A NOTE FROM MARINA: Becoming a mom, losing my dad in the pandemic, and having the war devastate my family in Russia & Ukraine... it felt almost impossible to process it all, all the while battling my demons. Writing songs helped me survive. From my deepest pain, fears & uncertainty, to my fight to find profound joy in the now, this is "Labyrinthine Rose". Thank you for being here.

1. Labyrinthine Rose*   Am
2. Symphony & Metal*   C
3. Morning Light*   Am
4. Daughter Song   C 
5. Ready to Live Again   C#m
6. If I Fade Away*   Am
7. Shine Again (It Gets Better)**  Em
8. Minute In Time   C#m
9. Never Let Go of Hope***  Am
10. My Impossible   Eb
11. Птица Счастья / Bird of Happiness*** (Russian-Ukrainian song) Am
Bonus Track:
12. Particles In The Air (phone recording)  C

CREDITS & THANKS:

All songs written by Marina Gennadievna Verenikina
*co-written with Nick Baker      **co-written with Nick Baker & Steve Horner
“Bird of Happiness” written by Александра Пахмутова и Николай Добронравов

Produced, orchestrated, mixed & mastered by Steve Horner
*** Produced, mixed & mastered by Alex Kharlamov

Guest stars on Symphony & Metal:  Bruce Kulick & David Ellefson

Thanks to BrokenSymmetry, Frank "Doc" Bettag, Kirk Gaudi, Eric Pang and all of my guardian angels for making this album possible

 Copyright 2025 Marina V           

This record was co-created by a team of super talented people who also happen to be dear friends and incredible humans. I am truly lucky and grateful for their time, brilliance and support, and to have them all in my life.

- Steve Horner, the composer/producer extraordinaire (+ a fellow Brady Bunch fan!), who carefully/gorgeously arranged each song & brought my vision to life

- Alex Kharlamov, who beautifully produced "Never Let Go of Hope" and edited "Птица" while working with me on kids songs about burps & farts:)

- Don Adkins (R insert photo), who (w/Joelle) made me a part of their family

- Ik the Troll King (Bryan Thompson), who designed most of this artwork and spent hours back&forthing it with me, while rallying me on Twitch

- Chris Jensen (cover photo), who made me feel welcome in our new town

- Angel Gomez (back cover photo), who (along w/Beatrice Alcorta) brought out a whole new side of this mama :) 

- Bruce Kulick, who spent an incredible amount of time/care recording his guitar parts., and made sure it was what Nick & I were envisioning (it was!)

- David Ellefson, who kicked ass on bass, + made sure people heard our song

- Nick Baker, for adding his poetic touches to my lyrics, for becoming the best father to our daughter, for giving me space to create, and for being the "wind beneath my wings" all these years. There would be no Marina V without Nick

- Violetta, our amazing little 6yo girl, who makes me want to be a better person

Special thanks to Bill Adler for asking me to write "Never Let Go of Hope" for his short story, Sakura Petals, to Brian Dzyak for our white piano shoot location, and to Kostya Chubakov for additional production on "Ready To Live Again".

My enormous gratitude goes to every person who made this album possible, with extra special thanks to my Guardian Angel BrokenSymmetry, and our amazing associate producers: Frank "Doc" Bettag, Kirk Gaudi and Eric Pang. 

And to all of my angels, for believing in me, encouraging me and supporting my music

LYRICS

---------- LABYRINTHINE ROSE

Songwriters: Marina V & Nick Baker
(SONG NOTES: This song is all about the insane complexities of life, the pain and the beauty all wrapped into one. My artistic statement of sorts.)

Tell me how
We can be broken, be broken
And whole all at once
Tell me how
Dark thoughts keep lurking, they're lurking
In paradise
Tell me how
There's all this beauty in entropy

Burning high
Burning low
That's the way, the way it flows

Elaborate maze
How deep it goes
Life's a labyrinthine rose

Tell me how
Our hearts are open, they're open
And closed all at once
Tell me how
Words stay unspoken, unspoken, even when said out loud
Tell me how
There's so much beauty in fire and ice

---------- SYMPHONY & METAL

Songwriters: Marina V & Nick Baker
(SONG NOTES: Featuring legendary musicians Bruce Kulick (KISS) on guitar and David Ellefson (MEGADETH) on bass, this song is a reflection of the timeless battle between our inner light and darkness, a message of resilience, and a call to never give up.)

