Born and raised in South East Wales , Diamandis moved to London at the age of 18 to study music , despite not having a musical background . After dropping out of four institutions and failing in auditions , she began composing her own music . After the success of her Myspace-released EP '' Mermaid vs. Sailor '' in 2007 , she was signed by Neon Gold Records the following year and by 679 Artists in October 2008 . In 2009 , after playing at a variety of festivals including Glastonbury in the summer , she ranked in second place in the BBC 's Sound of 2010 and was one of the three nominees for the Critics ' Choice Award at the 2010 Brit Awards . In a 2012 interview with '' Between the Lines '' , Diamandis said that the album 's title came from a slang term for testes , but she had been too coy to admit it before
2010 Brit Awards
2010 Brit Awards
The Family Jewels (Marina and the Diamonds album)