INTERVIEW: Lisa Wright PHOTO: Abeiku Arthur
MAYA DELILAH
Ahead of the release of a deluxe edition of her debut record The Long Way Round, rising jazz-inspired musician Maya Delilah talks breakthroughs, social media and “advocating for more women playing guitar”...
How did The BRIT School prepare you for the industry? “Oh my God, it was the best two years of my life. It was like being in School Of Rock every day. You see so many people around you take off, and you get to see their whole journey and learn from it. Olivia Dean was in the year above me and Lola Young was in the year below.”
As you’re about to release the deluxe edition of your debut, how do you reflect on your own path so far? “It’s been a very long one! It’s kind of drilled into you that you need to be playlist-able, that you need a sound, a look and a selling point that all ties into one exact image for people to really get who you are. I do get that, but I think, at the start of someone’s career especially, it feels a bit mad. Debut albums are for experimenting. I still call myself ‘new’ even though I’ve been doing this for six years.”
Fontana was revived by Universal this year and you’re now working with the label in the UK. How is it being part of a roster that’s all about pushing niche genres into the mainstream? “Fontana are great. I’ve only ever been signed out of the US, so it’s my first time actually getting to work with people in my own country. At the moment, it feels like it’s about who you collaborate with. I never write music on my own and I think people are enjoying blending worlds more. For example, the support acts that Laufey is touring with are very much not jazz, but that’s really cool. The more people you know and work with, the more your audiences will cross over.”
How have you navigated social media as an artist? “It’s been a lot of trial and error. I was trying to do all the trends and that wasn’t working at all, and it’s just such a classic thing that you then do your authentic stuff and people like it. I think the hardest thing is actually getting people to realise that I make music – I’m not just a guitar player. I’m trying to meld those worlds and audiences. It’s fun playing a solo from one of my songs and seeing people be like, ‘What’s this?’ and then I get to say, ‘That’s my song!’”
What has your experience of the world of guitar been like? “It is still so male-dominated. I was a tomboy and I did see it as a boys’ instrument. I wonder if I was more of a ‘girly girl’, would I have picked it up? That’s a scary thought. People still assume that a female artist is just going to be a singer, and people will listen to my music and ask who I got to do the guitar solos and I’m like, ‘That was me!’ So I do really want to advocate for more women playing.”
Speaking more generally, how have you found life as a breaking artist this year? “I like seeing what playlists I fit into and talking to people on the radio. I also did [C4’s] Sunday Brunch recently and that was jokes. I played a show in Iceland and someone said they found me on that show, which is bizarre! Touring does break the bank though, so it’s really important to remind yourself that the ‘likes’ are people, and they will hopefully come to a show or buy records or merch to support you.”
KEY RELEASE: The Long Way Round (Deluxe Edition) (January 9) LABEL: Blue Note/Capitol/Fontana MANAGEMENT: SomeCreative INSTAGRAM: @mayadelilahh
musicweek.com
“The BRIT School was like being in School Of Rock every day – Olivia Dean was in the year above me and Lola Young was in the one below”
Maya Delilah Music Week | 19
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