The Music of Via Mardot

Photo is from viamardot.bandcamp.com

A shambling shadowy progression stumbles into the frame. The old weathered sound of a spaghetti western rings out through the twang of a distorted electric guitar, and out from this dusty high noon haze, a singing theremin soars above. What kind of ghoulish space-cowboy landscape have my ears wandered into? The wonderful and unique musical world of Via Mardot.

If you’re a fan of the “home-made” dark musical sound as much as I am, you will love this artist. Via Mardot specializes in bite-sized sound worlds reminiscent of our favorite western films with elements of noir and folk mixed in. She is a self-taught musician who plays a wide variety of instruments; from bass to guitar, and theremin to musical saw. Mardot brings her unique personal instrumentation to bear in her works. It’s this unique skill set that sets her music apart from others, and it’s a wonderful example of an artist working with what they have at hand to create something beautiful.

Selected Instrumental Track:

​​A great example of some of her most recent instrumental work rests in the track titled, “Towers” an eerie march accented with the tolling of tubular bells (yes, she plays the bells too… of course!) and rolling snare. We're transported to a haunted march to the scaffold that puts Berlioz to shame.

​Mardot’s ability to create a unique picturesque sonic environment is showcased eloquently in this track. As much as she is inspired by film scores, she can definitely write them too.

Songs With Voice:

​​While I was first introduced to her incredible instrumental focused writing, I also later stumbled across some of her vocal music. An absolutely phenomenal live concert was recorded and posted via The Mill at Vicksburg YouTube Channel. It was such a joy to find that her writing approach is perfectly encapsulated in her singing voice. The dark and shimmery harmonies she chooses glow gently around a sweet and rich palette of lyrics and vocal tone. At times, one can almost hear the haunting hum of a theremin in her voice, a truly marvelous treat for the ears. My personal favorites are “Stocks” (in the first half) and “Stand” (in the second half).

​If you enjoyed the live versions of these songs, you definitely need to take a listen to the recorded versions on Bandcamp and Spotify. These versions add in Mardot’s beautiful orchestration of eclectic theremin, guitars, drums and bass–not to mention her skillful production and recording. Not something to miss!

Summary and Where to Listen:

​Via Mardot’s music is available on Spotify, but you can also purchase and download some of her tracks on her Bandcamp, which is an excellent way to support artists more directly! If you dig her music, I definitely recommend this route. She also posts videos of some of her compositions on her Instagram. I’ll link to the avenues for further listening below:

Via Mardot Bandcamp

Via Mardot Instagram (@viamardot)

Via Mardot Spotify

If you’re interested in learning more about Mardot, she did a wonderful interview with Jason Verlinde at Fretboard Journal, you can listen and read it here. 

For once in my life, I’m thankful to the ever-present social media algorithms for bringing me the music of this wonderful artist. I look forward to continuing to listen, and see what amazing things are yet to come. I hope you’ll join me! Until next time, thank you for reading.