Intimate ballads and pop-rock bangers. Maia Toakley and her band are on a roll. The release of her brooding pop track ‘Pessimist Babe’ follows a hugely impactful year of cutting her teeth in the Sydney/Eora live music scene and recently being selected to take part in the APRA AMCOS 23% Mentorship program with Jade Nazareth from One Louder. In 2023, she was one of SydneyMusic.net’s ‘Hardest Gigging Artists’ and she’s well on track again, we’re just over halfway through this year and Maia already has 20 shows under her belt. The singer-songwriter has played on lineups with Missy Higgins, opened for Sons Of The East, Kingswood, Adam Newling & Maple Glider, and most recently went on tour with Sydney’s king of alt-country Andy Golledge.
Today’s article will take more of a personal tone because I am so very lucky to interview an amazing woman, musician and creative that I got to know amongst the throes of hospitality (not an unfamiliar environment for emerging creatives) and have come to call a close friend…The Maia Toakley. To say I am anything less than a stan, fan girl, subscriber or absolute lover of anything Maia Toakley does would be an understatement and to say I haven’t cried to a few of her songs (Little things I’m looking at you) would be a lie. But anyway, enough of this love letter to the Missy Higgins of Marrickville and more about what makes Maia Toakley the beautifully tender yet assuringly powerful singer she is.
Maia’s undeniably powerful voice stands up to her iconic aural influences Angie McMahon, Julia Jacklin and Sharon Van Etten. Female musicians she consistently finds herself inspired by as the artists seem ‘as though they are genuinely not trying to be anyone but themselves, there is an honesty in their songwriting that punches you in the gut’. Maia brings her catalogue of songs back to earth by keeping the humanising elements of her raw vocals and letting her vulnerability shine through with the candidness of her lyrics. This tender quality of hers and her sense of conviction led her to land the APRA AMCOS 23% Mentorship program with Jade Nazareth from One Louder. In 2023 she was one of SydneyMusic.net’s ‘Hardest Gigging Artists’, opening for Sons Of The East, Kingswood, Adam Newling, Maple Glider, and in 2024 went on tour with Sydney’s king of alt-country Andy Golledge, as well as her own ‘Maia Toakley’ Tour.
Having thrown herself into the music industry by falling into a deep love with the Eora/Sydney music community, Maia cherishes the special bonds she had made with fellow local artists. The immediate connection, however, is often grounded in the ‘understand[ing] [of] what it’s like out there’. When applying for the APRA Mentorship program, Maia used the opportunity to call out the male bias in the music industry
"I mean we saw the completely male-dominated lineup of winners at the 2024 APRA Music Awards, which confirmed that clearly females and non-binary folks are not receiving the same opportunities as men in this industry! It’s also super powerful for women to be working together, which is something particularly unique about this mentorship."
Citing a lack of opportunities for females and non-binary folks as a root cause when asked what she hopes the industry recognises, Maia spoke about more dedicated opportunities and ways to uplift female and non-binary musicians in an unsustainable industry that often leaves artists with more fame than fortune. Maia said ‘I hope the industry recognises the extraordinary value of women who make music over 30. I am not there yet but I can already feel it looming, this ‘last shot’ feeling that I don’t think men feel anywhere near to the extent. There shouldn't be an expiry date of whose voices and experiences we can hear from.’
Teasing us with her first music post on Instagram back in 2020 with a cover of Julia Jacklin, Maia Toakley has since amassed over 4K monthly listeners on Spotify and has been gigging alongside the greats of Missy Higgins and Maple Glider. Having come out of an Architecture degree knowing she would do a complete 180 and turn to music, the last four years has been an amalgamation of teaching herself how to make demos, gigging at local RSLs, playing endless supports and releasing her debut EP ‘Reverie’. For the self-established independent artist, consistently returning to music was an active choice that wasn’t void of losing steam, self doubt and a few (mini) existential crises, nevertheless, music has remained a space of solace and joy. Maia says ‘I feel like singing gives me the same endorphins that exercise might give someone else… playing music is one of the ways I rest from other demands in life’.
