Blending the modern appeal of Kacey Musgraves and Taylor Swift with the timeless ’70s bohemian vibes of Fleetwood Macand Joni Mitchell, rising pop-country star Maya Lane today releases her second EP ‘Diary Of An Overthinker’. The singles that have preceded the set have continued to elevate her next wave status with repeated airplay from Mollie King at Radio 1’s Future Pop, as well as key playlist adds including New Music Daily and Today’s Country at Apple Music.
If you’re inclined to over-analyse situations, second guess yourself or read too much into everyday interactions, ‘Diary Of An Overthinker’ will provide you with plenty to relate to. Maya has channelled such thoughts into her lyrics, resulting in songs which tackle the thoughts that keep you awake at night – feelings of being inadequate, or of being betrayed, or realising you should’ve taken your friend’s advice, or simply wanting to escape from having all of these things whirling around your mind. But it also offers a little empowerment as you begin to realise the power of friendship and the strength that comes as you learn to deal with such dilemmas yourself.
Maya says, “‘Diary Of An Overthinker’ is a collection of songs that dive into my inner world, with each song acting like a journal entry giving you a peek into my life, both the real and imagined. The EP touches on the themes of second-guessing, anxiety, escapism and relationships (whether that be with others or myself).
Creating ‘Diary Of An Overthinker’ was a really cathartic and special process, allowing me to reflect on my past and heal my present. It felt like everything just fell into place, from the name, the visuals, to the songs themselves, as if it was meant to be. I’ve been so lucky to collaborate with so many talented and hardworking creatives over the course of this project. Being able to translate my feelings into song, create visuals that bring to life the music and then see it connecting with listeners is a dream.”
The new focus track ‘Never Be Like Her’ takes Maya’s singer-songwriter craft into bedroom pop territory, her enchanting voice and candid lyricism excelling and revealing its versatility within a different soundscape. Maya’s words capture one of those conflicted emotions that you can’t help but feel even if you know that they don’t make any logical sense: admiring someone, but also feeling envious of their abilities.
Also featuring the recent singles ‘Heart For A Heart’, ‘Bump Into Me’, ‘Just A Girl’ and ’24F’, the EP is completed by two other new songs. ‘Four Leaf Clover’ takes a subtle detour into summery indie-folk grooves before the acoustic, harmony-drenched ‘My Friends Were Right’ captures a touch of the unadorned beauty that Maya expresses in her solo shows with the help of another rising singer-songwriter, Matthew Nolan. It also represents Maya’s biggest project to date, with a strong evolution since her previous four-track EP ‘Childish Games’.
All seven songs on the EP were written or co-written by Maya. Her producer and writer collaborators on the collection include the Grammy, BRIT Award and Mercury Prize winner Jonathan Quarmby (Lewis Capaldi), Rich Cooper (Rina Sawayama, Birdy), Jonny Lattimer (Becky Hill, Ellie Goulding), andysocialclub (Caity Baser, Henry Moodie) and Carys Selvey (Cat Burns, Ashley Singh).
Running in tandem to her music career, Maya’s ’70s dream child look has been embraced by an array of fashion brands and vintage clothing retailers. She stars in Visions of the Canyon, a new campaign from The Hippie Shake who specialise in creating and curating clothing which remains effortlessly classic regardless of the year.
Recent months have seen Maya Lane further focus on live shows, with highlights include a rapturously received debut theatre tour as guest to Kelly Jones’ Far From Saints, her first appearance at The Great Escape, as well as a fun and super-intimate living room tour alongside her friend Edie Bens.
Tonight she will be one of an array of guests at Aine Deane’s sold-out Sisterhood Show at St. Pancras Old Church, joining big names including Bea And Her Business and Sarah Close. Next up are two shows as special guest to Alyssa Bonagura at The Louisiana, Bristol (June 7th) and London’s Omeara (June 8th). She is also confirmed to play The Pop-Up Hotel in Glastonbury on June 27th, The Folklore Rooms in Brighton on July 16th, and At The Chapel in Bruton on August 17th.
EP tracklisting:
- ‘Bump Into Me‘
- ‘Heart For A Heart‘
- ‘My Friends Were Right (Acoustic)‘ – featuring Matthew Nolan
- ‘Never Be Like Her‘
- ‘Just A Girl‘
- ‘Four Leaf Clover‘
- ‘24F‘
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