Gear Talk: Maria Somerville

With Gear Talk, we learn about the set-ups and instruments of our favourite artists and experimentalists. 

Irish singer, songwriter and NTS host Maria Somerville has just dropped her long-awaited second album, Luster, and it marks a lush, hazy expansion on the sound of her solo recorded debut, All My People.

Amidst the release of Luster and a tour across Europe, we catch up with Somerville to discuss experimentation, the relationship between radio and her music and her love of guitar.

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As an artist alternating between solo work and a full band, how important is having dynamic instruments?

Very important — I like instruments that can stretch and morph depending on the space I’m in, whether it’s a small room or a big hall. With a full band, there’s more weight and movement, so certain textures take up different kinds of space. When I’m alone, I lean into minimal gestures. 

What equipment is essential to you both in the studio and performing live?

I rely on a small set-up that’s portable and intuitive, often a guitar with a few pedals, a synth and some pedals. Reverb too to push depth and erode clarity in interesting ways. I love tape echo too – stage echo particularly.

Is there one piece of equipment or instrument that you couldn’t live without?

Probably my guitar — it’s a grounding point for me.  You can bend and bruise sound through it. Also, some of the pedals I’ve been using recently — I love how they can get you to unstable places – fuzz, distortion and delay. 

What role do Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) play in your creative process?

I use Ableton and Logic, and they are vital to the creative process, for sure. They’re like sketchbooks. I use them to capture fragments. I don’t build songs in a traditional way most of the time, it’s more like layering. Amazing to try things out and stretch sounds.  

How do you approach writing music? If you have had a moment of inspiration, what step comes next?

I try not to interrupt it too soon. If an idea comes, I record it quickly. Then I leave it alone for a while. I come back to it later and see if it still holds something. If it does, I’ll start developing it, usually with minimal tools, and see where it goes. 

What informs and inspires your work? How essential is pushing boundaries and experimenting?

It’s amazing just having space to follow through with ideas in the creative process. It happens naturally when you listen deeply and let the sound lead rather than forcing a structure. Some of the great moments come from mistakes or limitations.

How has your radio work impacted how you approach recording, or has it even helped you discover new instruments or approaches you wouldn’t have been familiar with?

Yes, I’ve been exposed to so much new sound and music. I’m always encountering new textures and feelings.

Are there any instruments that you would love to work with more?

Yes. I’ve been thinking a lot about using the voice more as an instrument, beyond lyrics — exploring tone, breath, and hum. I’m also drawn to working with string instruments in minimal, repetitive forms, and finding new ways to use the guitar, not just melodically, but texturally, rhythmically. 

Maria Somerville’s Luster is out now, via 4AD.