FEATURE:
Spotlight
J. Maya
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AN artist who I am fairly new to…
PHOTO CREDIT: Max Christiansen
the terrific J. Maya is one of the most original and smartest musicians I have heard in years. Crowned the international championships' MVP aged seventeen, she became the youngest pun championships award-winner in history. It is a remarkably interesting and unusual fact about an artist whose music is truly stunning and inspiring! J. Maya has a deep love and fascination with language, which one can hear weaved through her remarkable music. Her E.P., Poetic License, was released in December. It is a magnificent E.P. from someone who is most definitely among those you need to watch closely this year. There are a few interviews with her available online. I wanted to highlight sections from a couple, as we learn more about her background, the Poetic License E.P., plus the incredible and wonderfully ingenuous single, Crossword Puzzle. I am going to start with a recent interview from The New Nine. They followed Maja’s arc from her start in music, through to her graduating from Harvard, through to the making of her E.P. It is a fascinating interview with a truly exceptional artist that everybody needs to hear and follow:
“How did you get started in music?
J. Maya: I actually initially got my start in music learning South Indian classical (Carnatic) music! IT’s still one of my favorite art forms to this day; Carnatic music is so rich in tone, modulation, and improvisation, and really gave me the musical building blocks I needed at a young age. From there, I experimented on my own with jazz (which shares a shockingly high amount of similar music elements with Indian music, actually), learning how to sing standards, scat, and fiddle, and studied classical violin, eventually joining the Peninsula Youth Orchestra. While I’ll be forever grateful for these foundational skills, I will say my mind was fully blown when I eventually discovered pop music. I became obsessed in my teenage years with the big pop girls – Beyonce, Ariana Grande, Katy Perry, etc. – and, specifically, how big pop songs were written. Every moment I could find, I was deconstructing the songs, playing with chord structures, and developing a passion for songwriting. When I was 16, I wrote my first full song, and the rest is history!
There are so many tremendous and hugely inventive artists coming through right now. I don’t think I have heard anyone quite like J. Maya. Nobody with the same story and incredible talent. I am hoping that there is opportunity for her to come to the U.K. this year and perform. An artist who is definitely going to be a big name and go on to huge success, it has been a pleasure discovering her music. Before wrapping up, Pop Nerd Lounge spoke with J. Maya. It is clear that fine details and beautiful touches go into her music in addition to her lyrics. Here is someone who wants her music to stimulate the mind but also provoke and stir the heart and soul. It definitely does that! Sunday Crossword might be my favourite song of Maya’s to date:
“Your latest single, “Sunday Crossword” is ingenious wordplay that’s also emotionally relatable. We’ve all wondered at one point or another if someone liked us back. If a young person is listening to this song in their bedroom wondering if that one person likes them back, what do you hope they resonate with in the record?
These are such kind words – thank you so much! In both its sonics & lyrics, I wanted “Sunday Crossword” to convey the simultaneous anxiety & exhilaration of attempting to untangle someone’s feelings. With the power of hindsight in my corner, I am able now to reminisce fondly on my first crushes growing up; there’s something so thrilling about being a young person and dipping your toes into the rushing river of romance for the first time, often with no clue of what you’re doing. If someone reading this were to take a message from this song, I would hope it would be this: cherish those butterflies. It might feel nerve-wracking now, but you will savor these moments & this excitement for years to come, both in your relationships and in your general life. Sometimes, while you’re growing up, your feelings will be too big for your words, and that’s not a bad thing. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
I love that nat sound you have in the beginning over the guitar of a couple doing the crossword together. Do you add fine details like that to elevate to the storytelling?
Thank you so much! I absolutely adore including small details in my music to deepen the stories within my songs & immerse the listener in a different world. For example, my fourth song “Library Card,” written about the experience of growing up a maladjusted bookworm, starts with a chorus of whispers over violin strings. When I originally had the idea to incorporate a spoken element into the introduction of the song, I asked my incredible social media followers to send me book quotes about love and life that skewed their expectations for real life. Each whisper represents one quote that was sent in. With both “Library Card” and “Sunday Crossword,” I love how these organic moments weave with the musical elements to continue the story at the heart of the song. As a songwriter, storytelling is always my utmost priority.
What characteristic do you most admire in other creative women?
I am constantly in awe of women who create out of a primal & unfettered love for art, women who build each other up and who don’t let the world’s negativity pollute their passions. It’s taken me a long time to be able to create without the fear of judgment; I am always learning from the women before me who paved the way for others to express themselves as authentically & wholly as they can”.
I am stunned by all the simply amazing and different artists that are going to make this year truly incredible. I want as many people as possible to know about J. Maya. If you have not found her or know much, then follow her on social media and listen to music – and also check out interviews with her. There is no doubt that she will take huge strides…
THROUGH this year.
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