Bernice Marsala
Multi-Award Winning Songwriter

Sandeep (00:01) Today's guest is Bernice Marsala, an award-winning Nashville singer-songwriter whose music moves effortlessly between folk, Americana, rock, pop, and alternative, driven by powerful vocals and deeply thoughtful songwriting.

Suraaj Parab (00:18) Welcome Bernice to The Artist Conversation.

Bernice Marsala (00:21) Thank you.

Sandeep (00:23) Great to have you. That was a lot to put in—you do so many things! We want to start with your origin and how you found your voice. Listening to your work, you move so naturally between intimate acoustic music and much heavier rock. When you were first discovering yourself as an artist, did you ever feel pressure to choose one musical identity?

Bernice Marsala (00:54) Not really. When I started out, I was very folky. That began because I was gigging a lot before I got into recording. It was just me and an acoustic guitar, so anything I wrote, I had to be able to play live by myself without a band. It was very easy to end up in the folk/Americana realm.

I didn't really transition until I started experimenting with recording. Then I could try different instruments and different styles of drums, so I slowly evolved into a little bit of pop and rock. The more I've progressed—rock music is my favorite genre to listen to—the heavier I've gotten. But I still like different styles of music, and it really just depends on the song. My newest one has distorted guitars in it, but I wouldn't call it a rock song. The song took me in a certain direction, and that was where I went with it.

Sandeep (02:11) Is the scene in Nashville a mix, or are people mostly doing one thing? What is the music scene in Nashville generally like?

Bernice Marsala (02:24) From what I've encountered, it is primarily country, which is no surprise to anybody. In touristy areas like Broadway, you can walk by and hear different genres coming out of each bar, which is a fun experience. As far as the writers I've met, a lot of it is country, but I do meet some rock people. I've also heard there's quite a hip-hop scene here, though I don't personally know any hip-hop artists here yet.

Sandeep (03:21) Even the rock scene is surprising to me because everyone knows Nashville for country. It's cool that you're able to find those people and collaborate with them.

Suraaj Parab (03:35) Talking about the music scene and the industry, you also studied music business. You came into this with an understanding of both the creative and industry sides. Has knowing how the business works helped your artistry, or has it sometimes made it harder to simply create?

Bernice Marsala (04:00) I think it's helped. I know a lot of artists who have had to learn that stuff on the fly. It can get so complicated, and while I'm still learning, it gave me a good boost on the artist side because I had knowledge going into things like licensing. I also have an organizational mind—I like spreadsheets and stats, which I'm told is kind of weird for a creative person! So I think it gave me an advantage.

Sandeep (04:49) Did you study the business side on your own, or did you go to school for it?

Bernice Marsala (04:55) I went to school for it. I originally went through a couple of different majors, but they were all music industry-based. I landed on music business because I wanted a career in music regardless and wanted to be open to whatever opportunity I could find. Music business opened windows into different sides of the industry. I did a couple of internships—working in a studio and at a venue—and then landed on copyright and licensing, which is what I do now.

Sandeep (05:42) In my previous career, I managed academic programs, including audio production and photography. Only the audio and photography students had music business classes. Initially, they would ask why they needed it, but afterward, their whole mindset changed. They were ready and knew exactly where they fit in. I'm glad you had the chance to do that because a lot of people get lost otherwise.

Bernice Marsala (06:39) I had a very similar experience. Getting to explore those different avenues shows you where your strengths lie.

Sandeep (06:48) Talking about songwriting and emotion—your lyrics often feel very visual and emotionally specific. When a song begins for you, do you start from something you've lived, observed, imagined, or a story? What is your process?

Bernice Marsala (07:30) It depends on the song. A lot of the time it's based on something I've lived, but that's not always where the spark comes from; an idea can come from anywhere. Even if a song is fictional, I might pull in a line or two from my own experience. Other times, I might take a lived experience and over-exaggerate it for dramatic effect.

Sandeep (08:15) Inspiration can come from anywhere, but your melodies and lyrics are beautiful.

Suraaj Parab (08:39) Don't hate me, but I'm the exact opposite of him—I focus purely on the music part and don't pay as much attention to the lyrics!

Sandeep (08:50) As a singer, I always listen to the voice first, how the emotion comes through, and what the person is singing.

Bernice Marsala (09:00) Yes, the emotion coming through the voice is so important.

Suraaj Parab (09:04) When Sandeep and I collaborate, I tell him to write the lyrics while I focus on writing the music.

Bernice Marsala (09:21) That makes you a good team!

Suraaj Parab (09:24) Bernice, looking at your discography on Spotify, you've written across several genres without losing your recognizable emotional voice. What stays consistent in a Bernice Marsala song, regardless of production?

Bernice Marsala (09:55) That's a great question; I don't even know if I know the answer!

Sandeep (09:59) Repeat the question for her.

