Prodigious riser, London-based guitarist Maya Delilah is a star in the making.
Speaking to Clash from Los Angeles, the songwriter talks with enthusiasm about her career. Being a solo artist has not always been the focal point of her ambition. For a while the aim is to work as a session musician, but that changes when a friend asks if she can sing vocals. Falling into it by chance somewhat, the turning point is singing in front of the friend’s team and producer, things begin to change at this point.
She grew up in a musical household. “My parents didn’t play music, but they were music fanatics, we’d have music playing 24/7 in the house. I wanted to play and started learning the piano when I was about six or seven. I didn’t realise at the time that I was super-dyslexic, a part of my dyslexia means that I can’t read black writing on white paper.”
If it forced her to seek out different solutions in some areas, it does not seem to have hindered. Delilah’s attention-grabbing debut album ‘The Long Way Round’ depicts a crisp palette of guitar sound. An inspired selection of numbers, it’s an engrossing way to get immersed in her songwriting.
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She maintains the attachment to Blue Note, or the performances in some jazz circles, does not necessarily make her a jazz instrumentalist. It’s more nuanced than that. “I’ve never seen myself as a jazz musician first and foremost. I have elements of it. In a lovely way, when you can improvise on an instrument, you can get put in that category.”
“I often feel the imposter syndrome in that group, it’s such an incredible genre, people train for a long time to be jazz musicians. It’s more like classical music.”
“I love taking elements of it, I feel honoured to be part of the community. I’ve grown up. I was in a jazz band as a kid, that’s where I first learned to play solo.”
As a Brit School alumna she attributes much of her know-how to the education gained there. It’s a place she looks back on with fondness, a music institution that counts global talent like Adele, Amy Winehouse, Leona Lewis and more among its former students.
“It was some of the best years of my life. It’s super-inspiring, my year especially. I felt like everyone was supportive of each other and wanted to teach each other something. We wanted to write together.”
Some former classmates play with her now and are in her current band. “You meet so many people. It was great for me, because it takes some of the academic nature out of school. We didn’t do exams; we’d get graded based on gigs we’d put on. It sets you up well to be in music. You have industry lessons and learn how to sign a contract.”
Talking with joy about her time studying, it represents a time when life-long connections are made in a professional, yet friendly environment, while music skills are developed and nurtured.
Unsurprisingly, Delilah has her own heroes, artists she admires. An all-time favourite guitarist is Derek Trucks, she says he makes it sound like he is singing when he plays, there is an emotional quality to his style. Joe Bonamassa gets a mention, too. “There’s another guitar player that I was a fan of as a kid. He’s called Antonio Forcione, he plays beautiful world music on the guitar.”
Maya Delilah’s creative expedition has pace. The energy that fuels it could last her a long time, long enough to see her achieve some big things.
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‘The Long Way Round’ is out now.
Words: Susan Hansen
Photo Credit: Abeiku Arthur
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Next Wave #1132: Maya Delilah – clashmusic.com
