Interview: Maisy Kay

LA-based artist Maisy Kay has had a love for music since before she could speak. Born and raised in the English countryside, she wrote a musical for her primary school at the age of 10. It was featured in the local paper and as a result, a recording studio offered to work with her. It was at this moment that she realized she could make a career out of music and started to take her craft more seriously. At 14, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue her passion and was put into artist development to figure out who she wanted to be as an artist, before thinking about signing a record deal. She was set up in writing and recording sessions and feels as though being in LA, surrounded by so much creativity and great writers, helped her to learn about the industry and afforded her opportunities she would not have received back home. She has worked with industry titans such as Timbaland, Tiesto, Billy Idol, Rodney “Darkchild” Jenkins, and Max Martin protégé Lukas “LULOU” Loules, with whom she has been writing new material that he has infused with an 80s dance vibe. A huge fantasy lover, she became obsessed with and learned the Na’vi language from the James Cameron movie Avatar upon seeing it in theaters, catching the attention of Avatar director James Cameron for singing in Na’vi on the viral hit “The Storm.” Maisy was asked to write an entire album for the film’s sequel – recording 12 songs in Na’vi and 12 in English with a 92-piece orchestra at Abbey Road. Maisy is a lover of video games and has been featured on soundtracks to acclaimed video games like Lorelai and has sung in Latin, French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese to relate to as many people from as many different backgrounds as possible. She has also contributed spellbinding vocals and sharply poetic Japanese lyrics to pop artist Anly’s #1 Spotify viral hit “Distance.” She also loves fashion and the way it ties in with the music as a means of expression, and was on the cover of Rollacoaster Magazine’s Spring/Summer Issue.

Most recently, Maisy released her latest EP Psycho. Released just ahead of Halloween, it draws upon her love of horror movies. “Psycho is my favorite release yet, as it truly gave me the opportunity to show off my creative side,” shares Maisy on the EP. “‘Psycho’ and ‘Widowmaker’ are two songs I wrote years ago about an ex-partner, and ‘None Of Your Business’ was written at the height of COVID 2020 on a zoom session! From iPhone-recorded vocals to wedding vows and murderous scenes, this EP is an eclectic and appropriately campy record for the Halloween season.” With a few more releases coming up, Maisy is very much looking forward to the transformation her career will undergo this upcoming year! Make sure to connect with Maisy Kay via the following links! Photo credit: Shervin Lainez.

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You recently released Psycho, a 3-song Halloween-inspired EP that draws on your love for horror movies. What can you tell me about the making of and the songs on the EP? Would you count any particular artists or Halloween-inspired songs/albums as inspiration? 

The “Psycho” and “Widowmaker” songs were actually written back in 2018. At the time, it wasn’t Halloween-inspired. It was just me venting about a particularly shitty ex. So, there weren’t necessarily any Halloween inspirations per se, but I DID come up with the initial concept of “Widowmaker” when I was riding Haunted Mansion at Disneyland, which I think is so funny. 

What do you love about Halloween and horror movies and what are some of your favorite horror movies? Do you have any fun Halloween traditions? What did you do for Halloween this year? 

I rarely get scared by them, but I love horror movies and Halloween mazes! With the fun costumes, the haze, and the flashing lights, I think it’s the holiday that leans into fantasy the most, which I’ve always loved. Every year, I do as many Halloween events as I can! This year it’s Universal, Knotts, Six Flags, Disney, the 17th Door, and Delusion! I’m going to need a big nap! Haha.

You were born in England and loved music from a very young age, having realized you could make a career in music after writing a musical for your primary school at the age of 10. What can you tell me about your childhood and coming to that realization? 

I’d always known I wanted to sing, but I wasn’t sure what that looked like for me. After I wrote the musical, it went in my local paper, which encouraged a recording studio to offer to work with me. That was when I started seriously writing my own music for myself. Those songs are very embarrassing and cheesy to listen back to now, but they played an integral part in helping me figure out my dream for my career, so I’m grateful for that. 

