Marli Harwood’s debut album ‘Clocks and Full Stops’, is a collection of 12 heartfelt tales of hope, false starts and new beginnings, and is released on Island Records on May 30.
Born in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire in 1975, it has taken 16 years for Marli to get to this point. After years of career heartbreak, the dreams of this exotic singer/songwriter and musician of Eritrean, Italian, Welsh and English extraction are finally becoming a reality.
From international showcases to being left homeless and sleeping on a park bench, Marli has experienced extreme highs and lows throughout her career.
Marli’s musical rollercoaster began in 1995 following two rushed and spontaneous showcases in New York within the space of three days. She eventually signed to Island Records following a performance of one song to the label’s legendary founder, Chris Blackwell. During the recording of her debut album, Blackwell decided to sell Island Records, the home of Bob Marley and U2. Marli’s album was never released. This was the first of many disappointments for Marli. In 1999 she recorded an album in the US for Richard Branson’s V2 label. The album was shelved. In 2002, unbeknown to Marli, an ex-boyfriend sent a tape of her to BBC’s Fame Academy. A shocked Marli received a phone call asking her to audition and after much parental persuasion, Marli eventually accepted, commenting: “I decided to go through with it with my eyes wide open, you shouldn’t turn down these opportunities. I thought that this could be my last chance. It was a fantastic learning curve”. She made it through to the live TV show and was voted out when there were just 5 people left. Despite the public rejection, she’d caught the imagination of Sony Music and secured a brand new recording contract. Things were looking up again.
Marli recorded an album for Sony, but due to personnel changes and ‘label restructuring’, it was never released. While she was recording it, she met the love of her life, producer Michael Harwood (though it took them a while to actually get together). In 2008 Marli was dropped by Sony, in the same week the relationship she was in fell apart, and she was left homeless. She spent two nights on the street. This was Marli’s lowest point. She called Michael and before long the two realised that they were destined to be together.
A year later, Michael persuaded Marli to record an album for a small record label that he was working with, but due to industry difficulties she was going to have to wait a while for her record to be released. This was one delay too many for Marli. She decided this was it, it had been 15 years and it was time to give up on the music industry. Marli and Michael married in 2009 and she began earning a living from mentoring and voice coaching.
In 2010, the production company she was signed to listened to Marli’s album again and said that they wanted to release it. Marli took this news cautiously. Radio Two were playing the track ‘It’s Called A Heart’ and promptly made it ‘Single of the Week’. Not long afterwards, Heart radio chose the song to soundtrack their ‘Have A Heart’ campaign. After 16 years of trying, just as Marli had all but given up hope, things finally started happening!
A flurry of record company offers started to come in. But she had discovered, after two years of trying, that she was expecting her first child. She told her manager she was going to prioritise family over fame and ignored them. However, with the advent of a unique deal, a key maternity clause being added to her contract, Marli, now 36, signed to Island records in April 2011. After 16 years of trying she will now release her debut album ‘Clocks and Full Stops’ via Island Records on 30 May.
Marli said yesterday “It’s been my dream to have a music career and to have a family. To be able to look forward to both is an incredible blessing”. “I think my life is everybody’s life. You never really know what’s around the corner. I’ve had 5 record deals, 4 managers, taken part in a reality TV show, travelled the world, and on the way, written a hit single for Liberty X, and witnessed both the glamour and the grime of the industry. Now I’m married and expecting my first child. Life always works out, what’s the worst that can happen?”
http://marliharwood.blogspot.com
