Marika Hackman writes confessional songs that have shifted from hushed folk whispers to anxious rock with strings and horns.
MOODS · breathy · confessional · wry · introspective · anxious · frank · folk-rooted · dance-pop leaning · rock-infused · self-reflective · evolving · intimate
BIOGRAPHY
Marika Hackman was born on February 17, 1992 in Hampshire, England, and grew up in Selborne and Devon, the daughter of animators who encouraged her creativity by limiting television time. She taught herself guitar at age 12 and later won a scholarship to Bedales School, where she befriended future model Cara Delevingne and briefly played drums in a band with her. After a year studying art in Brighton, Hackman moved to London to pursue music; fellow Bedales alum Johnny Flynn produced her 2012 debut single "You Come Down" and helped her sign to Transgressive.
Her 2015 breakthrough We Slept at Last paired a breathy near-whisper with minimal arrangements. She grew bolder on I'm Not Your Man (2017), her Sub Pop and Virgin EMI debut, before turning to keyboards and dance-pop grooves on Any Human Friend (2019). Her 2024 Chrysalis debut Big Sigh added strings and horns to self-performed rock arrangements after a period of writer's block.
WHY THEY'RE COOL
Hackman's catalog traces a clear arc of reinvention, from the hushed intimacy of We Slept at Last to the blended folk-rock confidence of I'm Not Your Man, the straightforward dance-pop of Any Human Friend, and the string- and horn-laced anxiety of Big Sigh. Critics have tracked that evolution closely: The Guardian called I'm Not Your Man "witty, raucous and honest" and later named Any Human Friend her "most accomplished record to date," Pitchfork hailed her as a "bold young British force," and NME described Big Sigh as a "defining moment for one of our most intriguing songwriters," a record that scored 80 on Metacritic across 17 reviews.
GEORGE'S PLAYS
George has played this artist 3 times.
PLAYED ON WOKE1
