A self-confessed ‘soul-pop’ creative, Maeve Kelley brings a breath of fresh air and an uplifting, positive outlook, all qualities that we could very much use at this moment in time. ‘Moonrocks at Midnight’ is the strongest evidence of that. Marking Kelley’s latest effort, the single embraces a charming and nostalgic disco-pop outlook, with Chic-esque guitars accenting a dance-inducing production that puts Maeve’s kaleidoscopic, malleable vocals at the forefront.
Based in Los Angeles and raised in Boston, the talented youngster can be considered a holistic artist, a fierce and determined maker with a clear vision of where she needs to be. Drenched in bubbly, lush, and precious imagery, the project is slowly blooming into a real gem, a retro-inspired effort with a great deal of contemporary appeal. ‘Moonrocks at Midnight’ is particularly refreshing in its lyricism: a grateful look at the (lost) art of loyal and long-lasting friendship.
Intrigued by Kelley, we caught up with the American songstress to find out more about her artistry and origin story… Interview below!
Hi Maeve, thanks for chatting with us! I have explored your digital presence a fair bit, trying to understand the Maeve Kelley ethos and philosophy, and it seems to me that you are sort of an all-around creative when it comes to music and visuals. Is that how you see yourself? Taking a wider look at your persona, is there anyone you strive to become? What values would you say are most important for you?
Hi, thank you so much for having me! It’s lovely to hear you got that impression. Yes, I’ve always felt called to express myself through many forms of art since I was very young. To put it simply: I love to make beautiful things. I treasure the creative process, so much of my purpose comes from bringing visions to life. From songs to cover art, from stage outfits to DIY crafts, theme parties, paintings, video creation, and so on. As a pop artist, I’m ecstatic to have this opportunity to combine my music with visual arts to build a universe that both looks and sounds like the inside of my mind.
For as long as I can recall, I’ve enjoyed retreating ‘into my own world.’ My aunt describes the little girl version of Maeve as having a “faerie spirit,” always flitting and floating around, playing out vivid storylines I was inventing by myself, content in the company of my imagination. On that note, when it comes to my ethos as an artist, I want to invite my listeners to step into a daydream. I’m deeply inspired by fantasy, glamour, theatrics, and all things celestial and otherworldly. Ultimately, I hope to be a champion for the whimsy, the magic, and the inner artist that exists in each of us and to reflect a beautified, reimagined reality.
Some of your declared musical influences include heavyweights the likes of Amy Winehouse, Lana Del Rey, and Etta James, among others. Did you have access to music and records growing up? Outside of jazz and soul, is there anything else that captured your attention?
Music was a huge part of my upbringing in basically every way! I remember my mom loved to play and sing along to the Spinners in the kitchen and on car rides. My dad has a collection of vintage vinyls, with both Sinatra’s Greatest Hits and Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong’s duet album being two records on heavy rotation. My first ever personal favorite songwriter was Sara Bareilles; the Little Voice album meant so much to me growing up. I was enchanted by the way she crafted lyrics so poetically. I even performed Love Song as a solo at one of my elementary school talent shows!
Let’s dig a little deeper into ‘Moonrocks at Midnight’, your latest effort. It’s quite a curious offering, with its nostalgic, vintage quality contrasting with a modern, uplifting pop flair that’s relatable and familiar. Are you satisfied with how the record turned out? Is this a good indication of the Maeve Kelley© sound?
Yes, I am happy with the way it turned out! My goal was to create something that FEELS like a party, yet delivers a message that encapsulates more than the fun of any one night. While producing Moonrocks at Midnight, I was very inspired by Motown and Disco. I really wanted this song to feel groovy and flowing, the way life does when you’re in a joyful rhythm of things.
I think Moonrocks is the perfect introduction to the musical world I’m currently creating, even though ironically—spoiler alert— Moonrocks will actually be the final track on my debut multi-song project. It’s the “happily ever after” song that ties the faerietale I’m concocting up in a bow. Although certain tracks I’m working on right now are definitely pretty different from this one sonically, I think once listeners hear everything in procession, they’ll understand how each song fits together in the Maeve Kelley universe. Overall, I think everything I write and record includes elements of soulfulness and vintage flair to some degree, which I see as a sort of connecting thread.
You are quite adamant in your press material about the single not being a breakup song. Instead, it celebrates friendship in its pure, unfiltered form. I agree with you that friendship is often underrated, as it allows one to essentially enjoy healthy companionship without a heavy emotional involvement. Are friends important to you?
Not only is it not a breakup song, it’s also not a romance song at all. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE love songs and absolutely think that there are many times and places for them. Still, there is so much more to a happy, fulfilled life than romantic connection alone. As a firm believer that songs can be spells, I feel that we need to be honouring these other joys of life more often in song form. What better way to amplify the blessings in our lives than to sing about them?
