We spoke to Maia Rowan about her music and life, ahead of the Big Condo Weekender.
(Header image by Lizzy Sterling)
When did you start playing music?
I’ve been doing music in some form since I was a toddler, but I started writing when I was nine and playing in bands a couple years later.
I recently realised I’ve been writing for a decade, which is crazy!
What/who got you into music?
I’ve honestly always been into music in one way or another and I have no idea why that started.
There was apparently some baby music class that I was really into as a toddler which is how everything started; then i wanted to be a classical violinist for a few years; then I started taking voice lessons; and now I’m a singer-songwriter, producer and keyboardist.
I don’t have any musical family members or anything so there’s basically no genetic basis for me being a musician, I’ve just always really loved it.
When and why did you come to Liverpool?
I’m from California in the US, but I came to Liverpool nine months ago (September 2022) for university.
I picked Liverpool entirely because the school had the best program I could find, but I think I made a good choice and I love the scene here!
How has music helped you settle?
I think a really important part of setting in somewhere new, especially somewhere far away, is making friends, and all my friends are musicians.
I have no idea what my social circle would be like without music!
Who do you think are you biggest music influences?
I was raised on Amy Winehouse and Joni Mitchell and other incredible female singer-songwriters, and think I learned a lot from their lyricism.
I love Ben Folds, specifically the album ‘The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner’ and take a lot from that. During the pandemic I got really into the Cranberries which has shaped a lot of what I’m doing now, particularly vocally.
I’m also completely in love with anything Bleachers puts out and have been influenced by them in a lot of ways.
How would you describe the style of music you write?
Really lyric-focused art pop that sounds like a cross between Ben Folds and Regina Spektor.
I’m working on an album about my mom’s battle with cancer, so a lot of it is about that at the moment.
What’s your songwriting process like?
If you’d asked me that a few years ago, I’d say I basically always start with chords, but the album I’m working on has really changed my songwriting process!
At the beginning of the writing process for this record, I started taking lyrics from my poetry and diary entries and structuring melodies and chords around that.
Closer to the end of making the record, I knew what it was missing so started writing from topic ideas.
The time it’s taken to finish the songs on this record really varies; some have been written in hours, others have taken over a year.
Are you working on any projects at the moment?
My mom got cancer last year and I’m making an album about it.
It’s called ‘Remote Avalanche Machine’ and it’s hopefully going to come out next year sometime.
My goal with the record is to accurately portray the reality of what it’s like to have a parent with cancer because it’s such a common experience but nobody ever really talks about it.
All the songs in my live set right now are from the album and the response I’ve gotten to that has been really amazing and comforting.
If you want to follow along with the album-making process, I’ve been putting demos and behind the scenes stuff on my SoundCloud and website, so check those out if you’re interested and give them a listen!
Are you looking forward to playing the weekender?
Yeah, absolutely! It’s the whole band’s last Liverpool show before we go home for the summer so it’s going to be great. And, who knows, I just might play some new stuff!
You can follow Maia Rowan here and get tickets from her.
The Big Condo Weekender takes place on the beginning starting June 2.
Mersey Music 