In Conversation with Marilyn Hucek

By Bethany Mikrut

Marilyn Hucek is an English and Spanish singer-songwriter based in Washington, DC. After releasing her debut album Marilyn last year and competing on season 30 of The Voice, she is releasing her newest EP, Self-Destruct, on November 6th. We had the opportunity to catch up with Marilyn ahead of the release

What inspired you to start pursuing music?

I've always loved singing. I remember I started singing when I was 10; I vividly remember wanting to join honors chorus in my elementary school and then kept it up. I remember it was a passion of mine. It wasn't something that my parents put me in. I wanted to keep singing. I was songwriting as early as I can remember. Before I even knew what songwriting was, I remember writing songs in my journal. That was my way of coping through adversity or hard times.

I remember when my parents would fight, I'd sit on the floor of my bedroom and just write songs and sing melodies to make me feel better. It wasn't until 2020 that I started pursuing music professionally, when my dad, who had been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's, got COVID, and I thought I was going to lose him. That's what really propelled me to write a song in his name and release it independently. Ever since then, I haven't looked back.

What was the biggest shock of being on The Voice?

It was pretty shocking to be on a stage that big, knowing that millions of people would watch it. On top of that, being on a show that I watched when I was younger and dreaming of being on that stage. Then actually being there was so shocking. I remember they were giving us a tour of the stage before we even had our blind audition, and we had some rehearsals on it. I remember I was so shocked to see the stage and being like, "I can't believe this is real," just standing on the stage. It felt a little bit smaller than what I remember from watching it on TV, but it was still really special.

What is your advice to artists overcoming stage fright?

I started learning guitar about five years ago. I love it now; to this day, I've performed over 300 shows while playing with my guitar, but I will always remember that first gig. My guitar teacher invited me out to play a few songs with him at his show. I was so nervous, and my whole body and legs were shaking. I remember I started to go to open mics and just put myself out there, and at those I'd be so nervous, but it was just one or two songs. I guess my biggest recommendation is, you know, practice makes perfect, and you just have to go out there and put in the time, and you have to play the shows. I would recommend going to open mics first. It's a low barrier to entry, and everyone's really respectful and welcoming. You can build community, and you can practice.

What do you want your fans and listeners to take away from your new project Self-Destruct?

I'd love them to feel something. I think that's one of the main points of the EP: exploring the passionate side, the destructive side, the extremes that can sometimes be destructive, but to know that it's okay to embrace all the feelings. I want them to listen to it and feel something, like there's so much going on in the world today that we can sometimes lose that human emotion. I think it's just exploring the human side of things.

What song off that project do you feel like represents you most as a person, not just as an artist?

I've always felt like I'm multifaceted and have different layers to myself as an artist and a person. But with this project, it's different than my debut album because I feel like I'm getting a little bit more edgy, a little bit more attitude, a little bit darker. That's really a fun side of me that I like to show. I like the song "Animal House" because I think what's new about it is that I haven't shown in the past: kind of my attitude and edgier side, that's always been within. I think that song is really able to show that side of myself as a person and an artist.

Do you have any like goals for the next year or two, like after The Voice and after you release Self-Destruct?

I'm actually working on new music, and I have some singles lined up for next year, but I'm also concepting and starting to work on my next sophomore full-length album. So it's music, and I'm also planning some shows, definitely regionally because I'm in DC, on the East Coast, but I want to be able to perform at bigger festivals and hopefully nationally. My goal for like five years is performing internationally.

What is one piece of advice you wish you had when you were first starting music?

There are a lot of opinions in the industry, and it's really great to have advice, but at the end of the day, you have to trust your instincts, taste, and your gut.