Maisy Kay is a rising British artist carving out her own path in the music industry. With her fresh voice and relatable lyrics, she is transforming pop music into a bold subgenre. We recently sat down with Maisy Kay to discuss her creative process, her new EP, her gratitude for the opportunity to share her gift with the world, and more. 

Maisy Kay began her musical journey at the age of 10, growing up in a small town in England called Claverley. According to her mom, she sang tunes even before she could talk. So, it was clear that music was a part of her. At an early age, Kay wrote a musical that gained her a feature in the local newspaper. This feature caught the attention of a local recording studio, which invited her to record some of her music. 

After more than a year of recording, a big opportunity arose when a label asked her to move to America to sign with them. However, Kay’s family believed it was best to decline the label’s offer as it wasn’t the right time. Despite this, she moved to America to pursue her dream, honing her skills through artist development, which shaped her into the talented artist she is today. 

Mhonaé: How would you define yourself as an artist? 

Kay: It’s hard because I am always changing. At the point where I am right now in life, I am the most authentic I have ever been. I have the most belief and trust in myself that what I do can be good enough. I’ve struggled a lot in the past with being too critical and worrying about what other people might think of it. 

Kay (cont.): Yet, where I’m at right now, I’m making music based more on my feelings and what I want to do rather than being driven by fear of whether other people will like it or if it’s good enough. Very authentic and vulnerable is what I’m feeling right now, but in a good way. 

Kay has achieved many musical milestones in the preliminary stages of her career. Her big break came when she contributed Japanese lyrics and vocals to pop artist Andy’s #1 Spotify viral hit, “Distance.” Since then, she has released several hit singles and EPs, and she performed on JVKE’s “What Tour Feels Like” summer tour across the United States last year. Kay has also collaborated with powerhouse musicians, including Timbaland, Tiësto, Rodney “Darkchild” Jenkins, Max Martin protégé Lukas “LULOU” Loules, and more. 

Her latest body of work is the EP “Wonderlust: The Dawn,” which premiered on May 13, 2024. It features 6 passionate singles that appeal to all the romantics out there. The track list includes “Heaven With You,” “Incandescent,” “All In,” “In Your Car,” “Technicolor Honeymoon,” and concludes with “Sunlight,” an intimate ode to her boyfriend. 

Mhonaé: What inspired the title, “Wonderlust: The Dawn”? 

Kay: It is being infatuated with the idea of someone and getting to know them more, the wonder about them, and the discovery about them. It is being in love with the discovery of another human being. 

Mhonaé: What is the story behind the creation of “Wonderlust: The Dawn”? 

Kay: It all came very organically. I was just falling in love with someone, and it was my first and only time experiencing a relationship to that degree and having all these feelings that I just never felt in my life before. I wasn’t even planning to make an EP. I was honestly just writing songs as I felt them from the heart because I was caught up in this whirlwind of joy and had to talk about it. So, I wrote all the songs from the place of someone who felt a bit giddy and wanted to talk about it. It was genuinely me writing in my bedroom about how in love I was. 

Kay, a small-town girl with a big heart, reveals her vulnerability on this project, allowing her fans to connect with her on a deeper level. She expresses feelings that she had never experienced before through her melodies. Lyrics like “I’ll be the one to drive when you’re too tired to steer” from the track “In Your Car” or “Doesn’t matter what we do cause everything is heaven with you” from the track “Heaven With You” make “Wonderlust: The Dawn” tender, open, and honest. It is the music for love. 

Mhonaé: What is your creative process like? 

Kay: It varies for me. Oftentimes, I get very inspired in the moment, whether it’s a lyric or a melody. I love using the voice recording app on my phone. I’m always making 10-second snippets of an idea that might become something or never see the light of day. 

Kay (cont.): Then, I just sit by my piano and see if anything happens. If something does, I play around with it and see where I can take it. That’s where most of my solo writing happens. I usually start with a seed of an idea, then I take it to the piano and see if I can water it further. 

Maisy Kay is dedicated to creating music that fulfills her and resonates with her extensive fan base. When she’s not singing, she enjoys playing video games, painting, drawing, archery, fitness, reading, being a loving pet parent, and raising butterflies. These activities reflect her creative and compassionate nature beyond her career. Her sentiment toward aspiring musicians also reflects her character. 

Mhonaé: What advice would you give aspiring musicians? 

Kay: Do it for you. The point where I felt most lost in my own music career was when I was trying to do things for other people, whether it was a label, the charts, or my management at the time. That is what sucks the joy out of it when you start making music trying to think about how to get a hit, impress a big label, or create something that sounds catchy enough. It takes the joy right out of it.  

Kay (cont.): Like I said earlier, most importantly, making music should be fun. If you do it for yourself and make music for yourself, you will always have some sort of fulfillment. That is the biggest piece of advice I could give to anyone and the piece of advice that I wish I could give to a younger me. 

Maisy Kay is a rising star filled with wonder.

Photography Credit | Shervin Lainez