Last night Marina was in the Radio 1 studios with Nahil for the Review Show. Other guests were Starboy Nathan & Edward Adoo and their purpose of the show is to rate and review a selection of songs. Marina also talks about Radioactive, her album & other female artists out right now. It’s only available for 1 week (until the 27th of September) so make sure to listen to it while you can.

Marina Diamandis set about breaking into the music industry during the two years that she spent in Greece following the separation of her parents. Since then Marina has become a household name in the UK, however she was not happy completely happy with sound of her singing voice..

Talking about her desire to be famous.
For some reason I was quite ashamed of the idea of fame, even though my whole life I felt like I was an artist. I want to be famous but for being extrodinary. I think in the begining because we had gone through this era of reality stars & people being fame hungry for no reason I was like, I wana shy away from that, I don’t want to be associated with that, but you know, it’s really silly to lead your life like that & I’m really enjoying what I have now.

On The Second Album
I think I am very ready for it, I feel like this second album, I just have this feeling. I just feel really ready where as the first album I had all these hangups.

On Touring With Katy Perry
I’m so excited, nothing but pure excitement about this, it’s a really big gig for me & it feels like the beginning of something new. Katy has been great to me & I would like to be really great to her, from what I can learn from her, I am going to be studying her production. I am just excited to see her show 11 times, let alone performing.

Before Marina takes the stage at this years Coachella music festival on April 15, Starpulse.com spoke with her about the Burger Queen Tour, auditioning for a boy band, and her most prized possession.

What should audiences expect from your upcoming Burger Queen Tour?

I don’t want to give a negative first, but it’s scaled down from the British version. However, it showcases the whole Family Jewels album. I think The Family Jewels is a revelation of ending an addiction to things that don’t matter in life. A lot of that, fortunately and unfortunately, involves American pop culture. I love pop art and Americana, so some of my visual inspirations are certainly based on that. I thought the name ‘burger queen’ sounded perfect. I hope Americans like it as well.

You’re currently working on your second album. It may be too soon to talk about it, but how is it going to be different from your first release?

All I can say is that I started writing it a year ago. I have two visions for it and they’re very separate. I almost feel like putting out two albums, but that’s probably not essential. I want it out as soon as possible. I don’t know when as soon as possible is. I just want it to be fabulous first and then release it.

You once stated, ‘I think all of what I nearly do musically is powered by an agenda.’ What’s your agenda now?

I suppose that quote is true. I do have a memo all the time because I need to be guided by something in my life. I’m not religious and I don’t have idols, so something has to drive me. It’s funny because pop music is irrelevant and yet it’s so relevant to life. I’m constantly in between the two. For the second album, I really come into my own as a person. I think I was in denial of who I am because I felt heavily judged. Love is really my nemesis. I never really allowed myself to indulge in such basic things because I was so motivated and thought that if I did I wouldn’t succeed. I know it sounds crazy, but that’s how it was.

What triggered your interest in music?

I thought for a long time that I was going to be a pop artist. It was around 18-19 that I started to make that a reality. I just knew that this was my destiny. I was quite musical when I was young and played the violin, but then I quit, like I do with everything else.

What are your thoughts on today’s female pop artists and how they’re treated by the media?

I’m a lot more positive about it now than I was last year. I think female artists in pop music have it great. You’ve got people like Rihanna, Lady Gaga, and Katy Perry who are all winning. They are doing it by being very strong, opinionated females. Because of that, they’re wildly successful. I think we have the upper hand right now.

Is it true that you used to read biographies on Madonna for tips on how to become a pop star?

I read every biography on Madonna. It wasn’t just about getting tips. I felt connected with Madonna from a very young age. I think I share a lot of qualities from her personality. I really respect her.

What about auditioning for a boy band in drag? How did that turn out?

Not great (laughs). I’m still challenging genders, though. That’s what I like to say, so I’m less embarrassed by it.

What’s your relationship like with The Diamonds, also known as your fans?

I feel like half of me wants to be a massive star, but when I meet my fans, I feel like they’re friends. The whole point of Marina And The Diamonds was to ignore this stupid, ridiculous, and hierarchical nature of my industry. I think it has gotten a lot better now, especially with people like Lady Gaga, who’s a spokesperson for that. But, I felt like other artists didn’t really give a shit about the fans and I hated that. That’s how the name came about. I feel extremely passionate about my fans and I hope they never feel excluded. I really care about them and I would feel awful if something happens to them, like having to wait in the rain for a show. That breaks my heart.

You attempted to pursue the university several times now. Do you ever see yourself returning?

I’m pretty sure it’s behind me. I just feel that I learn more out in the world than inside a room stuck with a book. You never know, but I don’t think I will. It’s not a terrible idea. I think I’m too independent and I like reading on my own. If I want to learn about something, then I’ll just buy 50 books on the topic and eat them up.

As the brand ambassador for Max Factor, what advice can you give to female fans who want to look and feel good about themselves?

Actually, my advice has nothing to do with makeup. It’s about your skin. If your skin looks like shit then everything else will be shit. You need to get a little more sleep and take your makeup off before you go to bed. You know when you’re really hammered and you just want to roll into bed? No (laughs).

