From a pink cloud somewhere on the Portuguese coast, MARO appears on the screen. Her European summer tour has just ended, and the 31-year-old singer finds herself in the twilight zone between physical exhaustion and gratitude. 'When touring, your body is on a very specific wavelength. You are constantly tired and hungover, but playing gives you a constant high - which makes you forget about that. As soon as you get home, you crash completely. At the same time, I feel amazing. I am so grateful for everything I have experienced, all the people who came. Now it is time for some rest. Normally I am always working, but soon I will stay with a friend for a few days - just to switch off. Nowadays, everyone is constantly in work mode. Sometimes it's good to forget your phone for a while.' 

Friends' vacation
It was a summer to dream of, but if she had to choose one highlight? Then she goes for Montreux Jazz Festival. 'That place is truly magical. The morning after our performance we went swimming in that big lake, overlooking those beautiful mountains. There were musicians everywhere. Nick Cave floated by, a bit further on Sting took a dip. Very surreal indeed. And extra special to share that with my best friends.'

Those friends play a key role in MARO’s success. She has known her band members for years. 'I am very picky in that regard. For me, it is never just about skills or talent, but also very much about how you are as a human being. I only want to surround myself with people I like. My team really feels like family. We get along incredibly well, have the same humor. That not only makes the shows magical, but also the moments around them. It's like you are constantly on vacation with your friends.'

Don't think
The reason for that long vacation is a brand new album, So Much Has Changed. And indeed, a lot has changed. After the folky Hortelã and the mostly electronic Lifeline (with producer NASAYA), MARO comes with a pure pop record. And where she previously sang in different languages, this time she keeps it to English. Though there is no need to look for deep deliberation behind that. 'I actually never think about it, I just let it happen. I speak English every day, it is the working language in the studio, I even dream in English. So it makes total sense to sing in that language. The language I sing in depends mostly on my environment. My previous album Hortelã was entirely in Portuguese, basically just because I had moved back to Lisbon and spoke Portuguese with family and friends every day. If I were to live in France for a year, I would probably end up singing in French. It purely depends on where I am, and with whom. There's really nothing more to it.' 

MARO also tries to think as little as possible about the musical aspect. 'When I wrote Hortelã, my grandfather had just passed away. For the first time in my life, I felt real grief. It was a very heavy, vulnerable period. As a result, the songs naturally became more subdued. When I started writing with NASAYA, we were much more like: let's just have fun. That resulted in a completely different sound, very electronic and upbeat.'

'In any case, that is a kind of golden rule in everything I do, not only in music, but in life: to be as sincere and authentic as possible. Not trying to be something, but just being, and accepting what flows from that. It is incredibly freeing to not have a plan. Very fun, too. The more I write, the more I discover about myself. Music is a kind of medium that tells me things about myself, even before I realize it.'

Island girl
And that formula works. With an enchanting trio show, she made an indelible impression at Into The Great Wide Open 2024, but the festival also made an impression on MARO. 'Last time I was here with my brother, who I work with. Back then I already told him: I want to come back here someday, just to enjoy the festival. It was so cozy, the vibe was very chill. The darker it got and the more little lights appeared, the more in love I fell. When we stepped onto the boat, I knew for sure: I am a fan. I was overjoyed when I heard we were allowed to come back. I immediately arranged for us to stay a day longer. None of my band members have ever been to the island, so I can't wait to show them around.'

MARO may have been born in Lisbon, but she has always had a soft spot for islands. 'I am an island girl, always have been. I feel a kind of connection to the water, just like many Portuguese people. Lisbon is by the sea, my whole life was spent on the beach. Islands give me that same feeling, but on steroids. Even as a child I knew I wanted to live on an island someday. Give me a small house with a small studio, the sea, the forest… That's all I need.'