In a world where our increased digital existence is sadly leaving many folks feeling more isolated than ever, I think that prioritising and fostering in-person community amongst friends is so incredibly important. I’m personally very grateful for the friends in my life and how we uplift one another and create space for each other to express ourselves fully and breathe life into our wildest dreams.
From a creative standpoint, how does your songwriting process unfold? Do you like working alone or with collaborators?
I definitely like to write alone, especially when I’m first developing an idea! I think some of my best songwriting happens when I’m able to slip into a bit of a flow-state trance that the calm of solitude helps me reach. In terms of the actual process itself, my iPhone Notes App and Voice Memos are typically where the ideas take shape. Because I approach music from a singer-first perspective (as opposed to instrumentalist-first), I naturally tend to begin by writing a top line, usually a cappella, and then find myself working backwards to write chord progressions and instrumental arrangements underneath.
I am certainly impressed by you having self-produced ‘Moonrocks at Midnight’. Giving you total and specific control over your artistic output, it also adds another role to your never-ending list of creative hats…
Thank you! Home studio self-production is definitely new territory for me. In the past, I’ve always loved to be very hands-on as a co-producer, but I wasn’t the one actually operating the DAW or tracking my own vocals. So, I felt a little intimidated at first by the idea of it, but as I’ve allowed myself the grace to be a beginner and to experiment and learn as I go, I’m finding a lot of enjoyment in it!
In all honesty, there have definitely been times this year when I’ve wished a more experienced engineer were in the room to help with certain things, so I know I still have plenty of room to learn and further develop my skills. But at the same time, I’m really proud of how much I’ve grown as a producer from January to now. I’m loving the way that self-production is empowering me to work on demos regularly and granting me the freedom to spend as many hours with my songs as I’d like.
Also, for this track, I’d love to shout out my mix engineer, Jordan Ziff, who recorded the bass guitar and helped take my final demo to a new level with his mix, and my wonderful mastering engineer, Aiden Huber.
As an upcoming artist, it must be hard to navigate the music industry in Los Angeles, especially as a young woman. Is there anything specific you learnt by hustling in the entertainment industry? Anything worth sharing with our readers?
Frankly, a big thing I underestimated before seeing and experiencing it first-hand is the sheer costliness that’s often tied to recording and releasing (not to mention promoting) music as an independent artist with no label budget. But on the flip side of that reality, I think something I’ve come to understand and embody more recently is that: perfectionism is the enemy of progress.
You don’t need to record your songs in the highest-end studios; you don’t need the fanciest equipment; you don’t need to feel like every last detail is 100% perfect before it’s worth hearing, especially when you’re starting out. Of course, you want to do what you can to put your best foot forward, but if perfectionist standards are going to halt you altogether, it’s time to get scrappy and inventive and find ways to create and share your art with what you have. That’s actually been a big theme for me this year in my creative process. I think I’m approaching my artist journey through a new lens of what’s possible and taking things more into my own hands.
Taking a wider look at your music catalogue, you’ve been releasing quite sparsely, with pretty much a single per year except in 2021 and 2023… Is that a choice? Do you prefer sharing music freely whenever inspiration strikes? Or are you accumulating songs for future releases as a part of a big strategy?
I’m almost always actively songwriting, and have been consistently for the last decade or so, since I was a young teen! So I wouldn’t say sporadic inspiration or a lack of written songs is really a factor in my currently small published discography. But I think when I began releasing music, I didn’t quite have a strategy. Younger and definitely more naive about the industry, I was eager to get my first single out into the world without thinking through what kind of rate-of-release would be financially sustainable for me, especially before I was producing and before I had a home studio set-up. I was only thinking “one song at a time” for a while, which ended up actually stifling my momentum.
Ultimately, this resulted in me choosing to take the past year to regroup and to really dream up and flesh out my vision for a larger project. Now, I’m working on songs in relation to one another and conceptualising track lists in advance to craft an overarching story. So in that sense, I consider Moonrocks at Midnight to be the sparkly kickoff to a new era of Maeve Kelley. This time around, I actually have quite a few more tricks up my sleeve, and my listeners will be getting more from me SO much sooner than in the past.
What are the next steps for your project? Anything exciting on the horizon?
Starting in late January of this year, I decided it was time to embark on a self-production journey with intentionality. I set out on the mission of creating my six-track self-produced debut EP. Overall, I’d describe the project as a celebration of imagination and as a dreamy, whimsical overture to who I am as an artist. I don’t want to spoil too much just yet, but I’m planning to release two more tracks off the EP as singles first, with at least one more—a sultry track called Siren Song— before year’s end, paired with some fun visuals.
Although I’m not able to announce a specific release date yet for the project, I’ll say listeners can expect it in the early part of 2026! The motifs are vibrant, ethereal, glamorous, and extravagantly playful.
