Dallas singer-songwriter and visual artist Nicole Marxen understands the value of vulnerability — you can hear it in every note of her full-length debut, Thorns.
Her 2021 EP Tether found Marxen, a former member of Midnight Opera, grappling with grief. The 10-track Thorns, which arrived Aug. 9, goes even deeper, inside her own relationship with her body in an effort to, as it is phrased in press materials, “root into the wild garden of our flawed and beautiful being.”
Working with producer Alex Bhore, who collaborated with Marxen on Tether, was a natural choice, according to Marxen.
“Alex is a very dear friend, and a wonderful collaborator,” Marxen said during a recent conversation. “I just trust him. I feel comfortable enough to send him my demos and trust that he is able to fill in the blanks where maybe I don’t feel super confident.”
Listening to any track from the arresting Thorns, it’s hard to imagine Marxen not feeling confident about the bleak beauty on display. From the ominous swirl of opener “Path of Fire” through to the harrowing “Lullaby,” Marxen moves with aplomb to pull listeners inside her shadowy sonic world.
“I never assume that what I am writing about or trying to convey is the answer to anything,” Marxen said. “I’m really interested in being brave enough to even talk about certain things. … I didn’t grow up playing music; it’s something that I got into as a young adult. So I feel like I’ll always have this kind of sense of insecurity. I think that’s what makes what I do really interesting is… sometimes I know that things are the wrong notes, but I’m willing to go there, because it sounds really cool.”
Marxen has yet to nail down any local performances to mark the release of Thorns, but said she will be performing this fall in North Texas. Until then, she’s letting go of the catharsis of creation, and putting these beautiful, menacing songs in the hands of listeners.
“My hope is the listener gets whatever they need from it,” Marxen said. “I’ve written the songs, recorded and released them. … It’s an incredible notion about art. It’s not about me anymore. I just hope anybody who listens can find what they need from it and create their own meanings.”
Preston Jones is a North Texas freelance writer and regular contributor to KXT. Email him at [email protected] or find him on X (@prestonjones). Our work is made possible by our generous, music-loving members. If you like how we lift up local music, consider becoming a KXT sustaining member right here.