Stephanie Nolasco for Starpulse

Welsh-born pop songstress Marina Diamandis, in her vintage letter jackets and vibrant skirts, would probably look right at home among the pages of a pop art comic book.

While Marina and the Diamonds’ debut album, The Family Jewels, pokes fun at the material world and culture of the Millennial generation, a culture Diamandis admits an infatuation with, the content on her follow-up album still remains hush hush. No release date will be set until she decides it’s fabulous, Diamandis said. Until then, she’s touring stateside on the flippantly named Burger Queen Tour.

The Daily Texan had the opportunity to speak to Diamandis on the phone about her current tour, burgers and fashion sensibilities.

Why is your tour called the Burger Queen Tour?

Marina Diamandis: I’m obsessed with trash culture! The Family Jewels was about the excess of it — gossip magazines and things that look really good but don’t have any values. I love pop art and Americana. It’s the essential album for that kind of taste.

Do you actually like burgers, though?

I like good burgers. I don’t go to McDonald’s unless I’m really hungover and want some fries. Usually, I stick to gourmet burgers.

Our main music writer, Frankie, likes to ask people what their perfect sandwich is, but since you’re the burger queen, what’s the perfect burger?

The best burger I’ve ever had was at the bar in Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood. It had your regular toppings, like caramelized onions, bacon, cheese, jalapenos and gherkin. I can’t remember what you call gherkin over there. They’re like cucumbers.

Pickles?

Yes, I think so. Gherkin, which is a disgusting word, looks so vile but tastes amazing.

Has anything bizarre happened to you while on tour?

To be honest, my threshold of bizarre is off the rocket. Life just seems like a fluffy blur, and nothing can really weird me out. I’m not freaked out by hard-core fans; I love that stuff. I’ve lived an unusual life. I moved around quite a lot. My dad is very eccentric, and my mom is a free spirit. They were very nonjudgmental, and I’ve seen a lot of different things.

The Family Jewels is like this tongue-in-cheek commentary on American pop culture. What made you want to write about that?

It’s not just about American culture, but a lot comes from that. If you don’t get the tongue-in-cheek stuff, you won’t get the whole album or me as a person. It’s just how human beings cope with tragedy; we turn it into humor. I like picking up all the dark things and making something jovial. You either commit suicide or become a pop star.

Pop music can get a bad rap sometimes. How do you respond to critics who have called your music bubble gum?

I love hearing that! At the moment, I’m so ambitious that I’m half delusional. I want to be massive, and I think I will be. My songs aren’t just “Hey babe, I fancy you,” but I don’t think it’s out of left field to call it bubble gum. I wish my songs got more play on the radio, though, in the U.K., as well. I think pop is incredibly powerful. Really, if it’s catchy, you can get away with anything.

You have a very colorful, graphic sense of fashion. Who or what inspires your style?

I suppose it’s the balancing of masculine and feminine. Humor inspires me. I think with British people in general, the humor is so tapped in our culture. I can wear leather and studs, the heavy aggressive stuff, with a pair of fluffy marabou slippers.

Wait, what kind of slippers?

Those porn star slippers! I just bought like five pairs in Hollywood. It’s bad news.

It’s been more than a year since your debut album was released. What’s in store for the future?

I’m a quick writer, so I already had half of it done by the time The Family Jewels was released. I’ll probably start talking about the new album later. It’s still a bit too soon. I know my instincts say it’ll be bigger than my first, but I don’t know anything else. I just want it to be really big. Everything else will fall into place.

Source :DailyTexanOnline.com

Marina is booked to bring The Burger Queen Tour to 3 shows throughout Texas over the next few days. She starts off at Antone’s Nightclub in Austin tonight(11th), Fitzgerald’s in Houston tomorow(12th) and finishes at the Granada Theatre in Dallas on Wednesday(13th).

You tweeted that you’re bringing your “knuckle duster” [brass knuckles] to Las Vegas. What are you expecting to find here?
(Laughs) No, they’re fun, like decorative knuckles. It’s my first time going there, actually. I’m expecting, basically, a world made of toys and plastic, and I’m really hoping it is like that. I know the show’s at the Book & Stage, and apparently it’s simulating the lounge act kind of Las Vegas thing. So I’m gonna get my lounge on. I’m very scared. I’m gonna have to really restrain myself, ’cause I’m a very all-over-the-place, energetic performer.

You’re playing Coachella this month and touring as Katy Perry’s opener this summer. Are you comfortable straddling the line between indie and mainstream?
It’s a total annoyance, actually. From a label point of view, it’s very hard, marketing-wise. And my ambition and goals are much more geared toward the mainstream side of things. My plan for myself is not to keep to these small venues. I’m a real performer, and I carry myself and my show a lot better in bigger venues. I just don’t want to have to sound like everyone else in pop to get there. Because my voice isn’t very pop and my lyrics are definitely not like stuff you’d hear on the radio.

