What is going on with Indie Rock music?? Did it ever really leave?? What happened to Indie bands headlining the Coachella lineup?? Or in general, just staying relevant in the Pop Culture zeitgeist??
There are probably a few ways to answer that question. Genres have peaks and valleys as shown with Classic Rock and even Hip-Hop to some degree. Indie rock has been around since as early as the 1990s. Remember Radiohead, The Strokes, and The Cure?? They were followed by a massive boom of powerhouse groups like the Arctic Monkeys, Vampire Weekend, Bon Iver, Tame Impala, The Gorillaz, MGMT, and many more. Those are just a few notable names once at the top of a gigantic genre littered with even more subgenres and a fusion of different styles.
Lately, I’ve been wondering who cracks into that upper echelon and one of the first names that came to mind is a surging Indie group called The Marías.
The Marías are a Los Angeles-based Indie Rock/Indie Pop band with an eclectic mix of different genres and cultural influences. Members include lead vocalist María Zardoya and drummer Josh Conway, guitarist Jesse Perlman, and keyboardist Edward James. The group was named after their lead singer and frontwoman María who was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. She met fellow bandmate Josh Conway in Los Angeles over 8 years ago while performing in West Hollywood. The two sparked a romantic connection but also a musical one which resulted in the band’s formation.
The Marías are also widely known for mixing English and Spanish lyrics into their songs. Something we do not usually hear outside of Reggaeton or other Latin genres. With the surging popularity of Spanish music, this does not feel like an unusual discovery. For decades some of the biggest rock bands in the world have had enormous success in Central and South America. It feels like it was only a matter of time until a North American band came along to bridge the gap even closer within cultures.
The Spanish influence feels like an even bigger reason to bet big on this band’s explosive potential. Rap and Hip-Hop have ultimately blossomed alongside Reggaeton artists but what about rock music? The Marías have now had successful collaborations with huge Latin music stars like Bad Bunny and Tainy. Additionally, they have released music with Phoebe Bridgers and can be seen touring alongside Billie Eilish or Halsey.
Their second album Submarine, released in May 2024, marks their first entry into the US Top 20 reaching as high as 17th on the Billboard 200 chart.
Credit: Bethany Vargas
Zardoya has credited artists like Norah Jones, Sade, and Erykah Badu as influences while Conway has mentioned Tame Impala, Radiohead, and the Strokes. Two different lanes but paints us a bigger picture of how this band eventually found their sound.
In an interview with NPR regarding their latest album Zardoya states: “We now have our own individual lives. It's not like this codependent sort of relationship that happens when you do so much together. And we got to know each other. And I think that ultimately led to, like, more creativity and to your point of creative breakthrough moments individually, within ourselves.” I found this to be a very interesting response. The interview discusses the breakup between the band’s two co-founders which could have been detrimental to the group’s future. Interestingly, the band compares themselves to No Doubt who went through a similar situation early in their careers with lead singer Gwen Stefani and bassist Tony Kanal.
Their latest single “No One Noticed” is your quintessential psychedelic masterpiece. It’s very hard not to get locked into a trance of deep thought and relaxation while listening. The song is clearly about loneliness and as the title states not feeling noticed. Emptiness is a common musical theme which is ironic because it often results in some incredible works of artistic genius.
Drummer, Josh Conway acknowledged this in an interview with Variety saying, “We were just trying to see if we could still write and make music together. It wasn’t until we had finished all the songs on the album that we finally sat down and acknowledged that we could and we did create something we are all proud of.”
Credit: Bobby Nicholas
Another great track is “Cariño” which in English translates to Darling. Another soft – lo-fi led guitar track which is sung almost entirely in Spanish except for the chorus. Zardoya delivers a passionate performance in this love song. Beautiful production and instrumentals accompany her soft and romantic vocals. I love how the guitar compliments her vocals on this song almost as if they are singing to each other.
Some other favorites of mine include “Over the Moon” “Sienna” and “I Don’t Know You”.
Be on the lookout for The Marías going forward. I feel confident saying that their potential to explode internationally will help magnify them even more in the US. Ultimately, the music business revolves around artists and their ability to galvanize fans. The Marías will be on the festival circuit this spring at notable events such as Coachella, Lollapalooza in Chile, Brazil, and Argentina along with many others.
Credit: Ashley Seryn
Kommentarer