Artist Interview: Maisie Jean
At just eighteen years old, singer-songwriter and producer Maisie Jean is making waves in the music scene with her powerful and personal debut album, Fluorescent Girl. Blending raw, introspective lyricism with anthemic electronic beats, Maisie has carved out a distinct and captivating sound. We spoke with the rising artist about the stories behind her songs, the challenges and rewards of independent production, and what the future holds.
Tori: You're from Sheffield. How has the city's unique energy and music scene influenced your sound?
Maisie: The live music scene in Sheffield has been my most valuable influence. I’ve never experienced such a vibrant community of talented and friendly people. Despite the recent loss of the Leadmill, Sheffield has so many amazing venues, each with their own spirit. Fagan’s is a favorite of mine. The first time I went there it felt like my spiritual home, and some of my best nights ever have been spent in that back room, in sessions where the musicians all join in together and create a really beautiful, spontaneous, and collaborative experience.
Tori: You're known for turning "intimate and scathing confessional tunes into anthemic electronic tracks." Can you walk us through your songwriting process and how you achieve that balance?
Maisie: I’m always in songwriting mode, so it would be hard to outline a specific process. I feel that lyricism is like my first language, as figurative language and poetry comes more naturally to me than conversation. My songs all begin differently: sometimes lines arrive to me fully written, saying exactly what I want to say—but that’s the best-case scenario. Other times, I treat it more like an exercise and I’ll task myself with working a specific word or phrase into a lyric. The production process is one of my favorite things, as working with synths in Logic Pro really speaks to the problem-solving part of my brain. Again, I tend not to have a strict process; instead, I’ll just keep working on a song until I’m happy with it.
Tori: Your debut album is titled "Fluorescent Girl." What's the story behind that name and what does it represent for you?
Maisie: The title of the album comes from the line in "Boots": “A girl like that’s fluorescent, you can tell that she’s in love.” That was a line that snuck up on me, and I became a bit enamored with the concept of a fluorescent girl. To me, it represents one of those girls you can’t look away from. She enters a room and heads turn. I think it’s easy to dehumanize women, though, which I’ve tried to illustrate with songs like "Uphill" and "You’ve got his eyes," which show us the inner workings of this enigmatic fluorescent girl.
Tori: The album is said to tell the story of your teenage years. Was it a cathartic experience to put those memories and feelings into your music?
Maisie: It was such a rewarding experience to have the album and be able to say, “I’ve made this.” Certain songs date back to when I was as young as fifteen, so it was certainly a cathartic experience, especially being able to hold my CDs in my hand and to be able to say I made it through the turbulent challenges of teenage girlhood. Performing it has been my favorite experience so far. Performing is my happy place.
Tori: You're only eighteen. Do you feel your youth gives you a different perspective or a unique voice in the music industry?
Maisie: Oddly enough, I don’t think so. Last year, when I was first starting out in the open mic scene, I was told, “You’re too young to be so bitter!” and I think that really captures my perspective. I’m an old soul, and consequently I tend to be a lot more understood by people a lot older than I am. People are surprised when they find out my age, which I think must mean that it isn’t obvious listening to my music that I’m so young.
Tori: You produce your own music completely independently. What are the biggest challenges and rewards of having that much creative control?
Maisie: The biggest reward is having so much freedom. Everything can sound exactly the way I want it to and I’m not held to any deadlines or restrictions. The biggest challenge that comes with doing everything independently is figuring out how to manage my workload. I always have loads of projects on the go at once; for example, right now I’m working on recording an alternate version of Fluorescent Girl, which includes recording and promoting the singles, producing and mastering all the tracks, and making sure everything is picture perfect by the time I’ve sent it to the distributor. I’ve also started the process of producing my next few singles. Being this busy is really fulfilling, but it’s also a big challenge.
Tori: Fluorescent Girl is a debut album. How did you approach creating a cohesive body of work for your first major release?
Maisie: Once I’d chosen the theme I wanted to write about, it came quite easily. I think that’s the benefit of always being in songwriting mode, because it gave me a pretty giant body of work to choose from. Because it was my debut album, I was definitely tempted to put my best foot forward, so choosing the theme of this tragically beautiful party girl kept a consistent feeling despite not every song having exactly the same vibe.
Tori: Can you talk about the emotional range of the album and what inspired the different moods?
Maisie: The emotional range is definitely very broad. There’s a huge contrast between songs like "Apples" and songs like "You’ve Got His Eyes," but I was careful to position them appropriately in the tracklist so that it wouldn’t feel too jarring. It was important to me that the songs all detailed believable experiences in the life of a growing teenage girl, which just so happens to include rapid mood swings.
Tori: Tracks like "Apples" and "Boots" are highlighted. Can you give us some insight into the stories or feelings that inspired those specific songs?
