Forgiving…or Forgetting? - Maya Lakhani
Independent artists work harder than most creatives. They are their own champions, often writing, recording and producing their work. They are social media managers, videographers, booking agents, PR agents, radio pluggers, stagehands and more. So it’s extra special when an artist you follow begins to be recognised for just how good they really are. This has happened with Maya Lakhani’s new single ‘Torn In Two’.
Since we wrote about the music of Maya Lakhani a year ago, this artist has gone from strength to strength. She put a band together with guitarist Sally-Anne Hickman, bass players Sabrina Amade and Saray kōhī and Kieran Dickson on drums to play her first gigs as a solo artist. Maya’s debut single ‘The Line’ was included on the CD compilation ‘Brits & Pieces III’, which charted in the UK Top 40. Lakhani later released an acoustic version of the single, with proceeds going to Macmillan Cancer Support.
‘Walk Alone’, Maya’s second single, was used as the soundtrack to ‘War On Women Vol. I: The Walk Home’ by Christina Tomlin and Juan Cruz. The short film depicts the steps women regularly take when walking home alone at night-time, with concluding statistics. Like the film, the song was inspired by the abduction and murder of Sarah Everard by a serving Metropolitan Police Officer.
Since then, Maya Lakhani has received multiple plays on BBC Introducing, as well as Radio X, with ‘Torn In Two’ getting airtime on BBC Radio 1 and playlisted on Spotify’s Fresh Finds. Maya has also received coverage from Rolling Stone and interviews with British national newspaper Eastern Eye. So it’s a pleasure to say we’ve interviewed Maya Lakhani a second time to celebrate her fourth single.
Straight in with drums and guitar, Maya wastes no time with introductions and cuts right to the lyric, ‘I flick the lighter, I steal your storm, but I forgive, oh I forgive.’ The words in this song deal with feeling conflicted about a person or situation, torn between forgiving or forgetting.
Lakhani maintains the heavy sound laid down in her previous singles with near-relentless distorted guitar layers, reinforced with thick bass guitar. Topping this off is Maya Lakhani’s voice, softer in the verses and soaring in the choruses with added grit, but always precise. Maya follows her vocal melody in the chorus with a guitar layer an octave higher, all superbly mixed by the Grammy award-winning Adrian Bushby who gives this track a fat, pommelling sound.
Session musician Zamm Kenoby, who has performed drums for all of Lakhani’s singles, returns to lay down a blistering track for ‘Torn In Two’. The instrumental break particularly demonstrates what a perfect fit he is for Maya’s songwriting and production, battering the drums as she scales up the fretboard to the third verse. He also helps bring the song to a rousing close as Lakhani thrashes out, frustrated with her indecision, ‘I am torn in two when I forgive, I am torn in two, will I forget?’
Seeing this artist excel over the past year has been a total joy to watch. It’s a marker of growing respect for D.I.Y. artists in the wider music community, showing that it is possible to achieve recognition from the confines of a bedroom studio. With more plans in motion for 2023, we’re excited to see where the music of Maya Lakhani takes her next.
In the meantime, continue reading for our Q&A with Maya where we ask about the experience of releasing ‘Torn In Two’. We also discuss her inclusion in the ‘War On Women Vol. I’ soundtrack, plus the possibility of more acoustic music and new songs. All this and more below!
1. You're back with your new single 'Torn In Two', and it's another banger! How long have you been sitting on this song for? Was this another one you wrote during the pandemic?
Thank you! This one has been on my hard drive for a while! I wrote & produced the bulk of it in the summer of 2021. I wasn’t going to release it, but something kept pulling me back to it. I ended up finishing it a couple of months ago. So glad I listened to my gut and put it out into the world!
2. You've continued self-producing your work with this new single, are there lessons you've learnt since producing 'The Line' that you've applied to this track?
I think I’ve learnt to follow my gut more! If I write something and it instantly feels and sounds good to me, keep pushing on with it! It can be easy to get in your head about things and second guess yourself, but I’m trying my best not to do that anymore. My only focus now is to create music that I love.