Time can numb the pain
But you won't be whole again
You'll never be whole again

All your dreams erased
You'll never go home again
You'll never be home
Never be home again

You think it's over
And did you waste your time
On all the things you never tried
And you say

Get me out of here until I'm better
Slay the dragons, live another day
I am symphony and I am metal
Whatever happens, I will be okay
I don't know why
I don't know why
I don't know why
I've been afraid
I live to fight another day

Fear can take you down
And you'll never realize
You'll never realize
You are here and now
No need to fantasize
Just believe your eyes

You think you're crazy
Unlock those mental chains
and break the hell away
and don't look back

[KICKASS GUITAR SOLO BY BRUCE KULICK]

It doesn't matter
How many times you get knocked down
It only matters if you get back up

---------- MORNING LIGHT

Songwriters: Marina V & Nick Baker
SONG NOTES: This song started writing itself during a double whammy of my postpartum issues and the first days of the 2020 lockdown, but as always, songwriting helped me channel my anxiety and feelings into something soul-healing.

Made some plans I couldn't keep
Hurts too much, it hurts too deep
Much to say but I can't speak
Hurts too much, it hurts too deep

Time stands still
But my mind is running still, ain't it funny
Will I be
When the fireflies
Come to say goodnight
Come the morning light?

Life might never be the same
Not rehearsal, not a game
So damn tired, I can't explain
Not rehearsal, not a game

---------- DAUGHTER SONG

Songwriter: Marina V
(SONG NOTES: The song started writing itself when I was pregnant, right after hearing the baby's heartbeat during the first ultrasound, and finished writing it after she was born.)

I never thought I'd be feeling like this
It's a bit of a cliché but I know I would be remiss
If I didn't say
My world's turned upside down
But it's more up than it's down
It's a beautiful beautiful
Beautiful world
I'm in love with a girl

And I can't explain
And no words can describe
The love I am feeling tonight

When I first saw you I couldn't believe
It's like I've always known you and you've been a big part of me, I just couldn't see
til the lightning, it struck me
And all of a sudden the floodgates they opened and filled me with all of this
new kind of bliss

And I can't explain
And no words can describe
The love I am feeling tonight

Maybe I'm amazed by all you stir in my soul
And all the wonder you make me see in this world
And I owe it all to you

I never thought I'd be feeling like this
It's a million things
it's a beautiful beautiful bliss
I'm in love with a girl

---------- READY TO LIVE AGAIN

Songwriter: Marina V
(SONG NOTES: I lost my father during the pandemic, and was never able to find closure (for many reasons, war being among them). Writing this song helped me move on after grief, and to find my inner strength.)

For so long, so long, I felt timeless, timeless
Surviving in slow motion
The longest rollercoaster

Feels like forever, ever, since I was someone better
Since I was someone braver
Someone who tried to matter
Say it's not too late, say it's not too late, cause

I am ready to live again
Ready, ready
I am ready to live again
And I need you, need you to understand
I'm ready to live again

For so long, so long I felt guilty and worthless
Blindly breaking beauty in the process
But at the darkest bottom
I felt a glimpse of better
A glimpse of someone braver
Someone who tried to matter

Say it's not too late, say it's not too late
cause I’m ready to live again

Let's give a moment of silence to those who loved us
They may be gone, but never forgotten -
A moment to those who may feel broken
They may be lost, but they're not alone and

To those who scream at the dark in despair
when they only needed someone to care and
Someone who sees them
Someone who knows
Who they are and
Who can show them
that it's not too late
I say it's not too late

---------- IF I FADE AWAY

Songwriter: Marina V 
(SONG NOTES: Written at the bottom of my post-partum depression during the pandemic, I wasn't sure I'd find my way out.)

Time is never on our side
Unless here and now we decide to be, just to be
Days are blending into days
I'm not okay but I'm trying can't you see, can you see?

In between fragmented dreams

And if I fade away will you come find me, come find me, come find me
And if I turn to grey will you color me
Will you come find me
If I fade away

Dreaming of what might have been
Is only stirring up forgotten things, poignant things
Longing for whatever's next, I'm good at that god knows I'm good at that, can you see

In between fragmented dreams...

