SHE may be a girl with a guitar, but think twice before slapping any labels on singer songwriter Marika Hackman.

“Female artists tend to get clumped together and people want to see us as sweet young girls singing pretty little songs,” said the 22-year-old, “I want to change their view and show them I’m actually quite gruesome.

“I seem to get labels like ‘twee’ and ‘folk’ but anyone listening can hear it’s not twee folk.”

MORE TOP STORIES:

Marika has been making music since the age of 14 at Bedales School, where she played drums in a band fronted by none other than model Cara Delevingne.

While still a teenager Marika had a brief foray into modelling herself as the face of an international fashion campaign for Burberry, but is considerably more at home with music.

Her dark and melancholic songwriting caught the attention of folk singer-songwriter Johnny Flynn – also a former student at Bedales – who helped get her first record deal with Transgressive and produced her debut single.

The past two years have seen her tour extensively with Laura Marling, win several Sound of 2014 polls, make fans of radio DJs including Huw Stephens and Zane Lowe, and receive a hugely flattering review describing her as ‘the love child of Kate Bush and Kurt Cobain’.

Marika has also released three EPs and a mini-album, deciding to hold off on making a full album until she felt ready.

“I think it’s good to try and explore your sound and build up a following first – plus it’s more fresh and exciting to release stuff as you come up with it.”

Her hotly-anticipated debut album is slated for release in January, and was produced by Charlie Andrew – known for his work with Alt-J and Eugene McGuinness.

On putting together a full album’s worth of songs, Marika said, “I was worried about it because I’ve never thought of myself as a prolific songwriter.

“I just had to sit down, concentrate and work my butt off – it made me realise I can do it if I put my mind to it.”

Marika is currently supporting Alt-J on tour before heading out on her biggest headline tour to date in November.

She plays at the Brickyard, Carlisle, on November 4.