MARIKA HACKMAN

British singer-songwriter Marika Hackman explores these questions on her fifth studio album, *False Dogs*, which is due for release on 19 February 2027.

Blending melancholic indie-folk, sophisticated arrangements and brutally honest lyrics, Marika Hackman explores life’s contradictions and finds a surprising amount of beauty even in the darkest moments.

Since her debut album *We Slept at Last* (2015), Marika Hackman has established herself as one of the most distinctive voices on the British indie scene. Her unmistakably deep voice, her subtle guitar playing and her often brutally personal lyrics form the foundation of a sound that has continued to evolve with every album. Whilst *I’m Not Your Man* (2017), recorded with the support of the band The Big Moon, took a rougher, guitar-heavy direction, Hackman showcased her orchestral and atmospheric side on *Big Sigh* (2024). Yet the musician is far more than a traditional singer-songwriter: on her previous releases, she played the majority of the instruments herself.

With ‘False Dogs’, Hackman is now taking a decisive step forward. For the first time, she has taken full responsibility for production, songwriting and arrangements, thereby creating her most personal soundscape to date. In her own studio in East London, she experimented with acoustic instruments, small drum kits and unusual sound combinations, before the recordings were finalised at Big Jelly Studios in Ramsgate together with Charlie Andrew and Hackman’s wife, Polly Mackey, alias Art School Girlfriend.

The result is a predominantly acoustic album featuring mandolins, piano, harmonium, strings and children’s choirs. The lyrics explore transience, grief, love and the realisation that a fulfilling life cannot be measured by societal expectations.

Hackman’s songs take on a particular intensity when performed live. Her concerts thrive on the interplay between quiet, vulnerable moments and powerful musical outbursts, carried by her distinctive voice and remarkable instrumental versatility. Following her 2024 tour of Germany, the British singer is now returning with an album that sounds even more immediate and personal than its predecessors. For fans, the show in March 2027 offers the chance to experience the multi-layered new tracks up close and to immerse themselves, together with Hackman, in a musical world where melancholy and hope are inextricably linked.