Q&A: Marem Ladson Turns Absence Into Art with Her New Singles
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY SHEVON GREENE ☆
Photo by Tosin Popoola
SHAPED BY THE MISTY STILLNESS OF NORTHERN SPAIN—and the hum of New York streets, Marem Ladson’s music captures distance, memory and the weight of what’s left unsaid. Born and raised in Galicia, Ladson now calls Ridgewood, New York home. She’s spent the past few years building out songs that balance intimacy and distance while touring alongside artists like Helado Negro and Nick Hakim.
Her latest singles, “Alone Forever” and “Cavity”, co-produced with Jake Aron and featuring collaborators like Nick Hakim and Núria Graham, bring a new depth to her songwriting. “Alone Forever” explores the quiet dissolution of love, where distance becomes its own language, while “Cavity” grapples with the ache of absence and unspoken family histories. Together, an emotional mirror is formed.
We heard from Ladson about the making of “Alone Forever,” navigating loss and self-understanding, and how she’s learned to find beauty in what’s left unsaid. Keep reading for more.
Photo by Nuria Rius
LUNA: How did your singles “Cavity” and “Alone Forever” come to life sonically? Were they written close together, or do they come from different moments?
LADSON: They came from very different moments in my life. I wrote “Cavity” last year, after spending a long time trying to process a painful discovery in my life. For years, I couldn’t talk about it or even think about it clearly, there was so much guilt, shame, and confusion attached to it. It took a lot of therapy to finally be able to write this song. In many ways, “Cavity” feels like part of my healing process, a way of closing a wound that had been open for too long.
The song came from a real event, meeting my biological father for the first time, and trying to make sense of everything that moment stirred in me. For a long time, I didn’t have the words, and when I finally did, it felt like releasing something I had been holding in for years. There’s so much anger and sadness all mixed together, and writing “Cavity” helped me give shape to all of it. (I wrote more about the meaning behind the song in my latest Substack post, which you can read here.)
“Alone Forever,” on the other hand, explores different themes like connection and solitude. I wrote it back in 2020, before moving to NY, when I was isolated in my apartment in Spain and everything felt uncertain and fragile. It’s a breakup song, but also a song about the space between people, about love fading quietly. When I wrote it, I was putting into words things I wasn’t ready to say out loud yet.
Most of the time, songwriting feels like that for me, like who you are when nobody’s watching. A place where your thoughts come out unfiltered, where you can admit things you’re only half ready to face.
Both songs feel like an exhale after holding your breath for too long.
LUNA: I love how distinct your touch is when it comes to texture and space in your songs. What were some sonic or emotional reference points for these new singles?
LADSON: I’ve always been drawn to melancholy, probably because of where I’m from. Galicia is cold and rainy, beautiful and lush, but also a little tough at times. Growing up in that kind of environment definitely shaped my personality, how I see and feel things, and how I express myself.
LUNA: Your collaborators, Jake Aron, Nick Hakim and Nuria Graham each bring their own musical language. What was it like building these songs with such a tight-knit group?
LADSON: It’s been amazing to collaborate with so many talented people — Charley Damski, Jake Aron, Nick Hakim, Núria Graham, Josh Block, Will Graefe, Jeremy Gustin—each brought their own unique musical language to the table. I recorded these songs earlier this year in Greenpoint, between Jake’s studio and Thump. It was a really beautiful process, bringing together different perspectives and ideas to shape the songs.
Núria has been a fundamental part of this journey, even before we both moved to New York. We’ve known each other for years, and we had already started working on some music together back in Spain years ago, between Madrid and Barcelona, with Jordi Casadesús, Xoán Dominguez and Manu Blanco from Blanco Palamera as well. It’s really special to see that connection and how it’s evolved now that we’re both in New York.
Collaborating with others and sharing this creative journey is always very emotional and meaningful, especially when we get to perform live together. There are more songs to come, and I’m excited to keep collaborating and making music together.
Photo by Tosin Popoola
LUNA: When you’re recording, how do you know when a track is done? Or do your songs always feel like they’re still evolving?
LADSON: It’s hard to know sometimes. Songs are alive and always evolving, and recording, for me, is just about capturing a snapshot of a feeling before it shifts into something else.
LUNA: Both tracks linger on distance between people, time, and understanding. What drew you to explore absence and unresolved connection as central ideas?
LADSON: I’ve lived a lot of my life with questions I didn’t have answers for. Absence has always been part of my story, and I think writing about it helps make it less heavy.
LUNA: Do you see songwriting as a form of healing, or more as a way to make peace with what can’t be healed?
LADSON: Maybe both. Writing doesn’t fix what’s broken, but it helps me process it. It’s a way of sitting with pain instead of avoiding it, of giving it form and softening it a little. My therapist once told me it made perfect sense that I turned to music, because it gives me a way to process what’s happening inside. I don’t see songwriting as therapy, but there’s definitely a kind of catharsis in music and songwriting. It gives me a place to explore feelings, thoughts, and make sense of things.
LUNA: These songs capture a lot of reflection and surrender. What does acceptance look like for you right now, both as a person and an artist?
LADSON: Learning to let things be unresolved. And learning to forgive (myself, others...). Acceptance, for me, is about embracing complexity and being okay with not having all the answers. It’s a life long journey but I’m working on it haha
LUNA: How connected are your visual instincts to your songwriting process?
LADSON: Very connected. Sometimes images, memories or ideas for videos can inspire me to write a song.
Photo by Nuria Rius
LUNA: You’ve toured with artists like Helado Negro, Squirrel Flower, and Nick Hakim. What have you learned from being part of that circle?
LADSON: I feel so lucky to be able to learn from artists I deeply admire. It has pushed me to trust my instincts more and to be more present in my own creative process. It’s also reminded me that making music and touring doesn’t have to be a lonely process (community and collaboration are so important!) It’s beautiful to rely on others and learn from each other. It’s so inspiring to see how others approach their art and life.
LUNA: How do your recent singles fit into the next chapter of your project? Is there an album or extended narrative forming?
LADSON: Yes, these songs are part of a larger body of work I’ve been building slowly. It feels like the most personal thing I’ve ever made. I’m writing from a very honest, vulnerable place, weaving together themes of identity, memory, belonging, family, love, loss, mental health, and reconciliation.
LUNA: What do you hope listeners hold onto after hearing “Alone Forever” and “Cavity”?
LADSON: I hope these songs offer a little space for reflection, and maybe help someone feel less alone in what they’re carrying.
