Blending the modern appeal of Kacey Musgraves and Taylor Swift with the timeless ‘70s bohemian vibes of Fleetwood Mac and Joni Mitchell, rising pop-country star Maya Lane today releases her second EP ‘Diary Of An Overthinker’. The singles that have preceded the set have continued to elevate her next wave status with repeated airplay from Mollie King at Radio 1’s Future Pop, as well as key playlist adds including New Music Daily and Today’s Country at Apple Music. 

Thank you for speaking with ReVamp, how did you get into music?

Thank you for speaking with me!! Music has always been my biggest passion. I was always the kid writing songs and putting on shows for my family and friends. At age four I was given a tennis racket and immediately flipped it round and tried to play it like a guitar. I started guitar and vocal lessons shortly after and haven’t stopped since! 

Growing up, did you always know you wanted to do music, and who inspired your journey? 

Yes, I can’t remember a time where it hasn’t been a part of my life or at the front of my mind! I grew up listening to a wide range of music from rock, pop to reggae. But the music that really stuck with me was the folk / country music of the 70s. I’m forever inspired by the timeless music of artists like Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac and Bob Dylan.  I also take a lot of inspiration from artists like Kacey Musgraves and HAIM and their ability to cross genres and create something that sounds classic but also contemporary. 

Your new EP ‘Diary of an Overthinker’, love the name, is coming out on 31st May, how are you gearing up for the release of the new EP? 

I’m really excited to be putting out this body of work. As hinted in the name, the EP dives into my inner world, with each song acting like a journal entry giving you a peek into my life, both the real and imagined. The EP touches on the themes of second-guessing, anxiety, escapism and relationships (whether that be with others or myself). 

I’ve just finished playing a run of shows on my ‘Living Room Tour’ (with fellow artist Edie Bens) and it was amazing to be able to play and tease these songs to the audience on tour. I’ve also spent a lot of time creating visuals/ journal entries and videos that bring to life the music, which I’ve started to share and am so excited to continue doing so. 

Country music is trendy now in society, when writing and recording an EP, how do you choose the songs you want to put on the EP?

Creating ’Diary Of An Overthinker’ was a really cathartic and special process, it allowed me to reflect on my past and heal my present. When choosing the songs and planning the EP it just felt like everything fell into place, from the name, the visuals, to the songs themselves, like it was meant to be. I’ve always been a fan of country and folk influenced music and never tried to change my music to follow trends. I try to focus more on what is authentic to me as an artist. I guess in a way things have just lined up at the right time for me. It is so nice to see so many more people getting into and discovering country music and I’m so happy I can be a part of that.

When recording/writing, what is the process, and how far into your past do you have to delve into, to make sure that it goes as smoothly as possible? Is it a kind of like therapy when writing the songs? 

I’m naturally a huge over-sharer so I definitely struggle more with trying to rein in it rather than putting it out haha. Luckily I find the process of writing and sharing my experiences or feelings through music comes fairly naturally to me. It’s extremely therapeutic and definitely helps, it  allows me to process and move forward from the past. 

A lot of people do overthink (especially me), what is 1 piece of advice you would give to someone, who overthinks and how relatable would this EP be to someone?

I think and hope this EP will be very relatable and resonate with my fellow Over thinkers (especially songs like ‘Bump Into Me’ and ‘Never Be Like Her’). I hope it makes people feel less alone in these thoughts and experiences. 

If I had to give one piece of advice it would be to remember to zoom out! 

This is something that really helps me, often we get so wrapped up in our inner world or focusing on the tiny details that you forget to look at the bigger picture. I also love the phrase ‘move a muscle, change a thought’, it sounds so simple but if I’m getting caught up and worried about something one of the most helpful things for me is movement, doing some form of exercise or I’ll head out on a walk (with no headphones or phone, it feels uncomfortable at first, especially, if you have an anxious mind but it is so beneficial) and I’ll try to really take in my surroundings and ground myself. 

What would you say is your favorite lyric from the whole of the EP? 

This is such a hard question. I find my favourite lyrics aren’t often my most profound but the ones that really resonate with how I’m feeling. I can’t pick one but my top 3 at the moment would be;

‘me and my ego are falling out’ 

‘looking for the fault lines, turns out they’re not all mine, I just feel them all ’ 

‘they say wait for the one, like I’m waiting for a life cure’ 
  
What is next for you in the world of music? 

Eeeek so many things!! Make sure you are keeping up to date with my social media (@mayalaneuk) to be the first to hear about everything. I’ve got lots of live shows coming (the next being on Alyssa Bonagura’s UK tour), I’m currently planning The Living Room Tour’ round 2, so if you want to host an acoustic show in your house or garden this summer please get in touch ! As well as soooo much new music, which I can’t wait for everyone to hear.

Diary of an Overthinker by Maya Lane is streaming online now.