Maya Delilah is a rising singer-songwriter who is taking the music industry by storm with her unique fusion of relatable RnB-soul with a sprinkling of pop. Singing about everything from boys to cats and everything in between, Maya’s music has the ability to resonate with the masses.
Not only does Maya deliver pitch-perfect vocals, honest lyrics, personality, and catchy melodies, but her songs are all held together by stunning guitar harmonies which showcase her talent as a musician. Combating the stereotype of the guitar being a ‘male instrument’ one song at a time, Maya is living proof that women can rock it with the best of them.
With her debut EP due for release this summer, Maya has been busy teasing some of its tracks, the latest being ‘i’m just stupid’ which dropped today (May 15). Laced with soul, the track tackles an all too familiar situation – when an overthinking brain is faced with a potential new relationship.
We caught up with Maya to discuss her new single, her forthcoming EP, the importance of inspiring young women to play instruments, and more.
Hi Maya! How are you doing during this really strange time?
Hello hello! I am doing surprisingly well actually, thank you for asking. I am someone who generally can’t stand to spend an entire day indoors so, considering that, I seem to be doing pretty good.
Amidst the madness, you’re releasing your new single ‘i’m just stupid’. Can you tell us a bit about the track and how it came about?
Indeed I am. This song is by far the most fun song on the EP. Me and my producer (Stephen Barnes) really wanted a relatable, joyful song about the start of a relationship. The song is basically describing that back and forth feeling when first seeing someone and just overthinking everything.
How long did it take for the song to form from an initial idea to the final track?
Well, it was based around these chords that I was stuck on for SO long, I think this was the fourth go at writing a song to them – I just knew they were too tasty to go to waste, so safe to say it look longer than usual. However, as someone that lyrics doesn’t come easy to, the lyrics to this particular song were done in pretty much one sitting. Me and Stephen recently discovered that I find writing much easier when I don’t over think it and just have fun with it which I did with this song.
What’s your favourite lyric from the song?
I think its the pre chorus ‘dum dum dum de dum, oh I’m dum dum dum de dum, dum dum dum de dum dum dum oh I’m dum dum dum de dum, for you’ – not really sure if this counts as one lyric lol. But I like this part best cos it kind of outlines very clearly the whole point of the song – feeling dumb because of how someone has made you feel but at the same time you let yourself continuously feel this way cos of the feelings you have for them.
As well as great lyrics, ‘i’m just stupid’ also features your brilliant guitar skills including a dreamy guitar solo. The music industry is constantly being fed male guitar-playing singer songwriters, so how important is it for you to inspire other young girls to pick up an instrument?
It’s my main aim and always will be as a female musician and guitarist. As someone who’s had experienced first-hand sexism surrounding my musicianship being a woman, I know how it can drop one’s confidence, however it does make me want to prove the stereotype wrong and do this with other women / young women alongside me. Nothing beats the feeling that when I get a message saying I inspired a young girl to pick up the guitar – I hope to get to do this on a wide scale.
You’ve actually got your own ‘Table Time’ sessions on your YouTube channel where you jam with your guitar. Can you tell us a bit about that?
Yes, my table time series up on YouTube was basically inspired by people getting annoyed at me on Instagram for posting such short loops. Very nice and flattering – thank you those people for getting annoyed. I decided I wanted to get more active on YouTube anyway, so it seemed a great way to do so. It’s basically me sitting on a table playing the guitar. I haven’t done one for a while but am planning on doing more and potentially getting others involved and joining me on the table (maybe put a cheeky competition in place) – when it is socially acceptable and legal of course.
You’ve released a few tracks recently which are taken from your debut EP which is out this summer. What can you tell us about the EP as a whole and the message behind it?
So, this past year me and Stephen have made a crazy amount of songs. We started a project where we decided not to think too much about how the EP would sound overall, but instead chose to write a LOT and then pick our faves. We named all the songs different sweet pie names (banoffee pie, pumpkin pie, lemon pie etc.) and when we hit a baker’s dozen, we knew it was time to pick our favourites to go into the EP (and give them appropriate names). So, the EP doesn’t follow a particular story or message really but is just sums up the last year for me personally. Overall, there is a theme of boys and cats… but the next EP will definitely have more of a story as it’s a concept EP, WHICH I FIND VERY EXCITING!!
Alongside the EP tracks, you recently unveiled a charity track called ‘Safe’ in dedication to the NHS. Was the song inspired specifically by the pandemic or was it something which was in the pipeline prior to current events?
Yes, it was inspired by the pandemic as I moved in with a friend after my sister self-isolated quite early on. I realised that despite the craziness happening in the world I wasn’t freaking out too much and felt weirdly calm and this was due to being with the right person that made me feel safe. I knew to fit the mood of the song I wanted it very stripped back and I have been obsessed with Mac Miller’s ‘Circles’ for a good few months, so used it for the musical inspiration.
We also love the music video for it, which features your friends, family and fans from around the world. How did it feel to watch back the finished product, knowing that so many people were involved?
Thank you!! Yes, it very very cool and wholesome to watch come to life and see the final version. It was so lovely seeing that people could relate and were feeling safe is such a strange time.
Who or what inspires you when it comes to making music?
Soooo many things. It’s hard to pin-point something or someone in particular as it could even be something as weird as my cat constantly running away from me which is what one of the songs on the EP is about. I’m very inspired by a wide range of music too, having grown up with a diverse selection of music being played around the house so I guess each song is inspired by different artists and situations.
What advice would you give to anyone taking their first steps into making music?
As basic as it is, just keep keep keep going. Keep making new things, keep writing, keep learning from others. It really helped me and got me off my feet being around other musicians, which I was as I was lucky enough to have gone to a music specialist sixth form. I’d just say surround yourself with inspiring people and don’t be afraid to ask for help – you can always learn from others, so why not?? In my opinion, having too much pride and so not asking for help doesn’t get you as far as you think it will.
What is your biggest dream as a musician?
I LOVE performing, so to get to perform to large audiences is a huge dream of mine. And, as I said previously, inspiring young girls to pick up the guitar and break the outdated gender stereotype around the guitar being a male-dominated instrument is the main aim.
Finally, would you like to share your social media handles so that our readers can keep updated with you?
YAS my Instagram is @mayadelilahh (mayadelilah was taken, sad!), my Twitter (where I post very random thoughts) is @maya_delilah, my YouTube and Facebook are both Maya Delilah!! THANK YOU – BIG LUV.
Thank you so much to Maya for her time! ‘i’m just stupid’ is out now.