Known for her emotionally mature storytelling and signature blend of pop, country and folk, Maya Lane draws inspiration from legends like Fleetwood Mac, Kacey Musgraves and Joni Mitchell. Her recent singles, ‘Beyond Alaska’ and today’s release, ‘Never Be Enough’, marks the first release from her upcoming EP, set to arrive in September. This follows the success of her second EP, Diary Of An Overthinker, which has already amassed over 1.2 million streams and landed her tracks on major editorial playlists across Spotify and Apple Music.Â
Having toured with Far From Saints and performed at The Great Escape, she continues to cement her place as one to watch. She sat down with us to talk all about her inspirations, song-writing process, and what’s coming up for her in 2025.
“I love chatting, so it’s great,” Maya Lane says – it’s the exact words you want to hear at the start of an interview. An artist whose style draws influence from the likes of Fleetwood Mac, Kacey Musgraves, HAIM and Joni Mitchell, it’s no surprise that Lane is a natural storyteller.
“I grew up listening to lots of types of music. My dad has a really wide music taste and he’d play a different CD in the car every road trip when we were going to singing lessons. It forced us to listen to different things. As a kid I was always like ‘no!’ and wanted to listen to Taylor Swift or Avril Lavigne. But as I got older, I realised how crucial it was to the music I make now,” she reminisces.
“I draw a lot of influence from Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac, those iconic 70s folk-country artists. I love modern country music, like Kacey Musgraves, and pop music too – I grew up listening to Taylor Swift, which obviously was country then very pop – and the main thing for me is that I love great storytelling. If a song has good storytelling, I’m there for it. I try and take inspiration from everywhere and anywhere.”
From all of her influences, Joni Mitchell is her favourite comparison: “Sometimes people say I sound a bit like her and that’s the ultimate compliment! I’ve been obsessed with her since I was 7 so to be told I’m even somewhat like her is a big deal to me.”Â
Recent single ‘Beyond Alaska’ details the ups and downs of pursuing a career in the music industry and how much of a rollercoaster it can be. “I wanted it to still feel uplifting and light-hearted,” she muses. “I love what I do and I feel so lucky that I get to do the thing I love every single day. But it’s also really hard. The song expresses that indescribable desire to keep doing something you love, even though you have no idea how it’s going to work out. When you love something there doesn’t seem like the option to stop doing it.”
The single follows her 2024 EP, Diary of an Overthinker, which resonated with fans due to its honest, heartfelt depictions of themes like relationships and girlhood. “The first EP I released, I was so young – I didn’t have much life experience. It felt very much like an old version of me. But Diary of an Overthinker was written in a short time frame and I was really going through it as I wrote it. It was a way of processing the things I’d been through. I had a strong concept and theme: describing my life and how it had been until that point,” she explains.
“People talk about being an overthinker but you don’t have to have anxiety to experience the feeling of it. I think more people are being open about it and talking about it and maybe that’s what resonated so much about it. With songs like ‘Just a Girl’, I still get a lot of messages about it. It’s about me being single and never being in a relationship,” she says. “So, when I put it out, I didn’t expect many people to relate to it. But it really touched on that experience of girlhood, and all the things that come with it – the beauty, the chaos… everything that encapsulates being a girl, or a woman, to me… and I guess a lot of people, based on how the song resonated.”
The reaction to the track ’24F’, which is about the experience of being bullied, was similar: “It’s about being able to look back at things in hindsight and realise it wasn’t all my fault and things turn out okay. I think we all go through these huge ups and downs in life so hearing other people are going through those things as well, in an age where everything can feel so perfect and curated on social media and in day-to-day life. I think that’s been special for me and for the people listening.”
The title of the EP alludes to music being like a diary for Lane, but not every part of this came naturally to her from the start. “It’s been a journey. I started out writing music as a way of processing and getting my thoughts out. I’m lucky I find writing comes naturally to me, but there was a point where putting things out and having people hear it was quite intimidating. But I’m an over-sharer – if I make a new friend in a coffee shop, they know my life story in 5 minutes. That’s always been my personality: I love sharing. So, putting out music is the best form for me. It can be scary at times, but it’s comforting as well.”
