MAYVE is an alternative pop band from Long Island, New York. Despite forming in the mid-2010s, they draw influence from the late-1970s and early-1980s just as much as they do from musical peers who interpret that same language.
The 2016 release of their EP ‘Animals’ contained songs of a youthful nature which introduced the band to a newly captivated audience and landed multiple spots on MTV reality shows (The Real World and Are You The One?). They reinvented themselves in 2017 with their EP ‘Motion’ and released the single “Neon” last year.
The band wants their voice, their sound, their influence on whoever is listening to live in the divide of light and dark, speaking real emotions and confusing times on top of an otherwise uplifting soundtrack.
Their new single “Head High” was just released on March 15th.
Listen to “Head High” here: https://open.spotify.com/album/7m3IiHEsen9Lu3mZusPs3j
Q: What is the story behind your new single “Head High”?
A: A summertime discotheque, you’re lost in the night, ready to stumble out into the city. You’ve found yourself lost in a story of betrayal. Struggling for identity, the chaos becomes your best friend. In an altered state of mind, the lines are blurred between reality and illusion. Your head is high on love and lust. The difference no longer matters, only what’s in front of you.
Q: Do you have any favorite lyrics from “Head High”? What are they, and why?
A: “I’m in the new wave, hanging by a thread from a rope”, the line is a call back to our song “West Coast”. It’s kind of fun to bridge gaps between earlier songs and new perspectives. We’re very much a band that wants to keep growing and we enjoy peering back at our past selves.
Q: How did you decide on the artwork for the single?
A: As mentioned earlier, Head High follows a theme of reality vs. illusion. On one side of the photo you see an image in focus, while on the other side, you get the same image out of focus. In both cases, you’re reaching for the light. Red light tends to be flattering, removing visible imperfections. Also, a nod to the term “red light district”, the cover silently presents the disappearing lines between love and lust when the flaws in both are ignored.
Q: How does “Head High” compare and contrast to your previous releases?
A: Perhaps in the past, we felt we were keeping to a certain set of rules. This time there were definitely no rules to how we were approaching things both lyrically and sonically. We’re always looking to experiment in hopes we stumble upon a strong identity we can carry with us into the future. I think we definitely approached the beginning of an interesting growth process with this one.
Q: Your sound is influenced by the 70s and 80s. What artists and bands from those decades influence you the most? What current artists and bands also influence you?
A: Past: Chic, Talking Heads, Depeche Mode, Duran Duran. Present: Toro y Moi, Jungle, Parcels, Blood Orange.
Q: How do you combine your influences to create a sound that is your own?
A: We all live very separate lives from one another. We carry a very different set of personal experiences and way of translating our thoughts and emotions. That being said, we’re very close and our dynamic always works when we enter the same room. We work well together because we understand our commonalities and differences equally. Aside from the intangible, each of us is able to pick up a few different instruments. When we get together to write, we eliminate our traditional roles in the band and remove all confines. We usually just pick up whatever instrument is closet to us and start making noise until someone follows along. Once we get going, it’s really just about having a good time.
Q: Do you guys have any shows coming up that you can share with me?
A: None confirmed at the moment. Lots of behind the scenes work right now. We’re currently working on some music videos and the release of our next 2 singles.
Q: How would you describe your live show?
A: We bring a lot of energy with us on stage and hope the combination of our sonic aesthetic and physical aesthetic creates a different experience for those watching.
Q: What do you hope listeners gain from your music, even if they only hear you play once at a show?
A: Music is commanding of feeling, rather than suggestive. The best feeling is walking down the street with your headphones feeling like you’re living in a music video to the song you’re listening to. We want to capture and give that to our listeners. Full on immersion, a soundtrack to your life, even for a brief moment.
Q: Is there anything else going on with MAYVE that you can share with me at this time?
A: We’ll be releasing a cool little video for our song “Neon”, which is currently on all platforms. Aside from that, you’ll see a few more releases from us as we head towards summer.
