“Marzanna” Marks a Bold Chapter in Marianne Nowottny’s Ongoing Story
- Miles Coleman
- Sep 15
- 2 min read
After years of creative persistence, Marianne Nowottny has returned under her alter ego Marzanna with a new album of interpretations that feels less like a collection of covers and more like a personal journey. Released August 15, 2025, on Abaton Book Company, Marzanna reimagines the work of iconic songwriters with a daring blend of fragility and force, a balance Nowottny has mastered across her career.
From the opening notes, it’s clear this project isn’t about nostalgia or mimicry. Her renditions pulse with individuality, reshaping songs by David Bowie, Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush, and Siouxsie and the Banshees into spacious, otherworldly soundscapes. The tracks draw strength from collaborators around the globe, including harpist Katie Lo, guitarist Rhea Thompson, and vocal partner Christian Corea. The production, helmed in part by Gordon Raphael and finalized at Peerless Mastering, glows with both precision and warmth, amplifying the intimacy of Nowottny’s voice while surrounding it with lush instrumentation.
What makes Marzanna particularly compelling is the story behind it. The album stretched across five turbulent years, nearly lost to a catastrophic hard drive crash and a string of frustrating restarts. Yet rather than walk away, Nowottny leaned into the challenge. Each setback became fuel for reinvention, and the resulting record feels infused with that hard-won resilience. She describes it as an album that “almost never existed,” but its arrival speaks to her refusal to abandon the art she set out to create.
For those who have followed her since her teenage debut in New York’s underground scene, Marzanna feels like both a continuation and a transformation. Nowottny has long been described as a singular voice in avant-garde and experimental music circles, carving her own lane with fearless creativity. With this record, she reminds listeners that reinvention isn’t only about moving forward, it can also mean finding fresh truth in the familiar.
Marzanna is more than a tribute to other artists; it is an affirmation of Nowottny’s own enduring spirit. The songs breathe with new light, carrying traces of their origins but ultimately transformed into reflections of her inner world. It’s a testament to survival, persistence, and the boundless ways music can be reimagined.
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