Marina & the Diamonds

Task: Find an artist or band that hasn't been manipulated by cultural industry

Artist name: Marina & the Diamonds
Real name: Marina Lambrini Diamandis 
Born: 10th October 1985
Age: 27 
Genres of music: Indietronica, new wave, synthpop, dance-pop
Occupations: Musician, singer-songwriter 
Years Active: 2005-present
Labels: Neon Gold, 679, Atlantic, Chop Shop, Elektra








Marina & the Diamonds is signed to an indie record label named 679. Her early demos were made with Apple software called "GarageBand". Through the use of Gumtree, she found someone who would be able to produce a few tracks setting her back £500. She then released these on a self made EP called "Mermaid Vs Sailor" and then sold this through MySpace, with an estimated 70 copies sold. 

She was then discovered by Derek Davies of Neon Gold Records, who then booked her to open for the singer Gotye, which is where she became signed to 679 Recordings.

Marina then released two singles "Obsessions" and "Mowgli's Road" in November of 2008, then another EP named "The Crown Jewels" in 2009, featuring her first popular song "I Am Not A Robot". Her first major label single was a re-recording of "Mowgli's Road", which was released in Novemeber of 2009, one year later. She was then positioned as second on the BBC Sound of 2010 poll behind the ever so successful Ellie Goulding.

Marina had to work her way to where she is today, having to put effort in and even paying to get her singles out there herself. She strives on having freedom, creating singles if both her and the record label approve. She has released two studio albums, one being "The Family Jewels" and another, which her record label allowed her to create (even though they denied her a few times) named "Electra Heart"