Long Island, NY indie-pop band, MAYVE, first dazzled us early last year with their debut EP, Animals. Fresh off the hype of the first beast, the band returns with their next effort, Motion, out today! It only gets better from here. We asked the band to share some insight into Motion in this exclusive track-by-track commentary and the result is something you’ll be buzzing about long after your first listen. Enjoy as you take the EP for a spin below!
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“You”
We knew this song was going to be the opener as soon as we wrote it. From the two note arpeggiator in the very beginning, “You” really sets the stage for the rest of the EP. We begin with a love song. The lyrics were inspired by a real life experience. I was trying to work up the courage to express some deep-seated emotions and insecurities to a former lover, but instead it became a song. Opening up to people has never been one of my strong suits. I feel like I always miss the time to say the right thing— “Try to get my words out right but I just never know what to say.” “Motion” isn’t technically a concept album, but if it was, “You” would be the driving narrative force.
“45d (Enter)”
This song appears twice on the EP. Once forward and once reversed. It stands for the 45th dimension and its a place we go to sometimes.
“1924”
To put it simply, this song is a Frankenstein of a musical arrangement. Floating somewhere amongst the endless space of the digital universe are about seven different renderings of this song. It originally started off as a more laid back, Phil Collins-y type song, we then added a super heavy thumping synth, more reminiscent of LCD Soundsystem. I guess we eventually took elements from each version and jumbled them together and that’s the “1924” you hear on Motion now. Lyrically it comes from a state of mind of sleep paralysis. I was depressed at the time and there were some nights I was unable to get more than a couple hours of sleep, so I wrote this song to help me cope. Musically it was an experiment. We threw Matt’s bass parts through weird effect pedals and I went into the vocal booth and started screaming absurdities. I think at one point in the bridge I even yelled out “Mike Piazza.” It might still be hidden in there somewhere. This song is mental exhaustion.
“Cruel Intentions”
Our guitar player Mike actually laid out the skeleton for “Cruel Intentions,” which, at the time, was called “Spend an Hour.” He came over one day and showed Joe and myself his demo and we instantly loved it, even though there weren’t any lyrics for it yet. We added a few guitar lines and a couple of synth parts, but the foundation stayed consistent. We finished the song, including the lyrics, in a couple of hours. It’s a simple, to the point love song that makes me want to dance on my bed.
“Young Blood”
This song is really an Animals b-side. Looking back, I don’t think this song would’ve made much sense on that EP. MAYVE needed to mature and develop a darker style before releasing a song like this. “Young Blood” has quite a cynical undertone to it. Personally, there is someone close to me right now who I feel has lost their way and this song is me reaching out to them. I wanted them to know that we all go through things and I’m here for them. Although, I do sing, “do I belong?” Maybe I’m really writing this for myself?
“45d (Exit)”
Now leaving the 45th Dimension.
“A Motion”
If you took all the songs on Motion and put them neatly into a wrapped boxed, “A Motion” would be the decorative bow that ties it all together. Earlier, I mentioned that “You” was the narrative force driving the EP, “A Motion” is the climax. I don’t even know where to begin with this song. I was emotionally vulnerable, lonely, and reflective when writing it. This song also went through some stylistic changes. I was out of sorts and wanted to write the most heartbreaking song that I was capable of. Originally this EP was going to be called “You,” and it wasn’t until we were laying down the tracks in the studio that Kyle came up with the idea of titling the EP Motion. We all ran with it, which I think gave everything the darker tone we were longing for. It even inspired part of the EP art— “Television running static, white noise to put me to sleep.” For me, everything feels like a motion, with one event leading into the next. You start to see how decisions and actions play into one another, good and bad; it’s all quite amazing. Creating this EP with a group of guys I wouldn’t trade for the world is an experience I will never forget. Each of us has our own perspective on these songs, but we all agree that “A Motion” weaves them together beautifully.
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