Releasing her debut single ‘Little Things’ in February of 2022 and shortly after ‘Paralysed’, Maia played her first launch party at the Vanguard, Newtown, to a sold-out audience. A testament of her captivating nature and as Declan Byrne (former Triple J) phrased it, “~ born to tell stories ~ type voice that’ll connect in a big way.” Following up with a slot at Unwind In The Vines with one of her aural influences Missy Higgins. Her emerging success was cemented when she released her captivating debut EP ‘Reverie’ that holds her most defining song to date; ‘Eye To Eye’. The vulnerable yet striking lyrics always garnering a ‘sing-along’ response at live shows with that resounding feeling that Maia is singing about such an intimate universal experience that all of us, if not knowingly, have experienced.
When asked about her writing practices, she speaks of how it changes as she does but often involves a notebook that holds ‘a bank of lyrics’ that she collects like moments over time. The melodies, similarly, are often created in moments not intended for music and then held onto for years before they are used in the final song. For example, the writings for ‘Reverie’ began deep in her Architecture degree prior to Maia realising her goals of being an artist and entering the inner west music scene. The words in her throat long before she had reached the space to vocalise them.
As a musician, Maia immerses herself in both the process and the product of songwriting, using music as a form of catharsis and respite from the everyday. As a songwriter Maia feels ‘there is absolutely nothing more productive I can be doing than finishing a song; playing a fresh idea over and over again in the early days of writing before anyone else has heard them is the best feeling ever!’.
If you have had a chance to listen to Maia's music you can hear the all-embracing approach she takes in music making and how her full-bodied lyrics give listeners almost a prying ear into someone else’s diary.
As an independent artist navigating the Australian music scene, Maia holds complex yet, in her words, somewhat naive feelings toward the kinetic pulses of the industry as ‘no one is forcing me to be here but myself’. Maia says ‘Starting fresh in any scene or industry is daunting and takes hard work, however, the thing that terrifies me most are the prospects. I look at Australian artists 10 years ahead of me who are making jaw-droppingly good music and most of them still have ‘day jobs’ and their projects are completely propped up on grants’.
Maia’s awareness, as a singer-songwriter, of the unsung reality prompted her to launch the music podcast ‘How Do You Muse?’. HDYM opens the floor for creative discussions that don't shy away from the hidden contracts, handshake deals and taboo topics like money and the iconic line 'it’s who you know, not what you do'. HDYM is an invitation for insight on ‘the actual conversations us local musicians are having with each other after shows, in green rooms, at parties, and at rehearsals etc.’ Many artists at the genesis of their artistic careers ask themselves ‘Is it possible to release, record and tour music in a way that is emotionally, physically and financially sustainable?’. HDYM places heavy emphasis on the practicality of what it means to be a creative in today’s world as Maia began to ‘hear the most fascinating and eye-opening anecdotes about people's experiences trying to get their projects off the ground and I realised we were all wanting to know the same things… [the] reality [is] there is SO much that goes on behind the scenes [and] that is important and empowering to talk about’.
Fascinated by people’s diverse and intersectional experiences as emerging artists HDYM provides a platform for transparent conversations on the learnings from and for musicians in hopes that those emerging artists can be better equipped rather than stumbling through a fog of secrecy. HDYM Season 1 includes interviews with artists such as RAAVE TAPES, Hannah Brewer, Jet City Sports Club and Yawdoesitall, with a Season 2 already in the works. After collecting anecdotes from the strong artist-led community in the Inner West of Sydney, her piece of advice to emerging artists is ‘Get out there and play live shows. Reach out to artists you admire who are a few steps ahead of you and ask to support them!’
Following her own advice, Maia has taken learnings from the multitude of lineups she has featured on during her own evolving journey as a performer. Fine-tuning both her vocal performance skills and artistic expression as she has recently begun experimenting with the emotive embodiment of her lyrics, adding a level of grit to her stage presence that harnesses that raw and humanising energy she is so adored for. The addition of a sense character to ‘Maia Toakley’ a marker of growth from her first single launch at the Vanguard, and a realisation of observations from her aural influences; ‘My favourite parts about a Missy Higgins show are the back stories she tells inbetween her set, my favourite thing about a Sweetie gig is how much fun they have on stage, the banter between Caitlin Harnett & The Pony Boys is not to be missed - their music is why everyone is there but these other parts really do add a layer of unique connection with the audience. My growing confidence on stage is 100% owed to watching other local acts be their true selves on stage!!’.
