Mayan DeLion – Interview – Thanks for Asking!

Written by on January 22, 2025

Mayan DeLion – Interview – Thanks for Asking! – by Liam Sweeny.

RRX: What do you think is the most poorly understood thing about music, or the music you play?

MD: I feel like in today’s AI era, we sometimes forget what making music is truly about. Some people might see music more as a finished product, but there’s so much more to it. When you create a melody, lyrics or harmonies, there’s a beauty in experiencing your own personal, magical universe. It’s about being fully immersed in the moment, letting your feelings and passion guide you to the next note, and building everything with love and intention. To me, the process of making music is a beautiful experience and privilege and I feel it’s something that can sometimes be misunderstood or overlooked today.

Also, making music ourselves is essential to learning and growth. We learn by doing, and if we let AI take over, we miss the opportunity to learn, grow, evolve, and deepen our connection to our emotions through the creative process. I believe these opportunities and processes are a vital, beautiful part of what it means to be human and to be a musician.

RRX: You sing or you rap, you play guitar, play drums, what have you, you have no doubt struggled to learn music. Something probably tripped you up. What was it for each of you? What did you have to overcome (bands, pick a member)?

MD: For me, it was singing. I was really afraid to sing in front of other people until I was around 14 or 15. I had a lot of self-doubt and anxiety about my voice, and I didn’t feel comfortable sharing it with others. Over time, though, I gradually pushed myself to sing in front of friends and family, and eventually that fear started to fade. Even now, I still get afraid and feel shy a lot of times, but I’ve learned to push through that fear each time it comes up. One time, I did a street performance by myself at 14, just me and my guitar. I was so anxious going into it, but after I finished, I felt so much better and more confident. It was a real turning point for me.

RRX: Our style comes from the extension of our influences. It’s like an evolution. We’re influenced, and it inspires us to influence. What can you say about your influences, and what  you feel you’ve done with their influence as a musician or band? Have you extended their work?

MD: As someone deeply curious about music, my influences are quite diverse. The most prominent ones are the pop and rock music of the 90s and early 2000s, with artists like Linkin Park and Justin Timberlake, as well as music from movies. I feel that the fat synth sounds I often use, combined with instrumentals like strings, guitar, and piano, reflect those influences. Even my style of blending singing and occasional rap is rooted in that mix of inspirations, sometimes with an added touch of depth drawn from cinematic scores.

Right now, I’m working on a track that has a cinematic atmosphere of strings combined with modern synth bass and other contemporary elements. Through this project and my other creations, I feel like I’m extending my influences while carving out my own path and creating something uniquely mine.

RRX: We let it out differently when we play music. The happy, sad, good and back; it can all be put out musically. Overall, do you feel better when you sing about the better times, or the worser times? Is there a difference you can describe?

MD: I feel that expressing myself through music allows me to experience a sense of light and peace with my feelings, whatever they may be, whether connected to my better or worse times. Sometimes, during an emotional struggle, it can be intense but liberating. Other times, even if I’m already in a different place in my life and heart, it becomes a way to cherish those moments that are a part of my story as a human.

RRX: “The best laid plans of mice and men…” I don’t really know the quote, but I know this one; sh*t happens. When we least expect it, calamity befalls us. Sometimes just comic inconvenience. Please tell us a story about some comic inconvenience that happened to you whilst performing?

MD: So, talking about “sh*t happens”.. I was 17, a singer and guitar player in a high school band, and we had a performance at a city event. Just before we were supposed to go on stage, I really had to use the bathroom. As the lead singer, I quickly ran to the restroom and was, you know, doing my thing. Suddenly, I hear the host announcing us to go on stage, and I realize no one knows where I am. The band was already up there waiting for me, and the crowd was there too, all ready for us to perform. So, I finished up as fast as I could, scrambled out of the bathroom, and sprinted straight to the stage. I’m gasping for breath, and I just open my mouth and start singing—honestly, the adrenaline from running straight from the bathroom gave my performance an unexpected boost of energy!

RRX: With the exception of singing, everyone has an instrument, an inanimate object that has the distinction of being a lifelong friend. Smooth or temperamental, these objects have a character. So pick someone to answer, can you tell us something special about what you play, your technique, your instrument?

MD: As my own music producer, my instrument is definitely the DAW. It’s like my “lifelong friend” that I can always rely on. There are all sorts of ways I work, but it always starts with choosing or building a sound that sparks something inside me or connects with my vision at that moment. Sometimes, the melody and harmony just flow quickly, with one note leading to the next. Other times, when inspiration doesn’t strike immediately, I take a sound and start playing with it, building a structure, and then I’ll loop it and layer more on top. But really there are no real rules to my process—it can change based on what’s flowing at the moment. One of my greatest loves is creating arrangements and composing, and for that, the DAW is my perfect instrument.

 

 

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