Rough Draft: Maia Zakay
“Be careful of people's false promises until they're delivered”
Some musicians devise their art as a projection of their lived experiences, emotions, and inner dialogues. Whether the canvas is vinyl, or a digital space, those experiences live on forever, and are passed through the public memory as relatable, comforting, and mesmerizing glimpses into our psyche. This particular artist has a grasp on this, as it is the very reason she started making music. As a singer from Los Angeles by way of London, England, Maia Zakay discusses her rough draft beginnings in music and her need to release emotional tension with RDM Magazine.
Coming from London to the United States, Maia recounts early difficulties fitting in during school, being teased and picked on for her British accent while going to school, and over time finding a way to vent from her experiences.
“It just happened, one day I was like, I'm gonna find a beat on YouTube and just say how I'm feeling right now because I cannot take how I'm feeling any longer.”
With no knowledge on songwriting, she made a song that first charmed her father, who convinced her to get it professionally engineered. That encouragement went a long way.
“I wanted to show people that it’s okay to be vulnerable about these hard times in life, and that the more open we are about it with each other, the less isolated we will feel.”
Since then, Maia has put out several singles and a full-length LP called #SpeakUp, named because she wants her audience to relate to the subject matter and find their own personal peace in that. Maia added to the conversation, “I want to show people that it’s okay to be vulnerable about these hard times in life, and that the more open we are about it with each other, the less isolated we will feel.”
Family is something that is near and dear to Maia, as she wouldn’t be where she is without her father’s influence. Though her parents and elders are not connected to music, the encouragement of Maia’s family has definitely built musical skill. Maia's brother 20TAKEJAKE is a rapper with an EP and several singles on streaming as well.
When asked what message she would send to her younger self, she simply said, patience. The patience to hang on until greater things find you, and to never rush when going about her process. When dealing with other people in the industry, she highlights the importance of being cautious and cognizant about their intentions adding,“Be careful of people's false promises until they're delivered”
She speaks about being untrustworthy of other people in the music industry, where artists with altruistic intentions are constantly brushing up against business minds whose morals are to profit at all costs. Or even people who will take advantage of driven people’s limits, as Maia spoke about the abuse of power in the music industry as well.
“I'm not talking about paying with money because I'm a girl in the music industry and people expect me to pay with my freaking body… so I mean, and unfortunately I think you end up chasing passionately your career and working hard and then these guys (or girls) at the top just think that they can take advantage of what you're chasing …they see desperation, which is why I never show desperation anymore because they take advantage of things like, oh she wants this so bad that she'll do anything.”
Being a caring and emotionally vulnerable artist is manageable so long as you understand that not everyone has your best interests at heart, and to be slow to trust other industry voices until you know their intentions.
Maia’s energy is truly what sets her apart. From the upbeat grooves of “2 Nice” or “You Had 1 Job”, to the more soothing and slow energy of a “Kisses in the Rain”. There is a dynamic range that is hard not to get attached to when listening.
Learning about how her music affected her growing fanbase helped solidify Maia’s goals. “That was the turning point for me. After seeing how many people I was helping through my music, I really couldn’t see myself doing anything else in my life. My music was also helping me feel good, so it was a win-win situation, and nothing seemed better!”
Going so far as to compare the feeling of releasing a new song to leaving a therapy session, there is no doubt that Maia uses music as a way to heal herself, and a way to heal others. Maia elaborated,“I'm singing to anybody who feels like they just need some uplifting and motivating and they just want an empowering anthem that can fully say everything they're thinking, but don't know how to communicate to anyone or even to themselves or understand.”
That is the incentive which guided her to start her career, and it is what she carries as her star rises. Being a beacon of positive energy through dark currents of abuse and untrustworthy figures in the industry. A force to heal her fans and herself, despite all setbacks. You can never hold back those that are chosen.
“I’m singing to anybody who needs some uplifting motivation by listening to an empowering anthem that can fully say everything they are feeling and thinking…”