You grew up in the English countryside, immersed in nature, but moved to LA at the age of 14 for a record deal that didn’t end up working out. What was that transition like for you and what were those early days like for you in LA? How did you go about making connections and getting started with your music career once in LA? 

We ended up deciding to put me in artist development before accepting a major label deal, so I could figure out who and what I wanted to be without somebody else telling me. We worked with a few people who had worked at Geffen Records prior, and they started setting me up in writing and recording sessions. Career-wise, it was awesome and exciting, but being 14 in Beverly Hills with no friends definitely felt alienating. I played a LOT of video games that year. 

In what ways do you feel that living in LA has inspired and influenced you as an artist? Having done a few different collaborations over the years with other artists, what have you taken away from those experiences? 

Before LA, I’d only ever seen two live shows, so I think being here definitely helped me get a sense of what a live show could look like for me. I also watched how other artists managed their stage presence and captivated an audience. I also love that there are so many brilliant writers in the same area. I got exposure to so many opportunities I just never would have had back home. I also learned there are many different ways to write a record. There’s no “right” way. 

You signed a record deal last year with BMG! How did that opportunity come about and what can you tell me about “Mascara Tears”, your debut single with BMG, which was co-written with Billy Idol? 

We’d gone around pitching my new music to a lot of different labels, and BMG offered a very fair partnership where I would still get my master’s and creative say, which was so important to me. I was thrilled to come on board! Billy Idol is also on BMG’s roster, and luckily everyone was super gracious and lovely about having him credited as a co-writer, as his own record had inspired the chorus of “Mascara Tears.” 

You also released a music video for “Mascara Tears”, which you worked on with a team of mostly women! How did working with mostly women show you a different side to things? What was the concept/idea behind the video? 

I loved it. Every music video I’d worked on prior was mostly male-dominated, so it was awesome to see not just women directors, but women gaffers too! I’d written a concept based on my crying throughout different eras in history, sort of to represent an everlasting loss, and learning to make your peace with it and live life despite the grief. Everyone was so lovely, and it was a wonderful environment to work in. 

You are working on new music with BMG with producer Lukas “LuLou” Loules. What has it been like working and writing with him and having him infuse your songs with an 80s dance-pop vibe? 

Lukas is awesome. It’s an honor to work with him, and the amount of songs we’ve written together in such a short span of time is a testament to his talent. I LOVE the 80s vibe. Granted, I wasn’t alive for it, but I’ve always had an affinity for the music, the clothing, and the energy. I really love making music that feels nostalgic but also fresh. 

You collaborated last year with gaming music don The Fat Rat on “The Storm” and have had other songs featured in video games. What can you tell me about the gaming community and your love for it and having that as an outlet through which to release music?  

I have always been obsessed with video games, but I’d never thought I could be featured in them until a few years ago. I auditioned for a game series I adored. I had no voice-acting experience. I just saw a public casting call and decided to try and I booked it. That was Lorelai, something that not only boosted my song “Blood Filled Tears,” which went on to be the title track, but it’s a role people still come up to me and recognize me for (which is maybe the coolest feeling ever). Since then, I’ve basically built my career by reaching out to games I’m interested in and seeing if they’re in need of music, auditions for voice acting, or scouring the internet for possible opportunities. I call it the “being annoying” tactic. Haha. It’s how I built every voice acting and music gig that’s out there right now in the video game world. I just reached out! I’m now signed to a proper agency, so I’m excited to see where that takes me, but I’ll always be proud of how I got into the gaming world professionally, as it’s something I’ve always been super passionate about. 

You developed a great passion for the Na’vi language from the James Cameron movie Avatar! What drew you to the language, which you studied and learned as a child? What was it like for you to gain recognition from James Cameron himself and to be invited by him to the set of the sequel? 

