Marika Hackman

Hackman was born in Hampshire, England and raised in Selborne and Devon. She is of Finnish descent. Her parents met during their work as animators and Hackman watched little television as a child. She and her older brother were instead encouraged to find other creative outlets. Hackman is a self-taught guitarist and began learning when she was 12. She started writing songs at 5. Her brother is a dance music producer who releases material under the name, "Hackman". She attended Bedales School, from ages 11 to 17, where she met and befriended model Cara Delevingne. Together, they formed a short-lived band, performing cover songs, where Hackman played drums and Delevingne played guitar and sang.

At 18, she moved to Brighton, England, where she studied art foundation and planned on earning a degree in fine arts, but instead chose to pursue music full-time. She currently resides in London.