British-born, Los Angeles-based alt-pop artist Maisy Kay is enjoying a landmark year. Returning to the UK this June to support LANY on their arena tour, including a milestone performance at OVO Arena Wembley, the Shropshire native is bringing her cinematic, emotionally charged sound to her biggest home audiences yet. Having collaborated with industry heavyweights including Timbaland and Tiësto, and amassed hundreds of millions of streams worldwide, Maisy is emerging as one of British pop’s most compelling international success stories. We caught up with her to find out more.


You moved from Shropshire to Los Angeles at just fourteen — looking back now, how much courage do you think that took?

I think it took a lot more courage than I was aware of at the time! I had been bullied a lot in school by that point, and so getting the offer to leave to pursue my dream was a no-brainer! I don’t know if I’d be brave enough to uproot my whole life and move to a country where I knew nobody now, though!

Does returning to the UK to play arenas now feel surreal, especially knowing where you started?

It feels incredible! I never could’ve comprehended I’d be where I am now. I love that my first arena gets to be in England too; that’s incredibly special to me.

Playing OVO Arena Wembley must feel like a real full-circle moment. What does that show represent to you personally?

I’m so, so excited about that show because my loved ones get to come. It was hard to leave behind my family and my childhood best friend, and this feels like a moment where I get to say, 'Ok, I’ve made it to an arena, guys. I hope you’re proud of me, and it makes the distance these last years worth it!

You've described your music as sounding “like summer", while the lyrics tell a much sadder story. Why are you drawn to that contrast?

I find it very easy to write sad-sounding songs about being sad, and I’ve always struggled with writing happy music, because that’s just not where I naturally gravitate to. So getting to combine both worlds and make happy dance music with deep lyrical melancholy – it’s an art form which I really appreciate. I think it allows me to become a stronger songwriter.

Your new single Bitter captures that strange emotional aftermath of a breakup. What was the starting point for that song?

I had the word “bitter” in mind because I was feeling bitter in life. My co-writers had the great idea of not writing about being bitter, but about NOT being bitter anymore. It completely changed the meaning of the song, and I think it’s much better for that.

Was Bitter written from a very specific personal experience or more from a feeling you wanted to explore?

It was a very personal experience and one I couldn’t even really relate to at the time. When I wrote Bitter, I was absolutely still bitter. I didn’t feel moved on or healed. Now the song is out, I am at that place in life, so it makes singing it on tour such an awesome experience, because it’s not disingenuous. I’m very proud of my growth this last year.

There's something very cinematic and escapist about your music and visuals. Where does that fantasy-inspired side of your artistry come from?

It comes from being a fantasy lover! I’ve always been deep into reading fantasy and fiction, nature, video games, and nerdy escapism in all its forms. I think the real world can be quite harsh – and I really enjoy creating this sort of fantasy world where both my fans and I can escape to for a while.

You grew up listening to Queen and The Beatles — what do you think you’ve taken from those artists into your own songwriting?

Freddie Mercury is my all-time idol – I even named my cat after him! I love that he tested the boundaries of songwriting and tried things that labels said wouldn’t work (ie Bohemian Rhapsody) he was never afraid to be “weird” or flamboyant, and so I try to bring those aspects to both my own writing and stage performances.

Your music sits somewhere between alt-pop, cinematic pop and confessional songwriting. Do you feel like you’ve now fully found your sound?

I honestly think I’m still exploring it. I write from a very personal place, and my experiences keep changing. I thought I’d found it with my Wonderlust EP, but I don’t think I could write something like that now. I’m excited to see where my music and sound take me and how it evolves as I evolve alongside it.

You’ve worked with huge names including Timbaland, Tiësto and Darkchild. What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from collaborating with producers at that level?

I’ve learnt not to be afraid of my own voice and ideas. It can be hard to speak up around such legends because I don’t have that experience or credibility, but I’ve learnt people love to hear your uniqueness and what makes you excited. It’s a very safe space in a collaborative atmosphere, and it’s helped me to feel more confident in what I can bring to the table.

How did living in Los Angeles shape you creatively compared to growing up in Shropshire?

I think being in LA was great because it’s so deep in the music scene. Where I grew up was deep in the countryside, and I loved the nature and the peace and quiet, but I do think it would’ve been much harder to grow as an artist had I stayed there.

You’ve built a huge global online audience independently. Did you always believe your music could connect internationally?

I always hoped it would! But I couldn’t have imagined the impact it would have on fans all over the world. I wanted to make music to connect with people and try to help them, and it means the world to me that I’ve been able to do that.

The Storm became a massive streaming success. Did that change the way you viewed your career or your audience?

It definitely did; it made me realise it was cool to be nerdy. I never would’ve thought me singing in Na’vi (the language from Avatar) would be my highest-streaming song and that so many fans would find me through that. It gave me hope to be myself and lean into the parts of me I was bullied for as a kid – because there’s a whole community of people that love and believe in it!

Artists like Lana Del Rey and Gracie Abrams are often mentioned alongside your music — are those comparisons flattering, or do you try not to think about them?

I absolutely think it’s flattering! These are huge names in the music world, and I love their music. I never try to make a record to sound like someone else, but it’s always a compliment to get compared to incredible women.

What do you think fans discover about you most clearly when they see you perform live?

I have a very high vocal range! I don’t think anyone expects the whistle notes I hit live, and it’s always so fun to see their reactions and how the energy shifts after those moments.



Touring with LANY feels like a natural fit sonically and emotionally. What excites you most about joining this tour?

I am truly so excited to be invited on a tour with such an amazing band. My friends listen to their music, so everyone has been so excited for me. I think the most exciting thing apart from getting to perform in London for my family is getting to have a band finally! It’s something I’ve wanted the last three years, and the energy really transforms on stage with them around.

Have you always written from such a vulnerable, diaristic place, or did that openness develop over time?

I’ve always had to pull from personal experiences, as I feel I can’t write about something inauthentic to me. But I think over the last few years I’ve really leaned into being more vulnerable and raw about even the not-so-great feelings. It scares me a little to be that open, but it’s a wonderful feeling to be rewarded for that when the fans resonate with it.

Is there a particular lyric from Bitter that still hits you hardest when you sing it now?

“Here I am drinking again, overthinking again. But it’s over; gotta sober up.” I think I was very heavily mourning one of the worst losses of my life and felt quite stuck in that cycle. Singing that line, knowing that I’ve finally accomplished that – it’s a very proud moment for me.

You've achieved so much independently already — what does success look like to you at this stage of your career?

It’s very inspiring; I feel like this year I’ve developed and strengthened a really wonderful fan base, and for the first time I’m really getting to think about headline shows. That’s something I’ve always wanted that maybe didn’t feel possible – and now I see that light in my future, and I’m running towards it!

Finally, for people discovering Maisy Kay for the first time on this tour, what do you hope they take away from your music?

I hope people connect with the spectrum of emotions I go through over the show. I hope they know it’s okay to have deep feelings, and the ability to feel, and love, and grieve is a gift, not a burden.