Email:neill@outloudculture.com
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LA-based singer, songwriter MAYA IXTA, is set to debut her emotive new single “Say You’re Mine,” on July 11th, 2024. A professionally trained musician Maya completed the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music (NYU’s Tisch School of Arts) “Music Industry Essentials” certificate and was accepted to the Grammy Museum Songwriting Intensive program, where she honed her skills amongst the industry’s best. She’s gone on to perform at some of the most iconic venues, including The Grammy Museum, Radio City Music Hall, and the House of Blues — just to name a few. As an artist herself, she’s a passionate supporter of arts education programs and founded her non-profit HeARTS of Maya, which awards educational scholarships to talented youth. Currently, she’s working on her upcoming EP, written from diary entries over the years, which is due out this fall.
Her new single, “Say You’re Mine,” starts with a slow-burning, vocal-forward melody inspired by artists like Billie Eilish. Even with her subtle inspirations woven into the track, she is in a world of her own. The song starts quietly and timidly, but as the message of standing in your power and breaking out of society’s mold begins to build, so does the instrumentation around it. Produced alongside veteran artist, Joleen Bell, the track builds to pulsating drums, languid bass, and a prominent refrain of “But you never call me back / so don’t call me up one day and say you’re mine.” The perfect ending to a story about letting go of what’s expected and, instead, living for yourself.
Maya welcome to OLC! So tell us how you got started in the music industry and who was your biggest inspiration behind your wanting to be a singer?
Thank you for having me! I started singing and performing when I was 8 years old at a music school just for fun. I then started training in other areas of the arts such as dance and acting, and got representation for acting in LA. Throughout my career as an actress, I was always writing songs and singing. During COVID, I really got into songwriting and started recording demos. Now, I’m really excited to release all the music I’ve written!
Can you share the inspiration and story behind your new single “Say You’re Mine”?
The funny thing is that this song is about an experience a friend of mine had with a relationship. I was often on Facetime with her and she vented about all of her guy problems. Although I was happy I wasn’t dealing with all that drama, I wanted to write a song about everything I would’ve told this guy that was being rude to my friend.
How did your experiences at the Clive Davis Institute and the Grammy Museum Songwriting Intensive shape your music and songwriting approach? I could only imagine it would have been an amazing experience.
When I took the year-long course through a collaboration with Billboard and The Clive Davis Institute, I learned so much more about the music industry and artistry. I’m so happy I got the opportunity to take that course because I was able to do a deep dive into the many aspects of the industry. At the Grammy Museum, I focused on songwriting. It was a special experience because everyone in the program was a very accomplished and incredible artist. I was able to collaborate with them and we learned so much from each other about the process.
Your new single has been compared to artists like Billie Eilish. How do you balance your own unique style with these inspirations?
I’m so flattered to be compared to Billie because she’s already such an icon at her young age! I take little pieces as inspiration. I look at the writing style of a song, or the beat, or the delivery and admire it. I think that’s what makes music so special because I believe every piece of art is inherently inspired by another piece of art. I don’t try to be like other artists because in the end, everyone is their own person with their unique style. I hope to bring that across in my music.
What was it like working with Joleen Bell on this track, and how did her influence shape the final production of “Say You’re Mine”?
I wrote the song and made a demo in my bedroom and then showed it to Joleen. From there, we started crafting more structure and getting scratch vocals. We then worked on cutting the vocals and fully producing the whole song. Her input was so valuable because she was able to find special qualities in my voice for every take we listened to. I was very involved, I was present to comp all vocals and heard all the versions of the song before sending it to get mastered. It was an amazing experience, and I’m so thankful to Joleen for helping me bring this song to life!
You’ve performed at some iconic venues like The Grammy Museum and Radio City Music Hall. Can you share a memorable experience from one of these performances?
When I was 11 years old I performed a Christmas Special at Radio City Music Hall. I was in complete awe to be on one of the most recognized stages in the world! It was an experience I will never forget. The Grammy Museum experience was life changing for me as well. I never thought I would be performing at the Grammy Museum as an artist. It was amazing because I performed my original songs on a stage where so many iconic artists have performed! Being in that space was special because it felt like the room held memories from the past.
Your upcoming EP is based on diary entries from over the years. How do you translate such personal experiences into music that resonates with a wider audience? And is it daunting being that vulnerable in your music?
I’m planning to release my E.P., “Diary Entries” this Fall. It’s a collection of songs that I’ve either written in my diary or have been inspired by pages in my diary. It’s really special because all of the songs have a connection to each other, so the E.P. is a summary of the diary of a teenager going through changes in life. Even though we all experience life in different ways, I think we all share common themes. I really didn’t find the process daunting because I’m being honest and true to myself and my emotions. I hope others can relate to the songs and know that we are all going through things together.
Can you tell us more about your non-profit, HeARTS of Maya, and why arts education is so important to you?
I started HeARTs of Maya with the intention of helping youth who are passionate about the arts just like me. I have been able to get training from amazing teachers and coaches throughout my career, but I know not everyone has the financial resources to pay for this training. There are aspiring artists with amazing talent that don’t have the means to pay for training, classes, etc., and I believe they deserve to have those opportunities just like I do. Most importantly, everyone should be able to have a creative platform and outlet, but that’s unfortunately not a reality for some people right now. However, I hope my organization can change that one artist at a time:)
What do you hope listeners take away from “Say You’re Mine” and your music in general?
I hope this is a song people can just rock out to and serve as a stress reliever whenever they are upset at someone or are feeling frustrated! It’s brutally honest but really fun and playful at the same time.
Socials
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mayaixtadelgado/
Website: https://mayadelgado.com
Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mayaixtadelgado?
Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/artist/5MFUfJ0RCNgxWQaiTnYSCS?si=NKy-sPZ2Sh6MEhcqQD025g
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/maya-ixta/1725422473
HeARTs Of Maya: https://heartsofmaya.org
