Mara Simpson

is a multi-instrumentalist, performing artist, songwriter, producer and composer. Her work seamlessly blends electronic, acoustic and orchestral instruments, exploring her love for tape delays, analogue synths and field recordings. Her fourth studio album Living Matter, written and engineered in the Stroud, Gloucestershire recording studio she handwrought is now available

As well as her solo work Mara has collaborated with Hidden Orchestra & Cerys Matthews, Poppy Ackroyd, Her Ensemble and Alexandra Hamilton-Ayres. Her genre-defying musical works include bespoke compositions for the AppleTV+ series SILO and the full score for magical-realist film Blue Hour.

Mara’s 2025 album, Living Matter, was written in response to a set of poems by celebrated poet and fellow Stroud dweller JLM Morton published in her book Red Handed. Predominantly instrumental, with passages of field recording segues and explorative sound design each of the ten tracks featured on the album is a response to a different poem in the collection. Inspired by the landscape of Mara’s Stroud home (also the birthplace of Extinction Rebellion and poet, novelist and screenwriter Laurie Lee) and its mystical history (from the area’s pre-Roman Dobunni tribe to the spirits Genii Cucullati) and water goddesses (Cuda and Sulis Minerva whom they worshiped), it explores themes of identity and artefact, memory and belonging, but most of all the brief and fleeting nature of both human and non-human existences and the futility of perceived otherness between all of us Living Matter.

With a setup consisting of tape machines, analogue synths, drums, piano and strings, Living Matter draws together the signature electronic and acoustic worlds Simpson has become known for in her cross-arts compositions. Mara has performed over 300 shows including festivals such as Fusion (Germany), Kaltern Pop (Italy), Together the People (UK), Sazavafest (Czech) and venues including the Barbican in London plus live sessions at the iconic Real World Studio as well as guest presenting/takeovers on Refuge Worldwide and Flux FM. Mara’s dynamic live show features band members Imogen Mason (Voka Gentle/Sm^sher), Jools Owen (Samana) and Rob Pemberton (The Staves/Unicorn Ship Explosion/Rachael Dadd).