Prisoner of my own mind
I seldom let you see inside my world
The show must go on
Maybe I just need to know that you will be there through it all
I need to know

---------- SHINE AGAIN (IT GETS BETTER)

Songwriters: Marina V, Steve Horner, Nick Baker
(SONG NOTES: This is a song I wrote for myself, my personal little anthem to help me get through the hard times of depression, and to keep going. And there is a little homage to McCartney's "Let It Be")

Get up, get up, get up
Don't stay down
Let those, let those, let those
Feelings out
Don't be, don't be, don't be afraid
Get up, get up, my friend

I know sometimes it's way too much
And you don't feel that you're enough
Believe my promise when I say
You’ll know better days

The sun will shine again
Will clear the monsters from your head
And if they hide beneath your bed
You know the sun will shine again
And it gets better

Get out, get out, get out, go and live
Show the world what you have got to give
You are, you are, you are a star
Make your movie, be who you are

I know sometimes it's way too much
And you don't feel that you're enough
Believe my promise when I say
You’ll know better days

The sun will shine again
Will clear the monsters from your head
And if they hide beneath your bed
You know the sun will shine again
And it gets better

You gotta breathe it in
Breathe it out
And let it be, let it be

---------- MINUTE IN TIME

Songwriter: Marina V
(SONG NOTES: After the birth of my daughter and losing my father, I realized that being in the moment, and fully appreciating it, has become essential to my soul.)

Things I never thought I'd feel
They hit me like an ocean wave
They made me wonder if
Something's been missing all these years

Yeah I've been burned and I've been blessed
Put through the wringer, did my best
But all I've seen and all I've done
Has made this moment only sweeter now

I know, I know
There's always so much unknown
And I try, oh, I try
I try to lay all my fears aside
Cause this minute in time, this time
It is yours
It's yours and it's mine
This minute in time
It's yours and it's mine
Yours and mine

I know I haven't felt it all
There's beauty everywhere we turn
It makes me realize
There's always so much more to learn

I see the moon, I see the sky
I'm seeing colors through your eyes
And all I've been and all I've done
Has made this moment only sweeter now

---------- NEVER LET GO OF HOPE

Songwriter: Marina V
(SONG NOTES: I wrote this song as the theme song for Bill Adler's sci-fi short story, Sakura Petals. The story really moved me, but this song is personal, as always)

The lightning strikes
Across the skies
The earth it growls
Before it dies
It feels like
It feels like

A bitter taste of metal in my mouth and
blossom petals on the ground
It feels like
It feels like

It's all sibylline
End of the line
Cloudless skies
The lightning strikes

You and I
And the end of the world
end of the world
You promised we would try
And never let go, never let go of hope

The wind picks up
It's almost time
Yet faith it shimmers in my mind
It feels like
It feels like

Maybe something dire can be done
An act of beauty, act of love
It feels like, it feels like

It's all sibylline but like a child I feel the magic come to life

---------- MY IMPOSSIBLE

Songwriter: Marina V
(SONG NOTES: My song about dreams coming true in spite of all the odds. 
We filmed our music video at the famous BRADY BUNCH house in Los Angeles in June 2025!

Just the fact that I came to the US from Russia at 15, and halfway around the world ended up meeting the love of my life (Nick), plus doing what I love for a living (music) and then… having our little daughter… is all pretty incredible. After losing my dad during the pandemic, and the Russian-Ukrainian war devastating my family in both Russia and Ukraine, I appreciate the precious gifts I've been given in this life even deeper than ever before. This song is about all of this.)

I've been told over and over
Dreams are just, they're just impossible
Impossible

I've been told over and over
To keep my head, my head down low
To always take it slow

Then you came along
Made me feel I was strong
Made me feel we could do anything
And everything

You made me feel beautiful
Something I've always known
Just never knew how to show
You made me feel magical
And now, here we are now
It feels impossible
You're my impossible
My impossible

I’d been hurt over and over
Losing hope, felt I was drowning
Like I was half of me

I’ve been told over and over
I should just, should just get used to it
Cause that’s the way life is

Then you came along
And I knew they were wrong
You made me feel I could be anything and everything

So don’t give up, please don’t give up
Cause if you only just look up
You’ll see it’s possible
Anything’s possible

