Mary Middlefield

Sometimes heartbreak can be the start of something really good. This was certainly the case for Mary Middlefield. Born in the canton of Vaud, Mary played the violin and practised classical singing since childhood, won major prizes and was on the verge of a great career – until her first great relationship fell apart, and with it her life. And so Mary not only broke up with a person, but also with classical music and turned to pop, discovering a new world for herself. She taught herself to play the guitar during the 2021 lockdown with songs by Dolly Parton and Taylor Swift, and at the same time began writing pop songs herself, drawing inspiration from heroes such as Mitski, Phoebe Bridgers, Sufjan Stevens and Radiohead. Her debut album, “Thank You Alexander”, was recorded in Lausanne and London and is a very personal account of childhood trauma and heartbreak, sometimes dreamy, sometimes very direct, very moving indie-folk-pop. Mary shows what it means to switch from concerts in classical halls to pop shows in clubs and at festivals with the help of an item of clothing that is now her stage outfit and in which she wrote her entire album: Jogging pants, which have replaced dark suits.