INTERVIEW: Maya Lane on her latest single '24F': " I have always had really big dreams and know that if I want to make them come to life I've got to work hard."

London based singer-songwriter Maya Lane has only been releasing music for just over a year, with her debut EP Childish Games released last year, but she has been performing for years. After being inspired to be a singer-songwriter after seeing the Taylor Swift Red tour, she began hustling straight away, booking her own gigs wherever she could from the age of just 12. Now with music out in the world, she has quickly attracted attention for her gorgeous, pop-folk-country music that has all the hallmarks of the classic storyteller, singer-songwriters.

She has recently released her first music of 2023, the single ‘24F’. With a dreamy, summery, laidback soundscape, its foundation is pop with hints of indie and soul and it pulls you into its warm embrace instantly. Lyrically it was inspired by being in a place or moment that instantly transports you back to bad memories, but the experience helps you to heal and move on.

“I wrote ‘24F’ about experiencing a moment or being in a place that takes you right back to a phase in your life that holds uncomfortable memories, but with hindsight you are able to look back and heal,” Lane says. “When writing the song I wanted to use the plane analogy to represent looking at my past trauma and how once you zoom out and step away from the moment you can see it from a different perspective.”

The music video for the song was filmed on Lane’s first ever writing trip to Nashville and sees her visit locations in the iconic city.

“In February I went on a writing trip to Nashville, which has always been a dream of mine,” she says. “As soon as I booked the trip I knew I wanted to document it and use the footage to create a video diary. It feels really special to be able to look back at my Nashville memories, paired with this song and see how far I’ve come and how proud younger me would be.”

Lane creates music that is warm and personal, with a beautiful dash of melancholy that always carries a message of hope. With just a handful of releases to her name, her promise as a top tier singer-songwriter is clear and her subsequent releases will be something to keep a close eye on. We recently caught up with her to chat all about the creation of ‘24F’ and her career to date.

Hey Maya! Lovely to chat to you today. How is everything going with you right now?
Hey, thank you for chatting with me! I'm good thank you, very excited to be diving into this next chapter of releasing music. 

On that note, you’ve just released your first new music in a year with the single ‘24F’, it is such a gorgeous song, congratulations! You have said the song is about those moments where you are instantly taken back (mentally) to a place of unpleasant memories, can you tell me a little about the inspiration behind this track?
Thank you so much! As you mentioned the track was written about looking back, with hindsight on traumatic and challenging phases in life and being able to move forward and heal from them. The main inspiration for the song was the bullying I experienced when I was in my early teens. I am a very sensitive person and often take things to heart. With this particular experience (at the time) I really took on all the blame and thought I must've been a terrible person to have experienced what happened to me. However, looking back I can see that it wasn't my fault and that sometimes kids are just horrible. I wanted to use the plane analogy to represent looking back at my past trauma and how once you zoom out and step away from the moment you can see it from a different perspective.    

I understand you worked with Jonny Lattimer and Rich Cooper on this track, how did you team up with them and what was the creative process like for ‘24F’?
We first had a writing session together in early 2022, I instantly just loved working with them, it's always such a collaborative experience. They are both so talented and knowledgeable, it's amazing to learn from them. ‘24F’ was written a couple months after I met them. With Jonny, I went in with the concept of hindsight and we just went from there. The song flew out and was written in a couple of hours. Rich couldn't make it on that day, but he produced the rest of the track and really helped bring the song to  life. 

You have also released a gorgeous music video for ‘24F’ which documents your trip to Nashville. What was that like to make?
‘24F’ is such a personal song for me and so I wanted the video to share that personal element. I'm a very visual person, so from the day I wrote the song I had a pretty clear idea of what I wanted the video to be. As soon as I booked the trip to Nashville (which has always been a dream of mine) I immediately knew I wanted to document it. I absolutely love creating videos so it was so much fun. My dad actually came with me on the trip and helped me film lots of the clips (so big thank you to him!). It feels really special to be able to look back at my Nashville memories, paired with this song and see how far I've come and how proud younger me would be of where I am now. 

As mentioned, this was your first release in a year since your debut EP Childish Games. Does that time away from releasing music help and enhance your creativity? I imagine it must be quite emotionally stressful to be releasing music constantly, with the weight of expectation for each release to perform and reach as many people as possible.
If I could, I would put out music every week haha! I'm always so excited and keen to share everything I've written or created, but obviously that's not realistic! I already had ‘24F’ (and a few other tracks that will be on my next project) written by the time I came around to releasing my debut EP. Releasing music you love is the most incredible thing, however as you mentioned there is an element of pressure and expectation that comes with it too. I was desperate to release music much sooner (my management can vouch for this). However, I am super grateful I listened to their advice and decided not to rush straight into releasing new music. Instead, I spent the time really figuring out the story I wanted to tell with this next project, experimenting with my writing and the sound of my songs, and also doing lots of guitar practice to ensure I am always working towards being the best player I can be. 

You have been so focused on music since you were a child, even booking your own gigs at 12, which is incredible. Where do you think that dedication and pure focus came from?
Thank you! I have always had really big dreams and know that if I want to make them come to life I've got to work hard. I've always been a super determined person too. I also just love what I do so much  and know that I am the driving force of my career. 

You are a massive Taylor Swift fan, who were the other artists that shaped your musical direction, and what up and coming new artists today get you excited?
There are so many artists that inspire me. I grew up listening to a wide range of music from reggae, rock to soul, however the stuff that really drew me in was the captivating melodies and storytelling lyrics of the 70s country and folk music. Timeless artists like Joni Mitchell and Fleetwood Mac, and more contemporary artists like Kacey Musgraves and HAIM have always really inspired me. 

In terms of new up and coming artists I really love Lexi Jayde and am super excited to hear her debut album! 

So much goes into being a ‘pop star’ today - writing, recording, performing, making music videos and constantly producing content for social media. What aspect do you enjoy the most?
Oooh that's such a hard question as there are so many aspects of being an artist that I absolutely love! I definitely go through phases where I am in the writing zone more or where I'm feeling visually creative with social media or making videos, it comes and goes in waves. While it can be stressful trying to juggle all these different aspects, I feel really lucky that I get to pour my creativity into all the different parts of my project. 

The music industry has never been a particularly welcoming or safe space for female artists, mainly because it has been run by older, straight, white men for decades. What are your experiences and/or thoughts on gender (in)equality and sexism in music?
If I'm being totally honest, I feel very lucky to be surrounded by really good people in the industry. Thankfully, I do think the music industry is evolving and becoming more diverse but there is still a long way to go. 

I think for women there is the expectation that you have to be exceptional and constantly reinvent yourself, whereas men can seem to get away with being more average and that can feel unfair. 

I always make an effort to try to bring up and include other women from the industry in what I'm working on (whether that be writers, directors or videographers).  There are so many amazing women that don’t get recognition they deserve or as many chances as the men in the industry. 

However, I feel that  there is room for everyone and I just wish we would all lift each other up a little more. 

‘24F’ is out now, what else is coming up for you for the rest of 2023?
Yes! I am so happy to have this song out in the world. I have so many exciting things coming up that I’m looking forward to, from shows, to new music and more! I post all my updates on social media @mayalaneuk so keep an eye out there! 

‘24F’ is out now via 7 Sister Records. You can buy and stream here.
To keep up with all things Maya Lane you can follow her on Instagram, TikTok and Twitter.