Bernice Marsala (10:04) The lyrics are always there. There is something about the way I string lyrics together that is very "me." Regardless of the production, I think you can tell if it's something I've written.

Suraaj Parab (10:53) It's commendable that your lyrics are such a highlight, even if my inner musician says, "No music?" But I've heard your songs, and they are beautiful.

Bernice Marsala (11:14) Normally, as a guitar player, I might say the guitar stays consistent on the music side—but I have songs without any guitar in them, so even that isn't always true!

Sandeep (11:28) How do you know when you've reached the emotional truth of a song—when it stops being just something you're writing and starts feeling like something others will recognize themselves in?

Bernice Marsala (11:52) I mostly set up my lyrics to be a little vague intentionally. If I'm writing about something personal, I don't want to overshare, so I keep certain details private. At the same time, I want it to be relatable rather than overly specific. That makes it easier for a listener to connect to the song or have their own interpretation.

Sandeep (12:49) When writing and composing, do you do scratch recordings, play them for friends, or revise lyrics over time?

Bernice Marsala (13:32) At some point, you have to call it done! But I definitely have moments, especially during recording, where I'll do a take I love, come back a few days later, and realize I want to try something different. I've even made revisions to the song structure, chords, or lyrics mid-recording because a line doesn't fit with the rest of the production anymore.

Sandeep (14:19) I do a lot of revisions in the studio too. My band in LA used to play our songs live before recording them. The transition from the live version to the final studio track was an eye-opener and helped us learn what worked.

Bernice Marsala (15:17) That's cool! It almost renews the song for you because it becomes a whole new version after you got used to playing it the other way.

Suraaj Parab (15:41) The one song of yours that really struck my heart was your single, "Evaporate." It explores how things from our past can remain with us even when we think we've moved on. What first sparked the idea behind that song?

Bernice Marsala (16:15) I'm really glad you asked that. A lot of people know my song "Music Box," which is about my experience with postpartum depression. When I first started writing "Evaporate," it was originally meant to be about that same topic. "Music Box" actually derived from those early drafts—when I came up with the "music box dancer" line, I realized it was its own song, so I put "Evaporate" aside.

Later, I got a new studio computer and was transferring old files. I came across a journal entry I had written after having my first baby during my first bout with postpartum depression. Reading those entries while experiencing postpartum depression a second time was an eye-opener. It reminded me that what I was feeling was temporary because I had already survived it once. That sparked "Evaporate"—being rechallenged by something you previously overcame and finding the strength to get through it again.

Sandeep (18:28) There's an interesting tension in "Evaporate" between confronting something and allowing it to disappear. What did you want the music and production to convey alongside the lyrics?

Bernice Marsala (18:54) When starting the production, the opening Kalimba in the intro struck me immediately. "Evaporate" made me think of water, and the instrument had a droplet quality that painted the metaphor. The ultimate message of the song is a reminder to yourself that if you made it through a trial once, you can get through it again.

Suraaj Parab (20:05) Congratulations on becoming a Recording Academy member! I remember getting that acceptance email back in 2021—it's such a huge feeling. I hope you had a similar moment.

Bernice Marsala (20:26) Thank you! I almost screamed. It was a very good feeling.

Suraaj Parab (20:37) When I got my email, I called Sandeep continuously in the middle of the night because of our 12-hour time difference between Mumbai and California!

Bernice, you've built a wonderful independent career through releases, awards, and now your Recording Academy membership. What has independence taught you about trusting your own instincts?

Bernice Marsala (21:25) It has taught me that I don't know if I would even want a record label if given the opportunity. I love the freedom to do whatever I want musically without being stuck in a single genre or identity. I set my own deadlines and don't have to abide by industry rules.

Sandeep (22:05) As your music continues to evolve across genres, what do you hope always remains unmistakably yours—something you never want trends or commercialization to change?

Bernice Marsala (22:28) I always want to challenge myself and write whatever I feel like writing, but I never want to lose the heart and emotion of songwriting in favor of commercialization. I don't want to turn into a song factory; I want to create music when I genuinely need to.

Sandeep (24:25) Every conversation teaches us so much. My key takeaway today is a reminder that evolution doesn't mean leaving who you were behind—it means carrying those lessons forward while giving yourself permission to create something new.

Bernice Marsala (24:53) Absolutely. I love that.

Suraaj Parab (24:54) To everyone listening, please go check out Bernice Marsala's music on Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, and all major streaming platforms. Follow her on Instagram and send her a message—she's a wonderful musician and a wonderful human being. Thank you so much for joining us, Bernice!

Bernice Marsala (25:20) Thank you so much for inviting me on!

Suraaj Parab (25:56) Thank you, everyone, for tuning in. If this episode resonated with you, please share it with a friend, and we will see you in the next episode of The Artist Conversation.