Her debut album has been filed under 'folk' at HMV and was co-produced by her husband, Alex Turner, a member of British electronic act Plaid. But Mara Carlyle's The Lovely defies categorisation.
Fusing jazz with folk, electronica and opera, The Lovely has been impressing critics in Britain. Local audiences will get a chance to decide for themselves tomorrow night when Carlyle plays at the Fringe Club.
How does she feel about being lumped in with the folkies? 'I'm not happy about that!' she says with a laugh over the phone from London. 'Nothing against folk music, I love folk music. But my album isn't a folk album. It's a bit lazy to stick me in that section. It's just not what I am.'
Word of mouth about Carlyle is what's brought her to Hong Kong and Vietnam this week, courtesy of the British Council and RTHK's Music Beyond Borders series, which will record her tonight. 'Someone at the British Council heard my CD through a friend and asked if I'd be interested in coming,' says the 30-year-old. 'Of course I said I would.'
Much of Carlyle's work entails arranging classical works into stark, modern pieces. How was it collaborating with her husband, who's better known for experimental dance music? 'It was a learning experience for both of us because we come from such different musical worlds,' she says. '[Plaid] have been incredibly inspiring. Their music is so beautiful, and it's so intricate. It's extraordinary dance music.'
The Lovely is harly dance. It's haunted, chilled-out and beautiful. The album was put together over several years, whenever Carlyle had spare time from her day job helping homeless people. It was recorded in her living room. 'I'm just so lucky that I know a lot of incredibly talented musicians,' she says. 'So I roped them all in. We recorded on a microphone and a laptop.'