Collaborating with song-writers and producers helped Lane along this process: “Co-writing has been such an important part of learning and growing as an artist,” she says. “It helps me figure out different ways to write. It broadens your knowledge and toolbox. I love co-writing. I think I’ve found a group of people I work really well with – they feel like an extension to my brain. When I’m writing a personal song, or one that is hard to get through, when you have someone there who has a similar experience, or can just push you along in a positive way and help guide you through that, it’s really helpful.
“This also helps you to know which parts are too personal in a song – maybe it’s not the right place to namedrop someone! Figuring that out with other people is nice. It’s freeing. When I write with other people, I feel like because I’m bouncing off them, I can access a different part of me that I wouldn’t have thought of.”
A highlight of Lane’s touring experience was accompanying Far From Saints on the road: “I went into it thinking nobody would know me – to be fair, 90% had no idea. But a lot of them have joined along for the journey, which I’m so grateful for. There were a couple of nights where people in the front row were singing along. I didn’t expect it at all! They weren’t my shows. Being able to see that was a crazy moment. It hits you that your music is part of other people’s lives as well as your own.”
Lane has also embarked on the Living Room Tour alongside fellow independent artist Edie Bens, playing shows in fans homes to bring music to people and places where it isn’t as accessible. “They can request songs, so often each night we are playing different songs. That’s been a great way to pick up on which songs people are loving, and which type of people are resonating with them,” she explains.
“I expect people with sisters, or mothers and daughters, to relate to ‘When You Need Me’, as it is about my sister, but it really touches me when the dads come up to me and say they think about their children or their wife when they hear that song. Typically people might think my music is only received by girls or younger women, so it’s nice to hear that everyone can find something to relate to.”
Another huge aspect of Lane’s artistry is fashion and aesthetics: “The way you present yourself is a huge part of my identity,” she says. “I’ve always loved fashion. When I was younger, I’d make fashion magazines and hand them out to teachers at school. Looking back, I think ‘why did I do that!’ But I’ve always loved it. My mum is hugely into vintage clothes so we would go to the markets and to the vintage fairs. I have an active imagination so as a kid I thought ghosts would come out of the dresses,” she laughs.
Lane is hugely inspired by the 70s in terms of music, but the fashion as well. “It ties in to make who I am. I never wear something that doesn’t feel comfortable for me. I’m not going to follow a trend if I don’t like it. What makes me feel confident, but also what can I express myself in, what’s fun? Some days I’ll be in a long 70s prairie dress – impractical on the London tubes, but it makes me feel great! Like I’m frolicking around a field. Other days, it might be cowboy boots, jeans and a T-shirt,” she says.
“I love incorporating fashion as part of my campaigns and music videos, picking outfits for things like that is so fun. Thinking about the venue I’m at, and if I can match the vibe. Working that out is a fun and creative part of the process. I love it – get to wear what I want to work, in a non-judgemental space. Every artist has their own identity and it’s celebrated, rather than everyone having to wear the same thing. We all go through trying to fit in when we are young, but being able to find what makes you feel confident and excited is really fun.”
The title Lane’s upcoming EP, which will feature the track ‘Beyond Alaska’, and today’s release, ‘Never Be Enough’ is yet to be revealed, but she is already planning out the aesthetics of this era. “I’ve been inspired by the contrast between light and dark. The different sides of ourselves, the different parts of life, the rollercoaster moments we go through. I’ve tapped into it throughout the campaign and the visuals. In terms of sound, it’s super inspired by the 70s, and the mix of country, pop and folk that I’ve always loved and done. It’s nice to hear and feel like it’s getting it’s moment right now and it’s reaching a lot more people – people who perhaps wouldn’t have listened to country music before. I love the genre crossing,” she says.
“I’m very colour based – each song has a colour scheme. I can’t wait to reveal it all. I keep going to say the EP name, but I can’t announce it yet!” she laughs. “But this EP goes more into the darkness and the hard moments than my previous releases. Maybe even more raw, I want to say. There’s also different types of songs – a few more love songs, or relationship songs, which my last EP didn’t have. Sonically, it’s bigger sounding – more full band, more production elements going on, while keeping to my acoustic, natural roots. I’m really excited to share how we merged those two together.”
Maya Lane’s new single, ‘Never Be Enough’, is out now. Listen here.
