Maisy Kay: Riding the Waves of Melody and Style from ‘Sunlight’ to ‘Wonderlust’
Check out our interview with British singer and songwriter Maisy Kay. Fresh off the exhilarating “What Tour Feels Like” summer tour with JVKE, Maisy has captured hearts and charts with her single “Sunlight,” released on Valentine’s Day 2024, which quickly made its way onto major global editorial playlists on Spotify and Apple Music. As of today, “In Your Car” has generated over 174K Spotify streams. Maisy Kay’s biggest record to date is “The Storm” with 31.7M Spotify streams and over 316M cumulative views on YouTube.
As Maisy prepares to release her eagerly awaited EP, Wonderlust: The Dawn, on May 13, 2024, she continues to develop her unique sound, drawing inspiration from her collaborations with luminaries in the industry like Timbaland and Tiësto as well as her dual-cultural upbringing in the UK and LA.
Follow Maisy @maisykay
Hi Maisy, please tell us a little about yourself:
Hi! Thanks for having me. I’m Maisy Kay, a singer and songwriter from England. Outside of music and art, I adore animals, Studio Ghibli, and horror movies. I’m also irrationally terrified of wasps.
Describe your sound in three words.
Whimsical, ethereal, heartfelt
Who influenced you, and why did you choose to make music?
I’ve been singing as long as I can remember, and I just always knew it was what I wanted to do. However, one of my first influences was Freddie Mercury. I adored how flamboyantly himself he was on and off stage and how he made an almost 6-minute song go onto radio, which at the time defied all industry standards.
Do you play any instruments?
I play piano and a bit of guitar.
Do you ever get nervous?
All the time! I struggle a lot with anxiety and imposter syndrome, so I end up nervous, at least to some extent, before most things I do!
Tell us about your new single, “In Your Car.”
I wrote In Your Car about a new relationship, and I wanted to try to capture the explosive joy of a perfect new love while also expressing the underlying anxiety and fear that things won’t always be so perfect.
Can you walk us through your creative process for this single? How did the idea come to life?
For most of the songs on this EP, I would just sit at my piano and mess around with melodies and chords until something felt right. I finished writing this song in October of last year, and it came very naturally. I wrote the song very fast!
How do you usually start working on a new song? Do you begin with lyrics, melodies, or a concept?
It honestly fully depends on what I’m feeling. Inspiration for me can be very sporadic and very out of the blue, so I often jot down lyric ideas or chord progressions I like, or I’ll sing a random melody. I will say the Voice Notes and Notes apps are my best friends.
Now tell us about your EP Wonderlust: The Dawn?
I am incredibly proud of this EP. It is a collection of the truest pieces I’ve written, and as someone who notoriously writes sad songs, these are my first and only released love songs. I am so excited to show my fans a different side to me.
What advice would you give to your younger self, and why?
To stop trying to be perfect and instead enjoy the moment. Enjoy the art, not the success or lack of it.
What’s next for Maisy Kay in 2024?
I can say that Wonderlust: The Dawn is far from the last piece of music I’ll be releasing this year. So, definitely stay tuned for that.
What is your favorite healthy food?
I absolutely adore heirloom tomatoes with some mozzarella cheese and some basil. I also love passion fruits and would eat them daily if I could.
And your favorite cheat food?
Definitely a katsu curry. It’s so comforting!
How would you explain your fashion style?
Right now, I’m definitely trying to make myself look as much like a forest fairy as possible. I’m wearing lots of butterflies, mushrooms, moons, and suns; I love anything themed like that.
What is your own definition of happiness?
I used to think it was a success, but now I think it’s about finding peace—whatever that ends up looking like.
What would be your dream holiday, and who would you go with?
I would love to go to Bora Bora with the love of my life.
Where do you see yourself and your career in 5 years?
I hope to be happy, and I hope my career will continue to grow so that I can continue to connect with people through art!
What is your favorite song to belt out in the car or for karaoke?
I shamelessly sing all Disney songs for karaoke. Lately, I’ve been a big fan of Part Of Your World.
What do you think of social media?
I have a complicated relationship with it. In many ways, I think it’s a wonderful way to stay connected to loved ones, but I struggle with the ties to how it dominates the music industry currently; it definitely presents a set of challenges for me.
Where can we follow you?
@maisykay on everything!
Book: My book of the year is currently The House on the Cerulean sea. It’s so cozy and heartwarming.
Quote: “to love and to be loved is to rest.”
Movie: I can’t pick just one, but I love all of Studio Ghibli’s movies.
Tv Series: I’m obsessed with The Fall Of The House of Usher this year.
Favorite Food: Cheese or jalapeños. Maybe both.
Travel Destination: Kauai is probably my favorite place I’ve been; I love anything with nature.