From packed out headline shows, radio play on Triple J and FBi, to performing on lineups with her music idols; Missy Higgins, Maple Glider and Deadwitch, Maia has been building strong foundations to a long career in the Australian music scene. Having just released her latest single ‘Pessimist Babe’ on September 6th, Maia invites us into her ‘realist’ mind with her alluring lyrics accompanied for the first time by her loyal live band; Ned Olive on Bass, Jasmine Tan on Drums and Isaac Freeman on Guitar. Produced by Charles Tait (Cambio Sun) and mastered by Nick Franklin (The Buoys, Ocean Alley, Hockey Dad), ‘Pessimist Babe’ is a brooding pop song about how Maia is a 'keep expectations low to keep satisfaction levels high kind of person'. A feeling not unbeknownst to many of us as we find ourselves thinking ‘what a bloody pessimist I am!’, as we grapple with the general sense of apathy the world bears today. The lyrics of ‘Pessimist Babe’ divulge the everyday anxiety that dampens daily moments as we constantly wait for something ‘bad’ to happen, unable to enjoy the now. Maia says ‘I think pessimism stems from anxiety but nonetheless, it’s such a drain for those who surround you… The last thing I want to do is bring negative energy to the table so I am genuinely trying to switch my mentality.’ The lyricism and melodic pacing ‘starts off restrained but lets you breathe out with relief hoping that ‘it’s just a phase’’, listeners getting to fully embrace the arc of Maia’s emotional and mental scepticism. It’s the first single off a string of releases Maia has planned in the next 6 months and a taste of a new era, we got to chat with the Pessimist babe herself on everything this new single means for her.
1. Pick one line that sums up the message of Pessimist Babe.
“I only just got the hang of driving
Feels like I’m in charge of a weapon
Warming myself up for the day
When you say you’ve had enough”
Sorry that’s a whole verse!
2. Your lyrics are intimate in the way you seem to unfurl yourself to listeners in a powerful yet tender way. How does it feel to be so vulnerable in your lyricism?
It feels like the only way I know how. I know I would regret it if I looked back and realised I'd held back from expressing myself. I haven’t questioned the vulnerability, I think I’ve always just known that’s what songwriters do. I have been questioned about my lyrics at the dinner table before though and they're the moments when I want to sink into my chair.
3. Talk to us about the concept of the music video - especially all that bubble wrap!!
Anyone moving houses soon?!
As a pessimist I am often expecting the worst in situations, my mentality is that statistically something bad has to happen soon. What a drain, I know! In order for me to be prepared for these ‘bad’ outcomes I feel like I've wrapped myself in bubble wrap to protect myself in anticipation.
4. What do you see for the future of Maia Toakley? Are there any goals/ambitions you hope to achieve in the near future?
I hope to put out a full length album that I feel is 110% me… pinpointing the exact feelings, imagery and most importantly sound that I am chasing is something I am still working on. I want to be able to make music that I can listen to not just in the writing & mixing phase but once it’s out in the world too. And secondly, a big tangible goal for me is to one day play at the Enmore Theatre!! I have walked past that iconic venue almost every day for the last 4 years. I work on Enmore Rd, I have played in the bars that surround the theatre and you can even hear soundcheck in the afternoons from my partner's yard. The manifestation process is underway!
5. BRAT Summer is overrrr - what does a Pessimist Babe summer look like to you?
I’m always going to be a pessimist at heart but this summer is all about embracing things DESPITE being a pessimist. Send that cold email. Go for that early morning swim. Stay out until 4am even though it means you’ll be tired AF the next day at work. Ask that person on a date even though you only had a fleeting interaction but you knew it was all you needed to want to know more. Don’t be scared to tell anyone your deepest darkest dreams.
6. If you had a Pessimist Babe playlist, what would be on it?
Rowena Wise - We Are Nothing
Full Flower Moon Band - Baby
Fontaines D.C - In The Modern World
The Last Dinner Party - Nothing Matte
Move over brat summer it’s time for a Pessimist Babe summer!!
★ FOLLOW MAIA TOAKLEY ★
Instagram: @_maianotmaya @howdoyoumuse
Spotify: Maia Toakley
Youtube: @maiatoakley
Tiktok: @mizza_rox
Bandcamp: Maia Toakley
Pessimist Babe Single Launch will be going down at The Gallery Bar, Oxford Art Factory on October 3rd!
Credits:
Written and Interviewed by Joella Marcus (she/her)
Interviewee: Maia Toakley (she/her)
Photography: Thomas Freeman, Zoe Toakley, Hahna Trumble, Jack Hall, Zosia Franka and Magnolia Sparke