I’ve been told over and over
Dreams are just, they’re just impossible…

You made me feel beautiful
Something I've always known
Just never knew how to show
You made me feel magical, confident, glorious
And now, here we are now
It feels impossible
You're my impossible
My impossible

---------- Птица Счастья / Bird of Happiness (Russian-Ukrainian song)

Songwriters: Александра Пахмутова и Николай Добронравов. Originally recorded by Николай Гнатюк
(SONG NOTES: This is a live studio recording of a Russian-Ukrainian pop song I used to sing as a child. It was written by a Russian husband/wife songwriting team (they were married almost 70 years!) and was originally recorded by Николай Гнатюк/Mykola Hnatiuk, a Ukrainian singer, in 1980, and later covered by Vitas. 
I had tears in my eyes when recording it.. The unimaginable war is breaking millions of lives, my family in both countries included. This beautiful song always reminds me of spending summers with my Ukrainian cousin when I was a child. I feel like this song represents a message of hope for this crazy broken world.

Птица счастья завтрашнего дня
Прилетела, крыльями звеня
Выбери меня, Выбери меня
Птица счастья завтрашнего дня

Сколько в звёздном небе серебра
Завтра будет лучше, чем вчера
Лучше, чем вчера, Лучше, чем вчера
Завтра будет лучше, чем вчера

Где-то гитара звенит
Надёжное сердце любовь сохранит
Сердце любовь сохранит
А птица удачи опять прилетит

Нет на свете танца без огня
Есть надежда в сердце у меня
Выбери меня, Выбери меня
Птица счастья завтрашнего дня

Песня моя прозвучит
Надёжное сердце любовь сохранит
Сердце любовь сохранит
И птица удачи опять прилетит

An approximate and non-poetic translation:

Bird of tomorrow’s happiness flew in with her wings brightly ringing
Please pick me, bird of tomorrow’s happiness

There is so much beauty in the starry night
Tomorrow will be a better day

My song will finish playing
And my trusty heart will keep love safe
I hope the bird of luck will return

I have hope in my heart
Please pick me, bird of tomorrow’s happiness

My song will finish playing
And my trusty heart will keep love safe
And the bird of luck will return again

---------- PARTICLES IN THE AIR (phone recording)

Songwriter: Marina V
(SONG NOTES: this is a recording from my phone that I made just for myself. This is another one of those songs that started writing itself, I wasn’t planning on it at all. It somehow didn't feel right to record it in my studio, so I decided to release it just like that. This audio is perhaps as raw as the feelings I had back in 2020, a few weeks after my dad was suddenly gone. My friend Susan said that sometimes she feels that people we lost are somehow here with us, in the particles in the air. And her words stuck with me. And since my dad was a nuclear physicist, having the word “particles” in my song for him feels right (Smiling as I type this.)
 

They ask if I'm okay
I'm not sure how to explain
But I'm doing the best I can
It feels like ocean waves
I'm not sure how to explain
But I'm doing the best I can

Far away from here
Yet right inside my blood
The only thing that's clear
Time is not enough

And if I ever need you, will you be there,
Will you be there?
And if I ever feel the breeze in my hair
Will you be there, in the particles in the air?
In the air
In the air

About the artist:

Marina V is an award-winning singer/pianist/songwriter with a "hauntingly beautiful" voice (LA TIMES).

Born in Moscow, she came to the US at 15 and since has performed over 1,500 concerts worldwide, sharing the stage with Howard Jones, Macy Gray and Beth Hart, among many others. 

Sponsored entirely by her loyal fanbase, Marina has self-released several critically-acclaimed albums, with her latest being “Labyrinthine Rose”. It is produced by a renowned composer, Steve Horner (Bridgerton, Rachel Platten), and features legendary musicians Bruce Kulick (KISS) and David Ellefson (Megadeth).

Over the years Marina has written multiple songs for many films, TV shows and ads (such as PEPSI to Spider-Man).

She also has written hundreds of songs for a popular YouTube channel for kids, KoteKitty, with over a billion views, and recently launched her own YouTube Kids Show, Violet & Mikey.

Marina has received several awards (including one from Sir Bob Geldof in London) and has been praised for her work as a cultural ambassador by Senator Bill Bradley.

Marina and her husband/co-writer, Nick Baker, reside in Ventura County, California, and have a 6 year old daughter, who is bilingual (English/Russian).

www.MarinaV.com 

www.MarinaV.com