Rising Stars: WAX ON WATER
Maya Damaris from Wax on Water answers GRTR! Q&A…
Wax on Water -The Sting in the Raw – YouTube
1. Your new EP ‘The Drip -Part 1′ is out now – what has the reception
been so far ? What inspired your ‘Drip Drip Drip’ release strategy?
The reception seems to be really good, people are reacting well to my style of music – I think rock music has been side-lined for too long and there now seems to be a new wave – and new interest – in the genre, which is great. For the release strategy, I wanted to drop the album in 3 stages, each part of the album works as a collection of songs in themselves but once the full album is out, it becomes a complete journey. The ‘drip, drip, drip’ idea
came from the title track (which will be released with the full album in May 2022) – it reflects the lyrics, and it also gives people a chance to discover the album bit by bit, which I felt was a fresh way to do things, rather than just drop a 16-track album.
2. Tell us the idea behind the video for the Eps focus track ‘The Sting In the Raw’ ?
For the video for ‘The Sting in the Raw’ I wanted to work with the directors Richard and Asher Burridge to create a moody vibe that had a colour story of red/black/sepia tones that also enhanced the sound of the track. The main guitar riff in the song is high energy and the video reflects that. I also worked with a talented graphic artist called David Swan and he created some cool imagery to tell the story of the song – which is essentially the breakdown of a relationship. I’m happy with how it’s turned out and it seems to be resonating well with fans on YouTube so far!
3. You’ve spoken out about dealing with depression before and your path to recovery, it’s been a very difficult time, with the globe in the grips of a pandemic, how have you coped personally?
It has been so difficult for everyone – and me included. At times it has been a case of one foot in front of the other to get through this mentally, but writing music is always my comfort and my main love so that has really saved me through the last 2 years. The biggest challenge for me was the loss of seeing people that are my support network – not being able to see friends or play together with my band was really hard – and not being able to go to gigs or art exhibitions.and then you combine that with relentless fear-driven news stories and there was a real sense that nothing was ever going to get better again. It has reiterated to me the importance of kindness – both to yourself and also to others, even when things seem dire.
4. As a classically trained pianist, what made you take the alternative
music route instead?
I always loved alternative and rock music, but it was a case of turning my classical training into a viable writing skill set for the kind of songs that I always felt I could deliver, both musically and lyrically. I knew that I wanted to write music that wasn’t afraid of exploring complex emotions and having a classical background actually was a help in terms of the arrangement – it gives a different view point to the songs and heightens or darkens them around my guitar driven melodies. I feel Wax on Water is a confluence of both classical and alternative rock and I like the juxtaposition of gutsy guitars and synths together with classical string or woodwind arrangements.
5. Please tell us a bit about the new album, due for release in May 2022, sound, lyrical themes etc
The songs on The Drip reflect this pandemic period acutely – there is an overall sense on the album of a yearning for life and love and an end to isolation. But in the first part of the album on The DRIP 1 EP coming out this November, the lyrical themes are focused around loss and fighting to stay afloat – particularly around the loss of relationships (The Sting in
the Raw, Seventh Son).
The opening track is ‘Don’t Bore Us’ which is a fuck you to all the bullies out there who waste our time with their negative haranguing.
Then the new single The Sting in the Raw is a description of that moment when you realise that the relationship you hoped would grow into something lasting, has started to crumble into dust. It’s lonelier being in a room with someone and there being unspoken tension then it is to actually be alone. I always say that ‘hope is a cruel mistress!’ She is so beguiling when in play and so crushingly disappointing when she is misplaced.
6. Can we expect any Wax on Water live shows between now and next Spring,
and how do you feel about returning to the stage?
I am very excited about touring and can’t wait to put this album into a live show setting! I’m a very visual person and I love working on that aspect. I’m in talks about booking a tour and I really hope that we can get out on the road by May 2022 – but we’ll have to see where things are pandemic-wise in January 2022.
7. Aside from your new single, can you inspire us by recommending anything
you are currently reading / watching or listening to?
I’ve been listening to a lot of Death From Above 1979 this week. I love that band – they are cool as fuck! My current reading is a philosophy book – ‘Meditations and Other Metaphysical Writings’ by Descartes. It’s a lot more interesting than the title suggests (laughing) – It’s about how you relate to yourself and define your world and what influences that – it’s fascinating. With regard to watching, I’ve only just got into Succession, which is really great – every character is loathsome but so watchable! I recommend it highly.
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