Marina and the Diamonds

Marina and the Diamonds, really just Marina Diamandis, was born in 1986 to Welsh and Greek parents, although she has often claimed to be from Ancient Greece. After dropping out of four different music courses at four different universities, she decided to make her own way in music, and began writing left-field pop songs. Early on, she claimed that her inspirations were Britney Spears and Gwen Stefani -- who she often covered at live gigs -- but her songs have a soulful edge pointing to a deeper source of influence. Diamandis' piano/keyboard-driven songs vary from melancholic b...