I’m a huge fantasy lover, so when I saw Avatar in theaters it blew my mind. And that’s putting it lightly. To this day it remains my greatest obsession. I went to online forums, and self-taught myself the language. I would actually print out worksheets in Na’vi and fill them out after my regular English homework. I picked up archery. I would sit in trees and tell everyone I was “becoming one with nature.” I mean, it was INTENSE. One day we decided to write in Na’vi for fun, and it got to James. He was gracious enough to invite me to set and ask me to write more music for him. I never get star-struck, but that day I probably almost fainted 20 times! 

You’ve talked about how you are writing your own set of languages for an upcoming project. What can you tell me about the process of writing a language and about the project? What do you love about language and do you see it as a way to connect with people? 

I can say it’s unbelievably difficult. I’m writing four new languages (to start with.. eek!) for a fantasy novel series. It’s like the most complex mathematical equation I’ve ever seen in my life. I’ll spend hours poring over vowels and letters and grammar. I feel like a fish out of water, and I’m definitely going to consult some linguists when I’m done to make sure what I’ve done actually works. But I will say, there’s no more rewarding of a feeling than when I figure it out. I have a record where I sing in my own said fictional language. It took me 2 hours to figure it out and translate it from English, but when I got it, I felt like the coolest girl alive. I truly love singing in other languages. It just feels like such a different energy, and I love that it can bring people to my music that might have never understood it otherwise. I’ll never forget singing in Japanese for my song “Distance” in Japan. It was just incredible. 

In 2017, you made your film debut by composing and performing the title song for the Wonders Of The Sea 3D documentary. How did that opportunity arise?  What was that experience like for you, as well as getting to perform the song at the UN Headquarters in NY, and do you have plans or hopes to work more with making music for film in the future? 

The filmmakers had heard my music and had asked if I’d consider writing a song for them. They were very transparent about the fact that they were also considering other artists for the slot, so I took that to mean “time is of the essence.” Two hours after that meeting, I went home and I wrote the track “Heart Of The Ocean” in about 30 minutes. I called my engineer, we recorded it that same day, and sent it off mere hours after our meeting. They loved it and I booked the job. It was amazing talking to Arnold and being shot at the San Sebastián film festival. We’re both very passionate about nature conservation and the importance of the ocean, so it felt wonderful to be connected to supporting that cause. I’d love to make more music for film, and I hope it’s just a matter of time! 

You were recently on the cover of Rollacoaster Magazine’s Spring/Summer issue! How would you describe your style? Have you always had a love for fashion and do you plan or hope to do more work in fashion/photo shoots going forward? How do you see the connection between fashion and music? 

I would say my style is like my music in that it is diverse. Right now, I’m decked out in Halloween-themed gear for the season, but I really do vary from cottage-core spring dresses to leather jackets and trousers. I try not to put myself in a box, and I loved that we got to explore such a diverse range of fashion with Rollacoaster. I would definitely love to do more fashion work moving forward. Right now, I’m leaning into a bit more of a fantasy/elven look and I think the challenge of combining that with a modern fashion look would be really fun and unique! Fashion and music connect themselves in my opinion by letting you express yourself. There are no concrete rules to either, and it’s all about having fun and trying different things, and seeing what resonates with you. 

You recently released your latest single “Emotionally Unavailable”, inspired by experiences dating in the digital world. What can you tell me about the song, as well as the music video that highlights the contrast between the light and dark aspects of the song? 

I wrote “Emotionally Unavailable” in a hotel room in Florida after visiting a crocodile sanctuary, funnily enough. I guess I was inspired! I didn’t have any instruments, so I downloaded a piano app on my phone and recorded the melodies on my voice notes app. It came together super-fast, in like 20 minutes. I wanted the music video to represent what I tried to do with the production vs lyrics of the song. The production sounds upbeat and fun, but when you listen to the song, it’s actually quite a sad and bleak message. I thought that playing around with the fun vibrant colors of the sets vs a darker and more sinister storyline in the music video would greatly represent what I was doing musically with the contrast of light vs dark. 

What’s next for you? 

I have a few more releases coming out, both musically and visually. I’m very excited about how my career is going to transform this upcoming year. I think fans will be pleasantly surprised with where I’ve decided to take things!