INTRODUCING: MAY-A
When MAY-A first put her music online on Triple J Unearthed, she was not expecting the response that she received. Her lyrics were as honest and real as possible, and people gravitated towards this authenticity. Now with an ever-growing solid fan base, MAY-A not only delivers creativity and intimacy through her songs but also through the visuals that accompany them. We had the pleasure of having MAY-A in our studio to discuss her writing, creative avenues, and where she found her effortless confidence despite being only 19.
Interview by DANIELLE FOX
Photographs by HAZE ALIEU
I, like many others, discovered your music on Triple J – the radio station at centre of Australia’s emerging music scene. When did you realise that your music was blowing up on Triple J Unearthed?
I honestly didn’t, it’s really hard to tell how you are doing in comparison to other artists in the music industry, let alone that specific platform. I kind of just left the songs up there for people to stumble across. I got some really sweet reviews on the tracks from some Triple J presenters that I liked, and after a while, they started to play my music. I’m not really sure if there was a specific moment where everything fell into place, but I have a support system of people helping me through.
PHOTOS ABOVE: MAY-A Wears Top, Dress, Headpiece, GAIL SORRONDA @gailsorronda | Shoes, CONVERSE @converse_anz | Rings, Artists own
Your lyrics are so open and personal, and like your fans, I found them extremely relatable to what I was going through at 18-19. Has it always been easy for you to share your honest thoughts and personal experiences when you’re writing music?
Writing has always been like breathing to me. Whether that be creative writing, songwriting, essay writing, or a diary entry, it’s something that I’ve always done and I’ve always loved. That doesn’t necessarily mean that all of it is good, it’s just something I know that I like and I think that’s why people can relate. Something I tell myself a lot is - don’t write something that you think people will want to hear, instead write about something you need to release but wouldn’t want to talk about. That’s where the honesty lies.
A lot of people found your song ‘Apricots’ so empowering because you seem so comfortable talking about queerness, and your own experience at coming to terms with your sexuality. Where does this confidence come from?
It’s not something I thought about. I went to a school that had a large amount of LGBTQ+ students, so being sexually fluid seemed normal and I guess that’s where that confidence came from. It didn’t feel like I was doing anything too dramatic, I was just writing about a person. I like who I like and I’m not going to let anyone tell me differently.
A lot of people found your song ‘Apricots’ so empowering because you seem so comfortable talking about queerness, and your own experience at coming to terms with your sexuality. Where does this confidence come from?
It’s not something I thought about. I went to a school that had a large amount of LGBTQ+ students, so being sexually fluid seemed normal and I guess that’s where that confidence came from. It didn’t feel like I was doing anything too dramatic, I was just writing about a person. I like who I like and I’m not going to let anyone tell me differently.
PHOTOS ABOVE: Top, Bottoms: BY MADELYN @bymadelyn, Shoes, CLARKS ORIGINALS AUSTRALIA @clarksoriginalsau, Bracelet, SPORTSGIRL @sportsgirl, Chest piece, Stylists own, Rings, Earrings, Artists own
I saw on your Instagram that you have a comic strip for each of your singles. What inspired you to do this? Did you draw all of them yourself?
I like recreating the same concepts in different forms so people can see where the ideas stemmed from and how the creativity behind the song feels to me. It’s an excuse to do more visual arts-based things and say it’s for the single honestly!
Your website not only features your music, but also your music videos that you were heavily involved in, and poetry that you’ve written. Is it important to you to create content in a multitude of different forms. Are there any other avenues that you may perhaps be interested in?
Yes. I like to create a different space for each song in every form I can think of because that’s how I see it. I would be frustrated if I was confined to one thing. I’m venturing more into film and have been working on a script for a while, so that’s the next avenue I’m working towards.
What would you be doing right now, if it wasn’t for your music career?
Something else creative. Maybe working behind the scenes for another musician, sometimes I think I might prefer that.
PHOTOS ABOVE: Dress, Headpiece, GAIL SORRONDA @gailsorronda, Rings, Artists own
What memorable responses have you had to your music?
Just messages from strangers that relate to me, or certain conversations with people at venues or on the street about memories they’ve created to my music.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve even been given, that you would pass on to aspiring creatives?
Comparison will kill you. You are in your own lane, doing your own thing, at your own pace. Everyone is different.
In the first half of the year you released the single 'Time I Love To Waste’, what are we going to see from you in the second half of the year? What's next for MAY-A?
In July I’ll be releasing an EP that will have all similar assets to the other singles, really creating a different world for each song while tying them all together. I’ve been working with a bunch of different creatives to help make all of these ideas come to life, and it’s been a really cool learning experience.
PHOTOS ABOVE: Top, KOOKAI @kookai_australia, Dress, MEL HOCKING @melhockingdesign, Shoes, CONVERSE @converse_anz , Earrings, SWAROVSKI @swarovski, Rings, Artists own
MAY-A - Swing Of Things [Official Music Video]
FOLLOW MAY-A
TEAM CREDITS
PHOTOGRAPHER — HAZE ALIEU @h86studios
VIDEOGRAPHER — MONTEL SALIFU @montelsalifu
FASHION STYLIST — DANIELLE FOX @_foxtale
MAKEUP — DYAN COPEMAN @dyancopeman_makeup
HAIR — JESSICA CASEY @jessicasambouhair
BTS - SAMUEL BAMFORD @skooes
STUDIOS ASSISTANT - TRINITY NELL @trinityjeannell
LOCATION - H86 STUDIOS @h86studios / SIX DEGREES STUDIOS @sixdegreestudios