Spotlight On... Maranta

We’ve been big fans of Maranta ever since we heard their 2019 single Radiate, a wondrously woozy, ethereal dance number that swells and soars, perfectly paced across its five-and-a-half-minute runtime. Since then they’ve released singles galore, put out an EP on Lost Map and are releasing their debut album, Day Long Dream, this Friday 16 May via Paradise Palms Records. To celebrate, the pair will be launching the album with a huge show at Edinburgh’s Assembly Roxy, a show that will be their final ever outing as Maranta. 

To honour this milestone we shine a spotlight on Maranta for the second time, and catch up with Gloria Black and Callum Govan to talk about the new record, find out what some of their highlights have been over the years, and look to the future for the pair.

Firstly, let’s talk about the debut album, which is a wonderful listen – how long has the album been in the works? With references to your club night Microsteria in some of the lyrics, what came first, the album or the night?
Thank you! We’re really proud of this work. Day Long Dream has been a few years in the making, with the opening track originally written as an introduction for the first-ever Microsteria at Hidden Door Festival in 2022. That show was a collaboration with costume collective VOMITON, visual artist and designer Chell Young, and movement artist Hannah Deus Draper. The world we created together was so vivid and exciting that we wanted to explore it further. When Summerhall invited us to host a night in their Dissection Room, we decided to honour that collaboration and officially launched Microsteria as a club night.

Maranta at Hidden Door Festival 2021. Photo: Dan Mosley

We realised that the themes of monsters, mushrooms, mycelium, macro/micro play, alongside the fusion of live electronic music with visuals, costume and performance resonated with people in ways we hadn’t expected. It all grew symbiotically: the night inspired songs, and the songs shaped the atmosphere of the night. Much of the album was born from that energy!

I know it’s in the name, but there is a daydream-like quality to the record – was that something you always set out to achieve from the beginning when you started thinking about the album? And what was the songwriting process like, especially with the two of you now split between Edinburgh and London?
There’s always been something playful about our writing. Childish and surreal and un-serious. Our songs often blur together, shifting in unexpected ways, much like a dream. So while it wasn’t always a conscious idea, that dream-like quality has always been part of our sound. The Microsteria nights are an extension of this and as we created the two side-by-side, there was definitely an intention to reflect this unexpected, otherworldly nature.

We’ve always written quite loosely, allowing songs to meander and shape organically, which has given us space to experiment and discover new sounds during the writing process. As our live show has developed over the years we’ve created more space for spontaneity, but ultimately we want to bring joy and make people dance. 

You’re releasing this one via Paradise Palms, and in a bittersweet turn of events, you’re launching it with your last ever live show on the same day, which is a little unusual. What’s the reason for this? And why have you decided to call it a day on Maranta?
Although this is our last show we wanted to leave behind something that represents us as a band. We’ve been making tunes together for the past eight years, Maranta has been a constant throughout our twenties, but it feels like the right time for us to move on both creatively and physically, with Callum now growing roots in London.

These decisions don’t come easy, it’s been a process for us both, but by letting go of Maranta we’re giving one another more space to blossom as creative individuals. And honestly, it’s going to be nice just being friends again: we’ve been bandmates, colleagues and flatmates too. Folk always thought we were in a romantic relationship (thank god we weren’t haha, that would have been too much!) but we love each other dearly and we’re unbelievably proud of what we’ve created together. 

Over the years we’ve caught you in all manner of spaces, from the Forest Cafe and Summerhall to the ceilidh hall on the Isle of Eigg, plus you headlined our stage at Kelburn Garden Party in 2022, featuring your pals from VOMITON, the fantastical theatrical element that became a staple of your live show in recent years. What are some of your highlights over the past almost decade as a band?
Maranta grew to become about collaboration. That’s always going to be the highlight; all of the incredibly inspiring, talented people we’ve met and worked with over the years, who helped shape us as artists and opened so many doors. All the kindred spirits and lifelong friends. It’s been a big journey and we wouldn’t have been able to achieve what we have without them. 

Notably Johnny Lynch, our fairy godfather. Glo has always been inspired by his music so it was a bit of a dream to work with Lost Map. Also our relationship with VOMITON has been transformative – after that first Zoom meeting in 2021, Callum and Kiera are now together and living it up in the Big Smoke! 

Maranta on stage at a Microsteria show at Summerhall. Photo: Sam Wood

2024 was a huge year for us: curating Hidden Door’s 10th Birthday Party, where we worked with some of Edinburgh’s leading creatives, and then our incredible Microsteria takeover of the Viewpoint Stage at Kelburn Garden Party, fulfilling some lifelong dreams of headlining the festival’s original stage. 

Releasing the album with Paradise Palms feels like a full-circle moment. They’ve supported us from the beginning, releasing Radiate, which now has over 200,000 streams, has been featured at film festivals, and played on stations around the world. It’s also been a firm favourite with The Skinny!

For the last ever show, you’re taking over Assembly Roxy, so from the sounds of it you’re going to be going out with a bang – what can people expect on the night? Do you have any surprises in store?
We wanted our last show to be something really special, which is why we chose the magical Assembly Roxy. There’ll be an incredible laser show created by our longtime friend and artist Sophia Ann West, plus support from some of our favourite Edinburgh acts.

Opening the night is Vicky Kavanagh (aka Disc Jocelyne) from Bikini Body (7pm). We met a few years ago at the Leith FAB Cricket Club and instantly clicked through our shared love for the Edinburgh scene. Vicky’s now working wonders as EHFM station manager and also runs Works In Progress, a brilliant experimental night. She’s got the same bug that we do for supporting the creative community and giving platforms to the experimental and alternative music scene.

Next up is Accident Machine (8pm), the acid-induced fever duo of George T, renowned Edinburgh party thrower since the 90s, and Mairi ‘B’ Pots, whose legendary bongo playing has seen her collaborate with some incredible DJs over recent years.

Then after our set at 9pm, Jacuzzi General & The Jets will close the night (10-11pm) bringing his signature blend of pounding Italo grooves, delivered with a sleazy charm and no shortage of repartee. A Maranta supporter and friend from the beginning, we wouldn’t be here without him, so it feels like a perfect way to draw the curtain.

After the show, what’s next for the musical future of Callum Govan and Gloria Black? Do you have other projects in the works that everyone should keep an eye out for? Tell us everything!
Firstly, we can’t wait to celebrate; it feels like Friday is going to be a sweet reunion for us all. 

Govan: Since moving down south I’ve been creating and performing solo in London under my own name, using live performance as a vessel for experimentation, incorporating banjo, tape loops, found sound, feedback chains and analogue distortion.

Black: Maranta hasn’t been the only project for me; with Acolyte receiving a commission for this year’s Hidden Door Festival, I’m straight into curating the next big project. You can see us perform our show Production Line Of Dreams every night of the festival at 10pm. Seems to be a dreamy theme here...! And I’m thrilled that Acolyte is now working with Maranta’s dear pals at Lost Map too! The first single from the new EP drops on 20 May. Beyond that, I’m excited to have more space to focus on new musical projects and deepen my passion for event curation, which has become a huge part of my creative life.

---

Day Long Dream is released via Paradise Palms on 16 May; Maranta play their final show at Assembly Roxy, Edinburgh, 16 May – tickets