Maisie: "Apples" is about the kind of nights out where you leave while the sun is up and you’re not home again until it’s light the next morning. It’s about wasted potential and putting all your effort into forcing yourself to enjoy these “rite of passage” experiences. One night in particular when the police were called for a noise complaint at a party comes to mind. The final line, “I’m gonna make it one of these days,” is a nod to the potential for what could happen if this potential were invested elsewhere.
"Boots," despite sounding vibrant and joyous, is actually steeped in jealousy and frustration. It’s about the kind of girl who can wrap a crowd around her finger without even trying. This song wasn’t written about any experience in particular, but I think some part of me was writing about the type of girl I wanted to be.
Tori: Your lyricism is described as having a "witty and satirical edge." Is humor an important tool for you in your songwriting?
Maisie: I really enjoy using humor in my lyricism, as it breaks up a lot of the heavy storytelling and quite serious topics within my writing. I tend not to use explicit jokes that you can recognize from a mile off, but I like to include light-hearted references simply because they make me smile. It’s the best feeling in the world when the audience catches a joke and laughs.
Tori: You've been compared to artists like Death Grips and Charli XCX. How do you feel about those comparisons, and who are some of your own musical influences?
Maisie: The Death Grips comparison in particular is one I really love. Their music was really significant throughout my secondary school years, with its really angry, anarchic spirit. I found Charli XCX through Brat and fell completely in love, so her discography has soundtracked my life since turning eighteen. Apart from those two, I tend to split my references into two categories, one being the sound and the other being the content. I’ve been called “female Morrissey” before, which I think is quite fitting. I love any artists who write similar melancholic, melodramatic lyrics to me: The Smiths, Luvcat, Mitski, and Joy Division are some of my greatest inspirations.
Tori: Your music is a blend of different genres. What do you think is the unifying thread that ties all your different sounds together?
Maisie: Music fascinates me to no end. There’s no genre I won’t listen to, which I think has shaped my sound.
Tori: You've already made a big impact with your debut. What are your goals for the future, both as an artist and as a performer?
Maisie: I’m really excited to share my upcoming project, Fluorescent Girl: Alternate Versions, on September 13th. After that, I hope to bring out a single on my nineteenth birthday in November.
Tori: How has your experience performing live been, and how do you translate the energy of your electronic tracks to the stage?
Maisie: Performing is my happy place. I was apprehensive to bring my electronic tracks to the stage because I wasn’t sure how they’d translate in a live setting, or whether I’d be able to perform without having my guitar to hide behind. It turns out that apprehension had been in vain, though, because performing without my guitar has since become my favorite thing to do! I feel so much more connected with the audience when I don’t have to worry about getting my chords right.
Tori: What do you hope listeners take away from your music, particularly from Fluorescent Girl?
Maisie: My motivation behind my music has always been the hope of it resonating with people. Writing music is the most important part of my life because I feel like it’s the only time I express myself honestly. If somebody listens to Fluorescent Girl and feels like it communicates an experience they’ve had, a feeling they’ve encountered, or a person they’ve known, I’ve achieved everything I set out to do.
Tori: Your writing is said to be inspired by Sheffield's nightlife. Are there any particular stories that didn't make it onto the album that you might revisit later?
Maisie: There are plenty! For example, I have a song in the works about a mysterious older guy I met on a night out at Corporation. It’s inspired by my favorite book, The Bloody Chamber. Think dark romance, Brandon Cronenburg’s Antiviral, and "Matador" by Luvcat—all of those toxic, obsessive themes.
Tori: You're a singer-songwriter and a producer. Do you have a preference for one role over the other, or do you see them as equally important parts of your artistic identity?
Maisie: I think they’re all integral to my artistic identity, and I hope I will be singing, writing, and producing until I drop dead. Singing holds a special place in my heart, though; I’ve always found that whatever I struggle to say, I sing. Even songs I haven’t written manage to speak to my soul in a very intimate way.
Tori: For other young, independent artists, what advice would you give them based on your journey so far?
Maisie: Don’t wait until you're ready, because you’ll be waiting for the rest of your life. All of my best opportunities have come completely unexpectedly. Serendipity can happen at a moment’s notice.
Tori: Your music is very personal. How do you balance being vulnerable in your lyrics with maintaining a sense of privacy?
Maisie: I don’t really seek privacy anymore. The vulnerability of personal songwriting used to intimidate me very much, so I used to construct these intricate, elaborate narratives and write my songs from the perspective of a character within one of these narratives. This was really effective for a while, and it gave me songs like "Uphill" and "Another Girl," as well as upcoming singles like "Some Children." However, as I grew as a person and as a songwriter, I found that this process really started to limit me. I’ve since thrown away the fear and intimidation, and now I wear my heart on my sleeve. You take me as I am, or you don’t take me at all.
Tori: What's next for Maisie Jean? Can you give us any hints about what you're working on now?
Maisie: I’m moving away from home in September to study Popular Music at Leeds Conservatoire. I really can’t wait. I’ve never wanted anything so badly in my life. In terms of music, I have some alternate versions of "Uphill" coming on August 21st and a full album arriving on September 13th.
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