You recently got called out by perezhilton.com for “angering” Britney fans with a tweet about her…
Oh yeah, that was so ridiculous. No one has a bloody sense of humor. In context, if you were looking at my other tweets, you could tell I was on a rampage. She’s probably my biggest inspiration next to Madonna. It’s just ridiculous that some idiot would take that out of context. But that’s the online world. I didn’t even feel angry about it. Whereas a year ago I would have been like, oh my God, they think I’m being mean!

Source : Las Vegas Weekly

Marina will be playing at the Book & Stage lounge, Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. She is playing April 7th, 8th & 9th at 10:30pm. Tickets are free so be sure to go and see her if you are in the area.

Marina recently sat down with Andrew Freund and spoke about everything from her musical influences, style inspiration & touring this year. Watch the interview above or you can read a rough draft of it below.

Andrew : Tell me a little about your fashion sense, you are known for being a great show-man. Where does all this inspiration come from?

Marina : I really don’t know, It’s very instinctive. Sometimes I have a stylist, sometimes I don’t. I haven’t had one for about six months actually. It usually depends on where I am going so at the moment I’m iving on Hollywood. I look like I’ve come out of a fancy dress shop. I really love vintage, at the moment I’m really into very 70′s vintage. I don’t know, I just like this. I like knitwear with plastic.

Andrew : That’s cool. It’s kind of Gagaesque, she likes the vinyl.

Marina : Darling, I think this was out before gaga was born. I think this was made in the 70s.

Andrew : You are a younger artist coming on the scene, who are some of your influences?

Marina : Eminem, Madonna, a writer called Dorothy Parker, a feminist called Simone de Beauvoir, Daniel Johnston a DIY artist, Britney Spears..

Andrew : Now question! Britney Spears.. She always lip syncs her songs, so as an artist, what do you make of other artists that don’t perform live?

Marina : Well, I can’t really relate that to my love for Britney because for her everyone knows that it was the whole package, she was the really sweet person, looks amazing, played with the innocent imagery and people connected with that. I know she can sing, if you look at vintage videos of her when she was younger, she had a massive voice. So it’s slightly disappointing and if you go to see a show and they don’t sing, personally I don’t think I would go to that show. You know, Britney is and was a star and she’s been an incredible performer all her life. My love will never die for Britney.

Andrew : When fans go to see a Marina And The Diamonds show what can they expect to see?

Marina : It’s quite rough around the edges, It’s very theatrical and very in your face. My voice is very good live, it’s actually better than the record. I wasn’t really a trained singer when I recorded my album and now, yeah, I have a much better voice.
It’s kinda like pop art fused with grunge. I love to play with the idea of squeaky clean pop but really I don’t fit into that at all. That’s kind of what The Burger Queen Tour encapsulated.

Andrew : So tell me a little bit about, you’re gonna go on tour with Katy Perry, mega monsterous star, are you excited? nervous?

Marina : Yeah I think I will be nervous, I think because it’s the biggest gigs I’ve done. I’m opening up for someone else which means it’s not necessarily playing to my own fans so you’re worked much harder as an entertainer and that’s why I’m doing it. Obviously because I really like her but the main reason was because I want to elevate myself as a performer before I go on to this next album.

Andrew : Tell me a little about the next album, how are fans going to feel when they hear the next album as opposed to the first one.

Marina : Hopefully they will love me even more. That’s what I want, so that’s what going to happen. I think they are really gonna like it. I’ve changed a lot as a person, my views have changed quite a lot as well and I’m very unapologetic about things now where as for The Family Jewels I was like “Hi I’m Marina And The Diamonds”.

Andrew : Like a young Britney Spears perhaps

Marina : Haha, whatever. Now I’m like… You’ll see.

Max Factor Ambassador, Marina Diamandis, better known as Marina and the diamonds always looks like she’s having so much fun with her Fashion & Beauty looks. Currently, Max Factor’s Max colour effect is a collection she uses daily – but do check out her beauty regimes, products she can’t live without, and her beauty essentials below!

What is your everyday make-up regime?
When I’m working I like to be a bit more adventurous with my look, whether that’s wearing a bright red lipstick or lip gloss coupled with a hot red nail polish, or by adding a flash of vibrant colour to my lids. When I’m not working I tend to stick to the basics; mascara, eyeliner and lip colour.

What is the one make-up product you couldn’t live without?
It has to be mascara! What girl would say anything else? I use Max Factor’s False Lash Effect Mascara; it creates big statement lashes which look great on stage.

What are your top three beauty essentials?
I love Body Shop’s Coconut Oil for my hair without fail and every evening I use Hot Compress Eve Lom facial cleanser. I think you’ve always got to be seeking out new things and my latest essential comes thanks to my campaign with Max Factor Max Colour Effect – Max Colour Effect Dip In Eyeshadows which are vibrant and really easy to apply

Do you do anything differently with your beauty regime in summer and winter?
My beauty regime doesn’t really vary according to what season it is; it depends on what look I want to create. If you want to wear something, go for it – the weather shouldn’t determine your look!

Have you got any winter make-up tips?
Bright colours make you feel more optimistic in the winter, even if it’s just a coat of nail polish.

Source : MyFashDiary