When Maribelle picks up the phone for our interview, she's already got me smiling. "I'm in the back of a cab right now!" she exclaims with a bunch of enthusiasm. "I have my guitar on my lap, it's my baby!" She simply exudes good vibes and is more than happy to take time out of her day to chat with me. 

Maribelle's music style is a very r&b inspired pop, drawing inspiration from Janet and Michael Jackson, Prince, Mariah Carey and Britney Spears. "There's nothing embarrassing about loving and producing pop music," she says when I bring up the emergence of the alternative and rap scenes. "I feel no pressure to conform. I'm just being me."

When I ask her where she finds her inspiration, she says "travelling, mainly. Anything I see, anything I feel. I find my inspiration worldwide."

I ask her about her creative process, and she says she loves to bring it back to "old school". "I usually start out with a beat," she says, "then I work on my piano before I find a melody. I usually use pen and paper, real old fashioned."

Maribelle is consistently labelled as a triple threat, and when I ask her if that daunts her she practically scoffs. "No, I embrace being called a triple threat. It lets people know that women can do anything."

Describing her fashion style as "comfortable but edgy", Maribelle can't leave her house without her MacBook and her microphone. "They're always on me," she laughs. 

Her favourite part about creating a song is, quite understandably, when it's finished. "I love that feeling," she gushes, and you can hear the excitement in her voice. "It's a frustrating process, but I feel so good when it's all done."

Maribelle has had some major successes with FOMO Festival, her songwriting credits and more, so to keep herself grounded she loves to spend time with her new puppy. "It's like being a mum!" she exclaims. 

If she could talk to herself 10 years ago at 13, her biggest piece of advice would be to "trust your gut and do what feels right. Don't be afraid to say no."

To her audience and those who want a similar career she says "Keep going, don't let anybody stop you. Be authentically you."

Her latest song 'I'm A Mess Without You' was written with Maribelle coming to terms with her sexuality and her feelings for her current girlfriend. The song is honest and every part of it feels real, a sentiment she tells me she wants people to feel in her songs. You can hear Maribelle's talent in her songwriting as the track is beyond catchy, but still poignant and personal. She wants people to know that this song is as real as it can get, and "everyone is a mess sometimes. I want people to feel that."

Keep up with the Culture Kings Blog for all the latest in music, news, sport and streetwear. 

Header image from PurpleSneakers.com