Interviews About Albums: The Blue Marmalades - River (2026)

Hailing from Annecy, France, the quartet The Blue Marmalades has distinguished itself since its creation with a unique musical formula. Combining two guitars with tangy notes and a salty rhythmic foundation, the band offers a musical jam with psychedelic and oriental flavors, sprinkled with bittersweet lyrics. Experimentation, creativity, and influences enrich the quartet's sound, driven by a desire to revive vintage rock with a touch of novelty. More than a year after the release of their debut EP, the band marks its return with “River”, a new six-track EP available on all platforms since February 13th, 2026.

1. What can you say about this new EP « River »?

Our second EP, River, was entirely produced by ourselves, from start to finish. We tried to create something that truly sounds like us, in terms of sound, energy and experimentation. We tried to mix stoner, psychedelic, and classic rock sounds and make it our own.

The themes explored in this new EP are numerous and depict the reality of life: war, hope, love, mental health, nostalgia, beauty, and travel.

2. What is the meaning of the EPs name?

River is the opening track of the EP. It’s a song that keeps evolving as it moves forward: it starts with a stoner riff, then shifts into a more airy and groovy verse, goes through a hard rock section, and ends on a more psychedelic and improvised part.

River is an emotional crossing where the hope of renewal clashes with the temptation to give up entirely. Driven by raw energy and marked shifts in atmosphere, the song explores human duality in all its complexity, between light, fire, and rebirth.

It’s probably the most ambitious track on the EP and the one that reflects our current sonic palette the best. That’s why we chose to name the EP after it.

3. Which one is the composer of the EP?

The compositions and lyrics are either written by Chris or Flo, with strong input from all the band members when it comes to arrangements.

That’s kind of our recipe: usually one of us comes in with an idea — whether it’s just a simple riff or something already more developed — and then we spend several sessions working on it together until we reach a version we feel ready to stand behind, whether on stage or in the studio.

4. If you had to pick one song, which one would you pick?

There’s one track we really had fun recording, and we think “Come On” really stands out. There is a dreamy section where Loïc (the bass player) started improvising in a sort of “vintage disco vibe”, and that led us to build that whole part of the song around him, adding tribal percussions, airy guitar licks, and a very syncopated drum groove. We almost rediscovered the song ourselves with this studio version, which is quite different from how we used to play it live.

5. Is there a special message in this EP? If there is, what is it?

There isn’t one main theme running through the EP, but there is a connection between all these songs. The topics we explore are timeless, yet very rooted in the present.

We talk about mental health in Dark Sun, and in River, we focus more on facing yourself, acceptance, and rebirth. Nature, life, and the joy they bring are expressed in Summer in the Alps.

Other themes, like love and war, are also an essential part of this project.

6. Are there some lyrics that you'd love to share?

Well, let’s say: “Die like a phoenix and reborn in a River”.

7. Which inspirations have been important for this EP? Like musically or friends, family, or someone you'd love to thank especially.

We think our lives and our sensibilities of how society goes today really impact us, and we just draw our inspiration from it. We also really love music, and we really are inspired by iconic bands like Led Zeppelin, Sabbath, or Pink Floyd… But also, by actual bands in the Psychedelic/Stoner Rock world that flourish nowadays.

8. Something to add to the end of this interview?

We would like to thank everyone who supports us — our partners, our friends, our families, and our audience, both at shows and on streaming platforms. We think that is a great time to play Rock music, especially nowadays: we need more live music that connects people together.

Follow the band online: https://linktr.ee/bluemarmalades

Listen to the EP on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/intl-fr/album/3t8Xr8iT7VMJ5iD4M1uk6m

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