a song from the album called This Right Here.
Hello and Welcome
It is wonderful that you have found your way here, giving me an opportunity to introduce you to my new record MUNA, which is coming out this fall. It has been ready and waiting for some time now for its moment to be heard and it brings me much joy and excitement that the time has come, for I have been excited to share it with you. [Read More]