Equally as influenced by inspirational current artists such as Kacey Musgraves and HAIM as she is by the timeless sounds of Fleetwood Mac and Joni Mitchell, 18-year-old newcomer Maya Lane possesses a talent for songwriting that’s rarely heard from such a young artist. Maya today shares the official video for her debut single ‘Still The Same’ as she builds towards the release of her debut EP later this year. Watch below. 

Effortlessly merging folky harmonies with a sharp pop focus, ‘Still The Same’ is a big introduction from the younger Londoner. Her exquisite vocal is equal parts tender, nostalgic, vulnerable and yet strikingly confident, as her storytelling lyrics narrate the heartbreak of seeing a relationship unexpectedly unravel. The song’s central lyric both plantively and poignantly states the situation as she sings, “I’m wondering what it was that changed? ‘Cause I’m still just the same.”

Maya explains, “I wrote ‘Still the Same’ just after the first lockdown in 2020 with Jonathan Quarmby. I went in with a rough chorus idea based around the line ‘dance around our kitchen.’ This phrase really set it all off and led us to the song and the daily moments that remain part of us in good or bad times. I wanted to create a really vivid story line and encapsulate the feeling that sometimes the little things that are so important to you do not change even when it seems everything around you is.”

Maya co-wrote ‘Still The Same’ with the track’s producer Jonathan Quarmby (Lewis Capaldi, Tom Walker, James Arthur). The official video which is released today and premiered on Clash was filmed in Bristol and directed by Matthew Sterling (credits)

Maya says, "I had the best time shooting the ‘Still The Same’ music video. We shot the video in a beautiful riverside apartment in Bristol and had an actor come on set to play the part of the ex boyfriend. It was my first time shooting a music video, so it was amazing to see the story of the song being brought to life."

The first signs of Maya Lane’s love of music was when her dad mistakenly thought that buying her a tennis racket for her 4th birthday would magically create the next Wimbledon champion. Maya, however, had other ideas, and turned it upside down and started strumming as if she was playing guitar. That set her on the path to start performing from the age of 12, both solo and as part of an all-female band.

More recently, the self-confessed ‘70s dream child has cultivated a first wave of followers at social media by sharing her folk-pop takes on songs by Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift, as well as some select original material. Her fully formed artistic identity is complemented by her own personally curated style, which revives the boho-chic look for Generation Z.

In addition to Jonathan Quarmby, Maya has already collaborated with the likes of Benjamin Francis Leftwich (Holly Humberstone), Kaity Rae (The Shires) and Hayley Gene Penner (Lennon Stella, The Chicks). She signed a recording deal with The Orchard, a publishing deal with Stellar Songs, and is managed by Ferocious Talent.

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Author: Andrew Braithwaite

Andrew is the founder and Managing Director of Music Talkers. He's also a keen music enthusiast and plays the guitar.