Los Angeles quintet, The Marias have been gaining traction with their catchy, sultry lo-fi bedroom pop songs since their formation in 2016. The group bring together elements of jazz, hypnotic guitar riffs, velvety vocals and nostalgic horn solos, creating a sensual fusion of jazz, psychedelia, funk and lounge.
It was love at first sight when lead singer Puerto Rican-bred, Atlanta-raised María Zardoya and Los Angeles native and drummer Josh Conway met at a show at the Kibitz Room in West Hollywood. The two began a relationship and wrote songs together, recruiting friends Edward James, who played keyboards and guitarist Jesse Perlman, and the rest is history. Their first EP, Superclean Vol. I was released in 2017, with it’s counterpart Superclean Vol. II coming to fruiting in 2018. The album is filled with catchy, dreamy songs that just about any music lover could fall in love with.
To see The Marias live is like being transported to a nostalgic, smoke-filled lounge. Maria steals the show in show-stopping gowns and her stage presence, with the band fully behind her. They’ve amassed tens of millions of streams on songs like the spanish-written “Cariño” and the catchy and sultry “I Don’t Know You.” They’ve also collaborated with like-minded band Triathlon for the hypnotic song “Drip.”
Since the Superclean double release, the band have been releasing ear-catching singles, including a cover of Britney Spears’ “…baby one more time” and the grooving “Hold It Together.” Their incredible, subtle songwriting sounds like no other, and features breathy harmonies and exquisite bass lines. They’re gearing up for the release of their debut album Cinema, which will be available on June 25 via Nice Life and Atlantic.
The band have teased several videos in anticipation of the upcoming album. “Hush” is their latest single to be accompanied by a video. The song is slightly more clubby and pop-forward than their usual sound, and the video features Maria and Conway in full lounge-y contemplation. Watch below:
The band are clearly onto something with their visuals, as each music video has a linear focus. The video for “Hold It Together” is completely mesmerizing, featuring Maria, a silver marble which is ever-growing in size and some red satin for good measure. “We started writing this song in our van while on tour in late 2018 and finished it in the middle of an empty desert a couple months later. This is part of an A side/B side release, and this is side A. Thank ya’ll so much for your love and patience, we love you,” the band shared in the YouTube video description. The song itself has the strength to stand on its’ own, with Maria’s classic sultry vocals, and one of the catchiest bass lines imaginable. Watch below:
Their video for “I Care About You” premiered on October 15, 2020. “This song reminds me of being back home in Puerto Rico with my family. They live in the mountains of Puerto Rico, where their houses are basically in the middle of the rainforest. We wanted to transport you to a rainforest as well, one that reminded me of my real home. Hope this helps you escape the world for a couple of minutes. Love you,” Maria shared about the dreamy, bossa-nova inspired song and video.
The Marias have performed at festivals like Tropicalia, and have opened for the incredible Texas psych rockers, Khruangbin. Take a listen to their discography and get ready to enjoy the release of their upcoming album, Cinema!
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