Delivering her own brand of gutsy DIY indie-pop artistry since emerging onto the music scene in 2017, singer-songwriter MAYA LUCIA has recently followed up her latest 2021 single, ‘ur ruining it !’, with the release of some stunning new visuals. With new music on the horizon in the form of her next EP, which is set for release Spring 2022, we can expect another incredible year from MAYA LUICA as we head into 2022. Following the release of her latest music video, we sat down with MAYA LUCIA to talk all about the brand new visuals, lockdown life and plans for 2022.
TSU: How are you, how have you been?
ML: I’m good! I’m back writing new music after our fall tour and working with my bandmates to book some upcoming shows.
TSU: What would be one lyric from your discography that best describes/ sums up you and your musical journey so far?
ML: This was such a tough question to answer. I’m going to pick a lyric from “spinelli” which is a track on our upcoming EP. The line is “come back tomorrow when it hurts less,” which to me represents a lot of the songs I’ve written. A lot of my songs have powerful memories associated with them – good and bad – and through writing and performing, I’ve been able to come to terms with things and grow. The line can be interpreted in a lot of different ways. It sums up the way I create and view my art, and hope others do too.
TSU: Can you tell us a bit about your creative process?
ML: Every song is different. Some songs start with just a few words, melody, or guitar parts. I like to write alone – it helps me process my emotions and gives me space to just let things go. I wait until a song is completely finished before showing my bandmates. But recently, I’ve started sending the band ideas. I’m really excited about getting their take on things. Once I’ve completed a song, we all start collaborating and adding in our respective parts. My bassist, James Duncan, mixes and produces everything. He sends mixes to all of us and we give collaborative notes on it.
TSU: You recently released your latest single, ur ruining it ! which has a really vibrant and energetic indie garage-pop sound. What was the main thing you were wanting listeners to take from the track?
ML: I want listeners to have fun & dance to it. The song at its core is about knowing your worth and doing what’s best for yourself.
TSU: Produced remotely over lockdown, what was that process like; and how would you say lockdown influenced your creative energy and practises?
ML: Pre-lockdown, we would play the new songs live at our shows and their structure or lyrics would change. Our first time playing the track all together was a few weeks before the tour started in September. Definitely a weird feeling. During the pandemic, I lost motivation to write. Things got repetitive. I didn’t have the energy or inspiration to write. But now that things are slowly coming back and I’m in a new environment, my writing has restarted. I show working songs to my band now to get more energy behind the track. They help spark a lot of new ideas. In terms of recording, we’re all scattered across the country for the time being. Samuel, my drum, and I are in Minneapolis (which is where we’re both from originally). My bassist James is in NYC and our lead guitarist, Molly, is in Boston. So we’re continuing to record remotely. I’ve really enjoyed learning more about recording from it and it’s what works best for us for now.
TSU: You also just released a brand new video to accompany the single! With such a bright and fun energy, what were the main inspirations behind the visuals?
ML: The 70s and Boogie Nights inspired us. The film’s use of tracking one-takes were used to craft the flow in the music video. We created the idea of a reunion of sorts after the pandemic. A lot of our close friends were part of the music video and doubled as cast and crew mates, which made it very special.
TSU: Working with director Jack Campise, how did you come together to create and bring about the artistic vision for the video?
ML: Jack and I worked together on a music video for my song “sadgirl (rip moviepass).” I usually give Jack a few rough ideas, like a specific shot or theme I want to go with. We’ll bounce visions we have for the video off of each other. We share a lot of music videos as reference points and collaborate on mood boards as well. Jack gives me a lot of creative control, which makes the process seamless.
TSU: What is your most memorable moment from producing and creating the music video?
ML: There’s a shot in the video during the bridge section, where a few of us are in a green room. And I’m supposed to be taking a shot and I would make eye contact with my friend, Giovanna [Zavala] and absolutely lose it. The take we kept is one where you can see me spitting water everywhere. She just kept saying these quips or giving me looks. I couldn’t keep it together.
TSU: With an exciting year ahead, you have your next EP set for release next spring; congratulations! What can we expect from the forthcoming record?
ML: Thank you! We can’t wait to share it with everyone. The EP is a collection of songs I’ve written over the past few years. There’re sprinkles of different styles and sounds throughout it. I will say we have a banjo on one track. We play a lot of the new songs live, so if you want a sneak peek at what’s coming, we’ll be touring again in the Spring!
TSU: As we head toward the end of the year, what are some of your main goals for 2022?
ML: We’re looking to tour more in 2022 and keep meeting people! Definitely want to do more festivals. We’re also working to put out a few EPs in 2022, so be on the lookout for those.
Photo Cred: @Simran Gvalani