3. The coverage for 'Torn In Two' has been superb, what have the last couple of weeks been like? Do you feel people are sitting up and really paying attention now?
It’s been really incredible! When I release new music, I try my best to have zero expectations of what will happen with it. Releasing music is the big achievement for me, and the fact that any one else listens is a massive bonus! All the coverage has been mind blowing really! It serves as a good reminder to me that I have something special and to keep working on it. It does very much feel like I’m on the edge of something here, so just have to keep working hard to make it happen!
Maya Lakhani’s first solo gig at The Cavendish Arms, 20th August 2022, with guitarist Sally-Anne Hickman, bassist Sabrina Amade and Kieran Dickson on drums. Image Credit: Guy Joben Hurst.
4. Your music has received airplay on BBC Introducing shows, with that whole sector of the BBC under threat, what would it mean for an artist at your level if BBC Introducing was to disappear?
Melita Dennett from BBC Introducing South has been such a champion of my music from day 1, and has played all my releases. I remember hearing my debut song “The Line” being played on her show in 2020 when we were in lockdown, and I cried actual tears of joy. The amount of confidence it gave me was immense. This is what it does for artists, gives them confidence & a platform. Through BBC Introducing I’ve had airplay on a regional level and at a national level with Radio 1 and Asian Network. It opens up the game for every UK based artist to be heard. It’s so important to hear voices from different backgrounds, styles and levels. I would be so devastated if it was to disappear, I genuinely believe it’s the best thing about the BBC.
5. You played your first live dates last year! What was the reaction to your music and your band?
I loved playing live in 2022! As all my music is created by me in my bedroom, I had never heard the songs live before! I put together a wonderful band, who are all so talented and hard working. They really helped me bring the songs to life on stage as I had always envisaged and I got to perform them as I had always wanted. I had some really wonderful reactions to my live shows, and got to meet people that had been supporting my music, which was so awesome!
6. Are there more gigs to come in 2023?
Definitely! I want to play lots of shows in 2023, bring it on!!
7. Last year you released an acoustic version of your debut single 'The Line', with proceeds going to Macmillan Cancer Support. What inspired you to support this charity?
I was actually asked to do this by one of my lovely supporters Kimberly. She was approaching different artists to record acoustic renditions as part of an online radio weekender in aid of Macmillan Cancer Care. I was honoured to be asked, and really enjoyed the opportunity to create an acoustic version of “The Line”. I thought it would be a nice idea to upload it to my Bandcamp page after the weekend, for people to purchase with the proceeds going to the charity.
8. Is there a possibility of hearing more acoustic takes of your music?
Yes absolutely! I had so much fun doing an acoustic version of “The Line” and really liked how it turned out too! I reckon “Torn In Two” would work well as an acoustic number, I’ll get working on it!
9. Your second single 'Walk Alone' was featured in the short film by Christina Tomlin & Juan Cruz, 'War On Women Vol. I: The Walk Home'. How did it feel to be approached to contribute that song? How did you react when you saw the film?
When Juan & Christina sent me the film, I was blown away. I felt like it effectively captured the issue of women’s safety in such a hard-hitting, original and moving way. I’d never seen a film tackle the issue in such a unique way before. It was such an honour to have my music on this incredible film. I was very moved. My song “Walk Alone” is about wanting to walk alone without fear, so it felt like a perfect match.
10. There's definitely some momentum with your music now, can we expect an EP at some point? Maybe something bigger?
Yes! One of my goals for this year is to write & release my very first EP! It would be so great to create a body of work like that, and I would really like to release it on vinyl too! I’m definitely going to make it happen this year, watch this space…!
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The music of Maya Lakhani, including her latest single ‘Torn In Two’ is available to download and stream on Bandcamp.
For more information about Maya Lakhani including upcoming live gigs, visit her official website.
Follow Maya Lakhani on Facebook @mayalakhanimusic, and on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok @mayalakhani_.
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