Ark Life

With a sound that’s equal parts sweet and sinister, baroque singer-songwriter Alessi Laurent-Marke – who records as Alessi’s Ark – is in Ireland touring with experimental 12-piece Sons Of Noel And Adrian and Waterford fivesome O Emperor, the latter of whom the young Londoner can’t speak highly enough.

“They are without a doubt, hand’s down, the best thing I’ve heard... in a long time,” she raves. “Their sound is so solid, they’re channeling these really great ideas. Phil and Paul seem like kindred spirits when they sing.”
Having begun performing as the drummer in her school band, Laurent-Marke left school to pursue a music career at age 16. Most parents would have flipped their lids, but funnily enough, Daddy Marke isn’t most parents.
“I guess everybody’s parents are into music,” she remembers, “but my Dad was sort of my gig partner. We’d go to four or five shows a week and I’d look at the drummer and that was what I wanted to do. After I started playing guitar, in an attempt to make friends or whatever, I thought if I started writing a ‘zine, I’d meet like-minded people, people to draw with or play music with.’
“It’s funny how things have worked out,” she muses, “because ultimately, I really like music. I didn’t think I’d be making it, I was too in awe of bands like Bright Eyes...”
Fast-forward 12 months and Laurent-Marke was handing a few copies of fanzine Brain Bulletin, along with some rough demos to Mike Mogis of the very same Nebraska outfit, who would later produce her debut album Notes From The Treehouse.
“He’s got an amazing ear for arrangements and he suggested (collaborator) Jake Bellows who’s since become a really good friend. It’s kind of weird because Bright Eyes was one of the bands I’d been writing about in my Zine and Jake’s band Neva Dinova, their split with Bright Eyes was one of my favourite things ever, so it was a all bit spooky.”
Presumably it was daunting too, recording the album with her favourite producer, in his home town and playing with his own group of musicians?
“Definitely,” she agrees. “It’s also kind of important to learn that while everybody has their gifts and things... everybody goes to the loo! But I’m a huge fan, I still am, and I happened to get to make some music with him!”
Some would say it’s been an ideal career, but Laurent-Marke would be the first to note that it wouldn’t have happened without the support of the parentals. “You’re really exposing your soul up there,” she says, “and if you feel like you’ve had a shit show and you go home and think ‘I’m gonna have a Nutella sandwich and think about how bad that show was!’ you kind of need someone to say ‘Oh, should we watch Home Alone or something and not talk about our days?’”