The title of this piece is “More People Really Should Know About“, but I’d wager that more people have come across Demi Marriner and her work than realise, so perhaps the piece should be entitled More People Really Should Realise That They Know (at Least a Bit) About: Demi Marriner.
Stratford-based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Marriner appears to be a very busy person. Gigging extensively, you may find Marriner playing solo with her acoustic guitar, or with the backing of her rocking band, or perhaps you’ll find her playing a key role in Elles Bailey’s touring band, or touring with other musicians in a package, such as 2025’s “Girls Night In” tour in which Marriner was a founding member, alongside Jade Helliwell and Jess Thristan. Marriner has also recently cemented her role as Bailey’s right-hand woman as the pair completed a whirlwind tour of UK record stores, performing in support of Bailey’s Can’t Take My Story Away release. Marriner has toured with artists such as Sam Outlaw, Beth Neilson Chapman, Jarrod Dickenson and The Wandering Hearts, as well as playing at numerous festivals, including Glastonbury.
Characterised by her powerful voice and singing songs which are lyrically engaging with strong melodies, Marriner’s live performances are something special to behold; it’s not uncommon for her to open for Bailey, before contributing guitar and vocals in Bailey’s band, so if you’re attending one of Bailey’s shows, I would recommend arriving early enough to catch the support act.
Marriner’s recorded output comprises three EPs, two long players and a bunch of singles. Starting with the Tracks and Trails EP in 2016, a release that reached #1 in the iTunes UK Country Chart within 48 hours of its release, Marriner followed this in 2017 with the Dandelion EP, then in 2019, in what was a brave move for such a young artist (she was in her early 20s), this consisted of five songs, all recorded live, each at a different location, utilising a single microphone (and a single camera) to capture the performances raw, with complete honesty; it may have been a brave move, but Marriner and her band nailed it. One of the standout songs from the Tales EP is Because of Her.
In 2021, two years before she had released an album, Marriner, along with Robbie Cavannagh, received the Whispering Bob Harris’ Emerging Artist Award at the UK Americana Awards. This marked Marriner out as an artist to keep an eye on. In 2023, she was Emerging Artist of the Year at the Black Deer Festival. Since that time, Marriner has noticeably matured as an artist, both in the studio and in live performances.
Marriner’s debut album, The Things We Didn’t Say, was released in July 2023 (delayed slightly by COVID restrictions), and it was the first part of a trilogy of long players; the trilogy contains deeply personal songs, covering a specific period in Marriner’s life. The album includes the fantastic Distorted Desires, a song co-written by Marriner and Bonnie Whitmore, sister of The Mastersons’ Eleanor Whitmore.
The second release of the album trilogy, The Things I Said, was issued in 2025, and standout cuts from this record are Repeat Refrain, a catchy, up-tempo number about repeating relationship patterns, and the more anthemic Seize The Day, a more positive ballad, with some dynamic electric guitar from Joe Coombs.
We await the concluding chapter of the trilogy with interest. Take a note of the name and make sure you see her when she is next near you, at a small venue preferably, before she scales the heights of somewhere like the O2.
It’s wonderful to see Demi Marriner receiving such well‑deserved recognition. I had the pleasure of sharing a bill with her—and with Robbie Cavanagh—at Thornton Hough Village Club a few years ago. Jon Lawton, who owns Crosstown Studios in Liverpool and has an exceptional producer’s ear, was at her soundcheck that day. He turned to me and said he’d never heard anyone sing with such flawless pitch. It was a striking moment, and entirely true to the talent she continues to show.