Q&A: Maya Stone Embraces Change in Sophomore EP ‘Static’
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY NOA JAMIR ☆
Credit: Lucy Black
Change is bittersweet, and for perhaps the first time in her life, Coloradan singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Maya Stone is experiencing the sweeter parts of it.
From moving down south in pursuit of a music industry studies degree at Loyola University, New Orleans, to making the cross-country move to the Pacific Northwest, Maya Stone has experienced a whirlpool of change throughout the past few years. In her sophomore EP Static (independently released November 22, 2024), Stone sits with the poignant feelings that come with moving on—be it from a relationship, a place, or a moment in time. “This EP reflects on change feeling easy for the first time,” Stone shares. “Historically, change has been really hard for me, but my most recent life changes have felt so much easier and so right.”
This tender four-song project serves as both an ode and a farewell to a formative chapter in Stone’s life. With each song, she unveils deeper parts of her experience, leaving little room to hide between the lines. In track #2, “A Way Around It”, she sings what could be considered the mission statement of the record: How do I build an iteration of my rudimentary life? / Reinforce the structure that I cling to / Make it all new / And I’m finding that I like the way things could change.
If it’s true that the only way out is through, Static reminds us that once we’re out, we must keep moving forward so as to not get sucked back into the spaces we no longer fit. With a voice as warm and cozy as one’s favorite childhood blanket and lyrics that eloquently say the hard parts out loud, Maya Stone holds our hands as we embark on the journey of letting go, once and for all.
Credit: Lucy Black
LUNA: Static was one of my personal favorite projects of 2024; it was a gentle friend in times of need. What does this project mean to you? Has its meaning evolved over time?
STONE: Thank you so so much Noa. It means so much to me that you spent time with it. On a personal level, Static unintentionally represents my relationship with change and my exhausting propensity for nostalgia. I wrote two of the four songs in 2023 during my last few months living in New Orleans. It was a very volatile time for me. My entire life was capsizing—the city I lived in, the job I had, the relationship I was in, the people I was surrounded by—all shifting at once. Change was not something I had been known to handle gracefully; I was scared but for some reason, it all felt really easy at that time.
I wrote the second half of the EP in 2024—it was winter in Seattle so I spent way too much time inside and way too much time alone doing the type of reflecting one does after moving to a new place. “Borrowed” and “I Know You” were born out of that thick PNW fog that makes you feel like you could dissipate [laughs].
LUNA: So many people can probably relate to not handling change gracefully. It’s wonderful to hear that it feels lighter right now than it has in the past. Who or what were some of your biggest influences while making this record?
STONE: This has always been a really hard question for me to answer. Elliot Smith, Stina Nordenstam, and Helena Deland are my favorite artists of all time so they probably always influence me subconsciously. With these songs I really tried to keep things simple—the lyrics are very uncomplicated and literal.
Credit: Lucy Black
LUNA: Is there a particular memory from the recording process that sticks out?
Stone: Recording was so much fun. We [Wyatt Pinto, Aidan Ashland] recorded with our friend Johnny Sangster at Crackle Pop Studios (Seattle), it was so much fun. Playing a pump organ for the first time was definitely a highlight!
LUNA: Something that makes your writing so wonderful is its quality of being both intimate yet universal. I think many people will be able to connect to your music because of that. Is there a song or a particular lyric off the EP that you feel personally most connected to at this moment?
STONE: I feel very connected to the line “I felt sick on the flight home, a familiar yank on my chain I wrote it after the trip I took to Denver. For me, “home” is in a few different cities, and it’s always hard to leave one for the other.
LUNA: You somewhat recently made the move from New Orleans to Seattle—has living in Seattle made an impact on your writing and music taste in any way?
STONE: One of my favorite things about Seattle is its seasonality; every few months the feeling of the city changes in such a tangible way. It’s very inspiring. There are also just such amazing artists here of all disciplines. It’s a pretty special place.
LUNA: That’s so wonderful. Lastly, are there any particular Seattle-based artists you’ve been inspired by recently that you’d like to share with readers?
STONE: Ugh, yes! Spiral XP, Will Roesner, Laamb, N3ster, C0mpany, Alex Vile, and Mia Day.
