Artist Spotlight: Weak Sheep
Meet the indie artist from Whidbey Island, Washington.
Hi Pal,
Welcome to Artist/Band Spotlight. This is a newsletter where I have short introductory conversations with artists and bands on the Christian music scene.
Bio: My name is Marielle Rypstra. I was born in Grass Valley in Northern California but have been raised and now live on Whidbey Island, Washington.
Q: Hi, can you talk to us about your inspiration and motivation for creating music?
I’ve been raised on music. Good music. Everything from classic rock to folk, punk to indie and alternative. I’d like to say we listened to it all, but really, we just listened to the good stuff. We had one of those households where there was always the influence and encouragement to not only listen but to experiment with playing instruments as well.
Funny enough, even though most of my siblings and I play and write music, none of us in our household had any actual, legit musical training nor know how to read music, as we all kind of learnt by ear. Music for me has always been for fun; to cry to, be angry or depressed to, to praise to, to learn from, and to feel it very deeply. Some people, I’ve realized, listen to music, and others — feel it. You know, those weirdo music freaks. I’m with the freaks.
Q: How would you describe your sound and your creative process?
I would say my sound is a blend of folk, alternative, and some indie rock, singer-songwriter — which I’ve always thought was strange for a genre since all genres would hopefully consist of a songwriter involved.
Creatively, I write a lot of songs in batches, almost like a creative unloading. I try to write what’s important, convicting and inspiring to me, which often includes my faith and perspective in and of this life and the one to come.
Musically, I am involved from beginning to end — vocals, guitars, and keys — and my family and friends add the other instrumentation and creative input. We do all the recording, mixing, and mastering from our home as well and it’s super exciting and satisfying when it all comes together how I imagined or even better than it was at its infancy.
Q: How has 2023 been for you so far musically and what can folks expect from you for the rest of the year?
2023 has been exciting in some ways for Weak Sheep. I released an album, Mumbling Shame, and I can honestly say I’m super proud of every song on the album. I’m looking forward to some fall shows hopefully and collaborations with other artists and media outlets. I am also looking forward to getting started on recording some new songs I’ve written this month, and I can’t wait to see what they turn into.
Here are some final thoughts from Weak Sheep:
Thanks to Marielle Rypstra for taking the time to meet us.
Listen to Weak Sheep here:
Apple Music • Deezer • Other Links
Connect with Weak Sheep here:
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awesome. when are we getting the post punk recommendation?
Love this …
Heartfelt music!
zombies… Wow!