INTRODUCING: MAINA DOE
When it comes to music, Australia is known for its boy bands and indie pop. But it’s also home to some of the most cutting-edge R&B/soul out, including that of Sydney-based songstress Maina Doe.
Think visceral, thought-provoking lyrics, unexpected melodies, and organic, expansive production. Maina’s newest release, ‘Lucid Dreams’, is out 14th March.
Interview - Portia Brajkovic
Hey Maina Doe, how are you?
Hi! I’m good. I’m cruising and working hard (and trying to stay centered)
First up, why music?
I genuinely believe I have no choice. Not because of a lack of options, but because I feel so out of place in the world when I’m not expressing myself through music. I don’t know exactly what pulled me into creating in this way in the first place, but I can’t remember a time when I didn’t sing my way through life. I used to be such a quiet kid so I guess the more I found my voice, the more I honoured it and cherished it. And what I do now is just an extension of that.
You’ve recently released ‘Witness’. What’s the story behind this song and its creation?
I was thinking about how shut off we have become to our own convictions and beliefs just to stay “sane” (whether it's conscious or not). I thought about the chaos that ego brings into culture, our way of life, and our own internal worlds. The heavy rap section was my caricature of egoic rap - which I still indulge in myself by the way - and the softness of my melodies was all the other parts of me waking up to the passivity and numbness we seem to all subscribe to as means of self-preservation.
Inspiration is sometimes sought out, and other times, completely unintentional. What inspires you?
Honestly, my biggest inspirations are the conversations, experiences, and interactions I have with people, you know? And the ideas that come from being observant of every little thing I see and hear. After that, I draw so many moods and scenes from film and music that really hit me and make an impression on me.
Can you describe the Maine Doe universe and sound in three words?
Fresh, explorative, and raw
Fresh, explorative, and raw
Take a minute to write an introduction that is short, sweet, and to the point.
Australia is home to a burgeoning R&B/soul/hip-hop scene - how does it feel to be at the forefront of this movement after these genres being sidelined for so long in Aus?
It’s so, so cool to see just how much there is going on underground in R&B and hip-Hop here. It excites me to be part of a new wave of artists redefining what Australia looks and sounds like. I feel pretty hype about it. It gets weird sometimes though, there’s been times when I get an amazing opportunity for example and realise I may be the first black woman in the R&B scene to do so. There’s something daunting and empowering about being the “first” to do anything. But it’s cool. I like it. It gives me more reason to be better every day. Because I wanna rep my city and this period of our history well.
Your lyricism definitely sets you apart. Have you always been such a prolific writer?
Thank you! I really love writing. And I’ve always viewed writing as synonymous with the voice. The voice is made stronger with words, and words are made more enduring with the voice. It’s an important, symbiotic relationship I’ve always been aware of so both my voice and my writing evolved together from when I was a teen. My words and my voice are kind of like perfect lovers who grew differently, live their own lives but always somehow sing the same songs and share the same ideas, share the same soul.
“In the studio I always start with rhythm and melody. Usually, I sing gibberish and freestyle into the mic just to map out melodies before I get stuck into the writing, structuring, and composing aspect of a song or project. But the creative process starts outside of the studio in real life…I’m always jotting down ideas, writing pieces in my little Hokusai notebook that I adore, watching and reading things that keep my curiosity alive. That kind of thing. I always feel really shit and zapped of energy when I don’t have the time to observe and indulge my ideas at least a little bit every day.
