Behind the Sound: Rebecca Mardal
Epidemic Sound’s artists make our company sing. Join Swedish songwriter Rebecca Mardal for the second edition of our Behind the Sound series, where we deep-dive into our talent’s inspiration and creativity.
Epidemic Sound is the ultimate soundtracking partner, helping everyone from up-and-coming creators to household brands march to the beat of their own drum. But that’s only possible thanks to our amazing, one-of-a-kind artists — without them, we have no catalog.
Today, we’re continuing Behind the Sound, in which we salute the musicians who’re taking Epidemic Sound to the next level.
This month, it’s Rebecca Mardal, a Swedish songwriter and producer with whom we’ve worked since 2023.
Starting as a Green Day-worshiping teen guitarist, Rebecca’s become something of a musical chameleon. Lo-fi hip-hop, glittering post-rock, ambient soundscapes — she’s the sworn enemy of the one-trick pony.
Coming hot off Epidemic Sound’s mentorship program with the legendary Johnny Marr, Rebecca’s just released a double A-side inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien: Furthest I’ve Been from Home.
We sat down with Rebecca to discuss her influences, Johnny Marr, and why Samwise Gamgee is the undisputed GOAT.
Your latest singles are inspired by The Lord of the Rings. How has the fantasy genre influenced your music?
Rebecca Mardal: “Fantasy is all about diving into a different world and exploring what you can do in that world. It’s about good versus evil, love versus hate, and that age-old battle where good eventually wins. I think that whole story and setting is very influential to my music.”
Your new track is called Furthest I’ve Been from Home, inspired by the scene where Frodo and Sam leave the Shire. Are there any other specific scenes that have inspired your music?
RM: “Yes, and Lord of the Rings fans will know exactly the scene I’m talking about — Sam’s speech! ‘Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something.’
“Even reading it brings tears to my eyes! But that age-old story of good conquering evil is so inspiring on a micro level. Not only through letting your good thoughts win over the self-doubt, but in terms of my music, it’s the dominant finally coming home to the tonic, or the tension finally being released. Sam describes that age-old battle in a way that brings you to tears — that’s what I want to do with music.”
Leaving home is a big theme in The Lord of the Rings. Do you relate more to Frodo’s longing for adventure or Sam’s deep connection to home?
RM: “Both! I’m stuck between them. I’m from the countryside — full of beautiful, deep forests to get lost in, but no music scene. I currently live in Stockholm, out on my own adventure pursuing music. But I fight with my Sam-side, longing for home, for the creeks and old trees.
“I’d love to soundtrack Sam. It would be interesting to capture the overwhelming sadness of loving and being brave for the sake of a friend who’s slowly slipping away from you. That required love, hope, loyalty, and resilience from him, all while slowly feeling like you’re losing your friend.”
Let’s say Peter Jackson calls and asks you to soundtrack one of his Lord of the Rings films — which one are you hoping for?
RM: “Definitely the first one, The Fellowship of the Ring. Just because it’s the most peaceful one, and has so many ethereal beings and places: Rivendell, the Shire, Galadriel. All would be very interesting to compose, and I think they’d fit my sound well.”
Are there other fantasy universes you’d like to draw inspiration from in the future?
RM: “Another fantasy universe that I’ve spent a lot of time in is the Harry Potter universe. I’d love to try it, but there’s something about it that makes it hard to touch!
“Me and my partner just finished a co-op game called Unravel Two, which has a lot of beautiful scenery and beautiful music. Playing that has inspired me to sit down and write.”
You’ve recently come back from a mentorship session with Johnny Marr. What was the most fun or surprising thing about that experience?
RM: “That he so freely handed me his guitars to play! Like, legendary guitars that I’ve seen and heard and read about so many times before — he just handed them to me to try out, basically. That was just so incredibly generous of him.”
How did you find your sound?
RM: “Life, and the anxiety it entails. I play with a pretty soft touch, which comes from the anxiety of being heard. I write music to calm the constant chatter in my mind, so my sound comes from whatever turmoil’s going on in there at the moment, basically.”
You used to work in a guitar shop. Did that influence your approach to music and songwriting?
RM: “All that gear, the rare expensive instruments, can’t buy you feel, skill, or technique. However, different instruments will force you to play in different ways, and will inspire you.
“That’s something Johnny Marr talked about during the mentorship session. He sat down with one guitar in particular, and Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now just came pouring out of him. Like, it basically wrote itself.
“It’s also taught me that it doesn’t matter what skill level you are. There’s so much going on — different players, different levels — that there’s always stuff you can pick out. There’s always a guitar there to pick up, too. If you hear something you resonate with, you can just pick up a guitar and try to replicate it. It’s super-inspiring.”
Rebecca Mardal’s new single, Furthest I’ve Been from Home, is available on all major streaming platforms. Listen to Rebecca’s entire discography below, and keep an eye out for the next edition of Behind the Sound.
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