Interview with Maya Blue

The Burlington, Ontario three-piece Maya Blue recently released an outstanding debut full-length release (following an earlier EP) entitled Trouble In Mind.  I recently talked to the band about the album and it's more rock sound, recording at the legendary Catherine North Studios and more.  

Can you give me a little bit of history on the band? 

The three of us decided to start playing together in late 2019. We immediately gelled, wanting to find a more indie take on all of the classic rock records that we love. From there we got to work on our first EP which we released in 2021. From there we began playing shows throughout the Toronto Area, continuing to write, looking to refine our sound. We landed on creating a more rock-oriented album, which has brought us to our new record Trouble in Mind. We are continuing to play shows in the Toronto area and are now trying to branch out to different areas of Ontario to further promote our music and grow as a band.

You recorded the album at Catherine North Studios, which has seen a pretty impressive list of artists record there.  How was that?

Recording at Catherine North was a dream come true. It is an honour to be able to record in a space that has housed many artists we look up to. The space itself is magical. Being an old church, it has an amazing live room that delivers a tremendous sound. Above all, we also got to work with our childhood friend Aidan Robson, who produced, mixed and engineered the record. Having such a great history and comradery with staff translated into a genuine feeling of home for us during our recording experience.

How does your songwriting process tend to work?

Like many artists our process varies. That being said, I think the most frequent process is that one of us will come with a simple idea for either a chorus or verse. If the gang is on board, we take that and work it until we have something we are content with. Very seldom does one band member come with a song that is complete. This allows us to each have our own personal stamp on each song we put create, which makes it versatile and engaging as a collective.

I’ve read that your goal in making this album was to make a “rock record” and I would have to say that you have really succeeded, but I also hear a rootsy side to a lot of the songs.  Would you agree with that?

Being a three-piece band, there is a lot of room for various elements to come through. Not only as musicians but genuine lovers of music.  We each have our own influences. Nick, our guitar player has more influence stemming from blues, folk and country- tones that come through in songs like "Tokyo". Additionally, it was important for us to create an album that flowed as a story, carefully curating our tracklist to translate seamlessly to vinyl (Side A and Side B).

The album opens with “Hey”, which is bluesy, but still has a heavy rock edge.  I also love how it has a crisp sound, but at the same time sounds kind of dirty. Was that something you were looking for with that song?

Absolutely. I think the attitude for the entire record was to have an older sound put through a modern lens. We recorded the tracks live off the floor so we could maintain a classic feel. Thanks to Aidan, we were able to have the crispness that we feel is on par to a lot of modern records.

“Juliet and the Lonely Boy” is a great rocker, but to me it stands apart a little from the rest with the keys and then the almost pop “ooh ooh oohs”.  What can you tell me about that song? 

Giving a nod to one of our favourite bands, Thin Lizzy, we could tell it had the potential to be a single from the get-go. As a result, we decided to take a poppier approach throughout the writing process.

I love the song “Rain”.  It shifts back and forth between being laid-back and atmospheric to sounding like an arena rocker.  There is also a bit of a jazz element at times too.  Can you tell me a little about that one?

We feel that "Rain" is a song that carries a lot of our indie influence. The unique transitions and element changes are no exception in our attempt at keeping with the theme of a traditional rock record. These musical changes allowed us to create two different lyrical themes. An introspective look on yourself wanting to make changes in your life through the verses, while the chorus explores how old habits can affect loved ones in your life.

If you had to pick one, which track would each of you say is your favorite to play live and why?

Nick’s favourite song is "Rain" - there’s a lot of sentimental value for him behind the writing of the song. It took him about a year to complete the lyrics, so it’s incredibly rewarding to see it turn into a tangibly completed song after all this time.

Ty and Derek both love to play "Juliet and the Lonely Boy" live because of the high energy that we maintain throughout the song. Crowds are also more engaged throughout the song, so we get to see people singing along to it while we play, which is a very cool feeling.

I listened to your earlier EP, and the new album definitely has a better production, but you also sound like you have really matured as a band since then.  The album is also overall a lot heavier with much more of a rock edge. Was that a conscious decision or just a natural evolution?

A healthy combination of both. I think there’s a natural evolution in terms of the quality of our song writing and cohesiveness as a band. However, we definitely made a conscious decision to go in a heavier direction.

Do you still play any of those earlier songs live and if so, have they changed?

"Dance" is probably the one we play most off of our first EP and it is a crowd pleaser.  We also frequently incorporate "Maya Blues" into our set, as it’s one of our favourites to play live.  Elements have certainly been refined and tightened over time but overall, they have stayed tried and true to their original versions.

What made you decide on Maya Blue for the band name?

Wish we had a wild story behind that one. Like any good band name, we just like the sound of it.

Did the pandemic have much of an impact on the band?

Since we became a band right before the pandemic unfolded, that time became the catalyst for really understanding what kind of band we wanted to be and what our sound would be like. When live music became a thing again, we were super eager to jump in with both feet and introduce ourselves to the scene.

Do you have physical copies of the album available, and if so, how can people get a copy?

Not at the moment, but we are hoping we grow enough following and demand to realistically start pressing vinyl in the new year.

Now that the album has been out there for a few weeks what’s on the agenda?

With all the hard work that went into creating the record, our main goal at this time is to get the album out there through developing a broader fan base, touring and reaching new audiences.

Is there anything else you would like to share with readers?

Thanks for giving us your time.  If any of this piques your interest, we’d love your support on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok - all that fun stuff. But most importantly, stream our new album on your platform of choice or keep an eye out for us for a live show in the Toronto area.

(Maya Blue - Facebook)