Israeli singer-songwriter MARBL tiptoes the fine line between our fears and desires on her new single The Mechanism Of All Temporary Things.
Accompanied by an unnerving, smoke-shrouded video, The Mechanism Of All Temporary Things is led by MARBL’s silken smooth vocals and downtempo, moody instrumentation worthy of a James Bond soundtrack.
Curious to find out more, I had a chat to MARBL about the making of the single, her influences and what’s coming next…
Your new single – The Mechanism Of All Temporary Things – takes a more dreamy, soulful direction than your previous releases. How was it written / produced?
I wrote this song during a crazy time. I was working 24/7 and as an independent artist; I do everything – I’m my own manager, I am the songwriter, the singer, the performer, I collaborated with the video artist Tomer Levy, I book and promote the concerts… I have to take care of everything and it can drive one crazy sometimes!
The thought of what I love to do the most, as a small particle in the endless time, makes me want to be more significant and not to give up.
I had a dream that night… in that dream, my greatest fears and desires had faces of their own. The fears of not leaving my stamp as an artist wore the face of a lion, and I held it in a large bag. It threatened me. I was confused and frightened and then it got clearer, I had to let this lion go.
R.E.M wrote once Everybody Hurts, and that’s the truth. We all have our wounds and scratches – we have our own scars and we’re so busy trying to hide them. They are a part of who we are, and I think that the best way to heal them is to accept their existence and not be afraid of showing them.
Everything is temporary, we have to avoid the noise and listen to our hearts. That will be, in the end, our stamp in time, and that is The Mechanism Of All Temporary Things.
The music video has a lovely sultry, surreal tone. Where did you film it and what were the ideas behind it?
Tomer Levy – a very good friend of mine – listened to this song, and visualised it in the best way that even I couldn’t have better expressed.
He took out the bruises we tend to hide in a disturbing yet comforting manner. The video exposes all of our weaknesses and wounds, shows that we all share them, until the catharsis – the acceptance and understanding that everything is temporary and we have to let it go, and that’s how he made The Mechanism Of All Temporary Things visible.

Who are your biggest musical influences?
I’m widely influenced by a large variety of artists such as Laura Marling, Bon Iver, Damien Rice, Norah Jones, Ben Howard, Fink, Elbow, Joni Mitchell, Tori Amos, Regina Spector, Mumford & Sons, Iron & Wine, Oh Wonder and more…
If you could perform anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Glastonbury Festival. Many of my favourite artists performed there.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Write, perform and produce the songs as I love them, as they touch me. Don’t fall to ‘fashion’ that works from the outside, only project outside from your true and beautiful inside.
When can we expect the full EP release?
Hopefully this May. I can’t wait!
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