Conversations with Eve Maret

Today we’d like to introduce you to Eve Maret.  

Hi Eve, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
My relationship with sound began early. I have fond memories of being young and playing in the sink with pots and pans, striking them with whatever I could grab so their pleasing tones would resonate. I grew up in a house where music was a constant, and I’m so grateful for having had that experience. My mom would play the local classical station on the stereo all day and even when we were sleeping. Sound became a friend to me. On the weekend my parents would take me to Powell Hall (in St. Louis, where I was raised) to hear the symphony. I was in awe of how a group of people could create something so beautiful and emotionally impactful with instruments – It felt like magic. Hearing and seeing live music from a young age gave me a taste of what my true passion was, though it seemed like only a dream. I was also influenced by my experience of music at church. I was an extremely shy young girl, but singing with others made me feel like I could transcend myself and all my anxieties. 

Fortunately, my parents noticed and supported my interest in music, and I started taking clarinet lessons. I went on to take guitar, bass, and drum lessons while I was in high school. I didn’t think of music as a real career option, but I knew that I couldn’t live without doing it. I took the leap and devoted myself to music in 2016. I’m so grateful to my teachers, family, and friends who’ve encouraged me and helped me. I wouldn’t be where I am now without my loving friends and family. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I have watched my life fall apart and come together in ways I never imagined or thought possible. Losing my dad when I was 22 had a profound effect on me. His passing was sudden and my family never got straight answers about what happened. I had a difficult time coping with this loss, and I went into a downward spiral. I struggled with an eating disorder for years, and after my dad died, I was forced to accept that I couldn’t go on living this way. For the first time in a while, I felt that I really wanted to live, to even thrive if I could. I went through treatment during my last semester of college, and in that process, I experienced a quality of life I had never experienced before. I had been reborn. I’m extremely grateful for the help I received from my therapists and everyone who helped me along the way. It was during this time, when I finally got healthy, that I was able to commit to my passion for music and to really do something about it. 

I also struggled for years to feel comfortable expressing my true self, and I struggled to feel comfortable and safe in my body. I have been healing from sexual trauma, which wounded my instincts and sense of self for some time. Making music gives me space to process emotions that feel too complex to deal with in literal terms. It’s also given me confidence, knowing that I can take something heavy and transform it, while healing myself in the process. Being aligned with my creative self allows me to shed any attachment I have to victimhood. I know that I can use my creativity to make things better. I’m also so grateful for my partner, David, for loving me so well through this journey, and for all the ways he supports my healing. 

Being an artist means accepting uncertainty on a daily basis, and some days are easier than others. I’ve struggled against my own expectations, against the toxicity of the music industry, against the white-supremacist-patriarchal-capitalist culture. Each day is an opportunity for me to create my own path, a chance to cultivate a soulful life. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I make music, I make art, I make videos, I improvise, I garden, I meditate. The majority of my creative time is spent recording music, and I imagine most people identify me as an electronic musician or someone who works with synthesizers. I think of myself as someone who likes to experiment with processes rather than do the same thing time after time. My objective is to really listen and to follow my intuition. I want the work that I make to help me evolve somehow. I want to uncover some hidden truth, and each time is different. It’s a mysterious process. 

In addition to my work as a solo artist, I also like to organize events through Hyasynth House, a collective that I co-founded that seeks to empower femme and LGTBQIA2S+ folx in the Nashville community. I organize synth jams, live shows, and workshops for local creatives and touring artists. I also offer synthesizer and recording lessons from my home studio. 

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I think that covers it! Thank you for taking the time to read a little about me and what I do 🙂 

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: evemaret.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evemaret/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/evemaretmusic
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/eve_maret
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/evemmaret/videos
• Other: https://evemaret.bandcamp.com/

Image Credits
David Onri Anderson
Helen Gilley
Queen Ave Art Collective