Hotel Café Los Angeles, CA
Contact: taylor@trendpr.com
Web: instagram.com/marinawfleming
Players: Marina Fleming, vocals, guitar; Troy Dillinger, accordion; Lomie Blum, bass; Aidan Steckley, drums
The second stage at the Hotel Café in Hollywood, midweek, can provide the most intimate of experiences. The way the stage is set up with a few seats in front of it, facing the bar, it really does feel like you’re among friends if you pick the right night.
On one particular evening in June, MC was on hand to catch Marina Fleming, who had recently scored fairly well with a New Music Critique in these very pages, and is celebrating the release of her Groupies in the Age of Consent album.
In our NMC, we wrote that, “Fleming lists The Smiths, Cat Stevens, Fiona Apple, and Amy Winehouse among her influences, and that blend of indie rock, '60s folk, and '90s alternative certainly tracks.” We stand by that assessment after catching her perform live.
We also stand by the fact that we scored her at a 7.4, which is entirely commendable. Live, however, she really comes into her own. All of the lyrical honesty, that desire to journal her life in the form of song, comes crashing forward in a glorious wave of strength in vulnerability. It’s a joy to behold; Fleming appears very comfortable in and of herself and, if she isn’t, she’s channeling that humanity into her art remarkably effectively.
She’s also an engaging host; she introduces most of the songs with an anecdote that offers genuine insight into her process. One song (“Pills”) is about the antibiotics she took after surgery. C’mon, that’s hilarious when everyone is assuming that the song is going in a less wholesome direction.
Another song is about her friends not being her friends anymore but loving them anyway. “Kiss” is relatively self-explanatory. Through it all, we presented with very real stories, told in a relatable manner. Fleming’s vocals and guitar playing only enhance the songs, and she’s ably backed by her bandmates.
Bassist Blum and drummer Steckley prove a gifted rhythm section, but the secret weapon is the accordion playing of Dillinger. That instrument just adds a curveball, a little quirk that takes the tunes in unexpected directions.
Overall, Fleming is still at the start of her journey but there’s so much promise here, the next chapter could well be a thrill-ride.
