It’s so rare to find a proper up and coming artist to really dig into, but god am I glad I found Maya Delilah. For fans of Sycco, Her’s, Gus Dapperton, Clairo and The 1975; Delilah is someone you absolutely must get familiar with. Her debut EP Oh Boy was released at the start of July, a smooth, lofi, chill pop EP that just makes you wanna bathe in the sun and forget about your troubles, and experience the inner thoughts of Maya’s wonderfully playful world. 6 tracks of pure majesty, with phenomenal production, elements that sound inspired by Tame Impala, crossed with John Mayer adding the soundscape of Her’s baked into the musical pie that is Delilah’s Oh Boy. And the even better news? She’s already been teasing snippets from her second EP, yet to be officially announced, but damn does her new material sound just as slick as the songs on Oh Boy and I am genuinely ecstatic for it.
The fabulous video for her song I’m Just Stupid was shot from home during quarantine, and to help make the video, she asked fans to send in drawings to feature in the video, and as you can see, she got a LOT of drawings, which is a wonderful thing for an artist to do to engage with their audience, and something I sincerely hope she doesn’t grow distant from as time goes on.
Maya’s silky voice serenades you throughout the EP, taking you on a journey that just takes your breath away, which is ironic when you consider the title of the closing track, Breathe Easy. Delilah manages to blend such familiar sounds in such unique ways that make it feel like such a fresh sonic experience in the abundance of soundcloud and bandcamp chill hop artists looking for homes within your music libraries, Maya defies this, spreading a bubbly narrative of her life. Her songwriting ability is absolutely killer too, catchy hooks and riffs that just cut right through the mix, melodies that you just cannot get out of your head, it’s infectious. Not to mention the fact that she’s a ridiculously talented guitarist, with the comparison to John Mayer mentioned by fans on multiple occasions. I mean just listen to the solos in I’m Just Stupid and Breathe Easy and try to deny it. You can’t. It may be bold to say, but it’s true and that’s the tea sis. She even managed to write and release Safe, a quarantine inspired track back in March, so power to you.
She was featured on an artist spotlight for Marshall and it’s there where you really get a vibe for who Maya is, and you really start to see from the music she grew up with and how it’s moulded her style. It’s brilliant to see young musicians buzz with genuine creativity, who really know their stuff, appreciate the cultures and genres they’ve been introduced to, and be able to experience the glee that is their talent, not in uptight way, but to really see them have freedom and crucially, fun and enjoyment in their own music, all the while staying humble. Honestly it’s crazily inspiring. She also delves into how she started writing, and like we’ve seen with the likes of Georgia, shows how these days you don’t need to know a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy to get signed and get your music out there. You can carefully craft your art at home, or as simply as singing and soloing over looped chords from a Boss Loop Station, you can build a following through apps like Instagram and TikTok. You can use your art and your passion and make a career out of it, and it’s wonderful to see.
She’s also been doing a fantastic job at inspiring young girls to pick up a guitar and get into music, utterly proving that girls can rock a guitar just as well as the boys thank you very much. Give Maya a guitar and a looper pedal and she could inspire anyone for hours, there’s just something so present about the way she writes, plays and sings her songs that can’t really be described. Whether it’s the relatable lyrics from waking up wondering where your cat is, to ignoring what others think about your relationship because you know it’s right.
Delilah is an absolute delight, and you’re a fool to not listen to her music and keep tabs on when more is due to arrive to melt our ears. You can follow her on Spotify, Instagram and even TikTok (@mayadelilahh) where you may even get a sneak preview of upcoming songs such as Moonflower.
Maya Delilah leaves you wanting more, and gives you this floaty optimistic feeling. Someone who really knows and has perfected their craft already at such a young age, the future for Delilah is going to blow up and we can’t wait. A hidden gen Z gem that you’re sure to revel in.
Top tracks are I’m Just Stupid, Tangerine Dream, Gato, URU, Breathe Easy and Safe.
If you’re not listening to Maya Delilah, then Oh Boy… are you missing out. I leave you with the music video for her EP’s closer, Breathe Easy and just see for yourself. An upcoming artist that is not to be reckoned with.
that green screen video is so cool
What guitar is she playing on?
It’s a Maton I beleive