London-based alt-pop singer-songwriter Maya Belot, aka Belot released her sophomore EP Harmless Fun earlier this month. It is her first project in two years since the 2020 debut EP ‘Electric Blue’. The EP comprises 5-track, produced by Maya Belot, Max Margolis, and James Yuill.
An “awkward pop” pioneer, so they say, is what BRIT school graduate Belot has become labelled. Her brash, upfront lyricism about the everyday existence of humans has earned her acclaim within the music world and sees her garnering fans across the globe.
We had a chat with the artist all about her sound and musical background, Harmless Fun and more. Read the Q&A below.
Hi Belot! How are you? What does a typical day look like for you at the moment?
“Hello! I’m really well! How are you, friend? A typical day for me is waking up at like 9, going to my local coffee shop and then going to a fabulous writing session. Usually finishing up at around 6pm and heading to the pub with my mates.”
Very well! Thank you for aking. For anyone that may be discovering you here for the first time, please tell us a bit about you and your sound, how you got into music and who you are influenced by.
“I’d say my sound is a mix of Prince funk and Billie Eilish dirty synths. Hopefully with a bit of Lizzo/The Strokes like vocal energy. Hopefully being the operative word. I started writing songs when I was 5 in the bath, it was a totally natural gravitation. By 12 years old I wanted to discover more sonically, so I got my first laptop and started producing. I have such a huge and broad influence pool, in the early years of my life it was the Beach Boys and the Beatles; right now it’s The Strokes, Dua Lipa and Noga Erez to name just a few.”
You recently released your new EP Harmless Fun. What can you tell us about the record? How does it compare with your previous releases and what do you hope fans/listeners take away from it?
“The record is a form of diary from my early 20’s. Songs about letting loose & having fun, learning to navigate adulthood and all the complications that come with it. I think it’s more vibrant than the other releases, it definitely feels like an honest reflection of the place I’m in in life right now. I suppose that’s the most any artist can hope for, that the sound feels authentic to them and what they are talking about. I hope that the listeners take away a little dance and a good laugh! I think there’s humour in brutal honesty, when it comes to lyric writing. I hope they listen to it and resonate with the subject matter.”
What was your creative process for Harmless Fun like? What did you enjoy most about it? Any challenges?
“I think the best part of writing this record was that I actually ended up living with my best friend and one of the co producers on the record Max Margolis. We would spend countless hours messing around in his attic room/ makeshift studio. We shared so many laughs, we’ve been collaborating since we were kids and we still act like silly little children playing with Lego in the studio.
“I think the only challenge we faced was making sure the songs weren’t too busy. I have a habit of getting really excited and hearing a whole bunch of melody’s and percussion and lathering it all on. However I believe the best songs curate their parts carefully. Everything has to be intentional, so I just had to make sure that at the end of creating, there was a vetting process for sounds. I’m happy with where we ended up!”
Finally, what else is next for you? Any shows coming up? More new music in the pipeline?
“Well definitely more shows, and more music is being whipped up as we speak. I don’t want to wait too long to release the next batch, I’m having too much fun.”
