A heady blend of alt-folk, analogue synth and classical composition, In This Place is a tale of quiet rebellion, and taking back control.Fittingly, the new album marks the start of another new journey for Mara. In This Place will be the first record to be released on Downfield Records, a non-profit imprint set up by Simpson, placing artists at its centre. I want to try and promote transparency andequality, assist other artists to get public funding and to pay forward the time and resources Ive benefited from, she says. The labels mission is to see musicians paid fairly and release records through a creative and joyous process.Whilst the struggles of 2020 will go down in history, for Mara it was 2019 that was the tough one. A year spent consumed by worry,whilst in and out of hospital with her one year old daughter, had left Mara feeling like she was playing a constant game of catch up with a world that wouldnt slow down. With songs ready to be recorded for her new album, she headed into the studio to record withher producer.I stepped into the studio not needing my hand held, just my voice heard explains Mara, who quickly came to the realisation thatshe was working in a toxic environment with a producer whose moods everyone had started to dread. Ironically, at the end of a year spent managing my daughters breathing issues, I had an asthma attack induced by the studios hypoallergenic cat, she laughs.Enough was enough.