Following a string of irresistible singles, singer, songwriter and guitarist Maya Delilah unveils her dazzling sophomore EP ‘It’s Not Me, It’s You’

Maya Delilah

Following a string of irresistible singles, singer, songwriter and guitarist Maya Delilah today unveils her dazzling sophomore EP It’s Not Me, It’s You.

The EP charts the emotional journey following a breakup; each track reflecting a different stage of the healing process, resulting in a cohesive but diverse record where Maya’s expressive guitar lines weave compellingly throughout.

Creating the EP with her main co-writer and producer Stephen Barnes, along with Sacha Skarbek and Samm Henshaw, Maya’s inimitably soulful jazz-pop sparkles across five tracks, from the groovy defiance of ‘Need a Word with Cupid’, through the vulnerable candour of piano-led ‘Break My Heart Again’, to the enticingly bittersweet gospel of ‘Thank You’. The well-received June single ‘Breakup Season’, featuring the phenomenal Samm Henshaw, hears Maya’s airy vocals float above a dreamy blend of atmospheric, warm synths, a smoothly produced mellow soul beat and Maya’s signature guitar work to tell a characteristically playful story of self-empowerment and choosing happiness over anything.

Maya explains that the EP “takes you through the real-life journey of my breakup. It goes from heartbreak, to realisations, to empowerment. It has a song for pretty much any mood – whether you wanna listen and cry, dance or feel like a bad bitch. This EP means a lot to me as it is all completely honest and how I was feeling at the time of writing each song, and I hope it can speak to and help others who are going through a breakup too. Other than having written this project for cathartic reasons, I really hope that someone can relate to the songs, feel less alone and that they help people. The writing and production for the EP came so naturally. We knew exactly what we wanted to write about as it was simply how I was feeling that day. All the songs were written within one month of the breakup and fully produced throughout the year. It was the first time my producer (Stephen Barnes) and I found musicians to write with and also play on the tracks. We wrote two of the five songs (‘Breakup Season’ and ‘Thank You’) with Samm Henshaw which also felt like a very natural fit.”

Growing up in London, 21-year-old Maya Delilah’s rise over the past year has been stratospheric. Making the best of lockdown by using social media as a tool to connect with others through her music, she quickly became a viral sensation, garnering over 400k followers on TikTok and over 200k on Instagram. Turning her attention to releasing original music with debut single ‘Tangerine Dream’, Maya has over the past year amassed over 5 million plays on Spotify alone with a series of singles and her Oh Boy EP.

She has moreover ushered a classic soul, jazz and pop-influenced songwriting tradition into the digital age, introducing it to a whole new generation of Gen-Z followers. Drawing inspiration from artists like John Mayer, Daniel Caesar, D’Angelo and Vulfpeck, Maya has already won early key tastemaker support from the likes of NOTION, THE INDEPENDENT, NOCTIS, POPSUGAR, GIRLS ARE AWESOME and WORDPLAY.

Maya Delilah

Maya is equally garnering attention for her quirky fashion looks, quintessentially pairing skate wear with vintage dresses and gold jewellery or clogs with streetwear and huge chains. Designing her own clothes and painted shoes during the pandemic, Maya’s creative affinity for London jewellery brand Missoma saw them release their own video for Maya’s track ‘Safe’ last year.

As a fluent guitar expert and a Marshall Spotlight Artist, Maya began mastering the art of guitar playing at the age of 8 and unique guitar harmonies stand out within Maya’s music. Maya wants to show that girls can be extraordinary on guitar, combat the stereotype of it being ‘a male instrument’ and inspire women and young girls to take up instruments – a central element of her YouTube series, Table Time.

It’s Not Me, It’s You is a compelling showcase for Maya Delilah’s plethora of talents, and looks set to cement her place as one of the most gifted emerging talents of the moment.

Maya will also be performing tracks from the EP and more at her headline show at London’s Jazz Café on November 10th. Grab your tickets here.

Connect with Maya Delilah

Instagram | TikTok | Facebook | Twitter

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