Boston based singer-songwriter MAYA LUCIA shares her latest indie-pop single ‘ur ruining it !’, out now on all streaming platforms. The single is accompanied by a bright and bold music video.
We caught up with her to learn more about how the track came about, its message, and producing it during the lockdown.
Aditya – Hey Maya! Glad to have you for the interview. How’s 2021 been for you so far?
Maya Lucia – Thank you for having me! 2021 has been a ride.
Aditya – Your latest song ‘ur ruining it !’ sounds magnificent and it’s accompanied by a vibrant music video. Could you share the creative process of this track?
Maya Lucia – Thank you! We’re really proud of it all. I wrote the song overtime between the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020. I write everything alone and show it to my band once I have the framework completed. When the pandemic hit, my bandmates and I were trying to keep busy, so we worked on recording music. We workshopped everyone’s parts until we had something we liked. That’s how we got the final product for “ur ruining it!”
Aditya – What’s the message behind the track?
Maya Lucia – I was in similar situations with people where I was investing too much time and mental energy into them. They would make me feel so valuable one moment and then do a 180. By being an emotional rollercoaster in my life, they were ruining any chance of being part of it. So the message from the track is about navigating that and finding your worth.
Aditya – The track is produced remotely over the lockdown, could you tell us how the experience was?
Maya Lucia – Recording that way really made me miss my band. Usually, I finish writing a song and we’ll play it live a few times before recording. That’s how we figure out what works, and what we can change. It helps the song develop. It was weird at first to record apart from each other, but after we did it a few times, the feeling faded. I had a lot to learn from the recording stand point, which my bassist James [Duncan] really helped me with.
Aditya – How do you begin writing songs? Do you start on a guitar riff?
Maya Lucia – It varies. Sometimes I’ll have a melody stuck in my head and then write chords to that. I have a note on my phone that I constantly add lyrics to, so I might draw from that. Or I’ll have a guitar part written and work from there.
Aditya – Could you introduce your bandmates?
Maya Lucia – Of course! Samuel Stroup is on drums, he’s been in the band since the beginning. James Duncan plays bass and produces all of the tracks. And Melisande “Molly” Pope is on lead guitar!
Aditya – The video is really bold & motivating! Could you run us through the direction of the music video?
Maya Lucia – The director, Jack Campise, and I worked together previously on my music video for sadgirl (rip moveipass). We met our freshman year of college before I transferred schools and have been friends ever since. We created the idea of a reunion of sorts after the pandemic. We drew from the film Boogie Nights and their use of tracking one-takes to create the flow in the music video. We had our friends doubled as cast and crew mates. For many of us, it was our first time seeing each other again. It was really special, and it translates into the feel of the music video.
Aditya – You have an EP in the pipeline, could you share some deets on that?
Maya Lucia – Yes! It’s a collection of songs written over the past few years. Before the pandemic, I didn’t feel like we had the time to record or work on new songs. These songs just got pushed away. They all have their own feel. One song, PBR, has a banjo in it and there’s a sneaky little PBR being opened in it. I’m excited for everyone to hear it!
Aditya – You’ve been bouncing across Pacific & Atlantic, did that influence your music at all? If yes, then how?
Maya Lucia – Absolutely. Both DIY scenes are really different. But at their core, people come out to shows to dance and move around. West Coast has the influence of beachy surf rock and it feels messier than East Coast DIY. When I moved back to the East Coast, I took a lot of the tones, feelings, and energy from the West Coast.
Aditya – To conclude, what’s your typical Sunday like?
Maya Lucia – Sundays are a big catch up day. I clean my room and try to get organised for the week. I get stir crazy being home all the time, so I find excuses to leave the house. Going to a museum, vintage browsing, working on things at a coffee shop, going on walks, etc. Every show I’m watching right now – Insecure, Succession, and Real Housewives of Salt Lake City – comes out on Sundays around the same time. I try to catch a few of them, or just end up watching them on Monday.
