There's something undeniably intimate about The Marías. Their sound evokes the velvety sex appeal of the '70s and a nostalgia for feverishly hot summer days by the pool that end with lying on your bedroom floor. María, the band's vocalist and namesake, sums it up in a word, or rather, a color: Red. It, "represents passion, emotion, depth, fire, playfulness," she tells Citizine. "I’d describe our sound as soulful, psychedelic pop music," Josh Conway, the group's drummer and producer, adds with some wavering. "There was never a moment where we said, ‘alright, what’s our sound gonna be?’ There are definitely certain sounds that I find us gravitating towards, but if we don’t know exactly what kind of sound we hear in our heads, we’ll hit refresh and look for something new. It’s tough to choose a genre nowadays."
Conway and María began writing together after a fateful night at the Kibitz Room, where she was playing a set in late 2016. María, coming from Atlanta, recalls her first few months in LA before they met. "I moved here with a tiny suitcase and not a lot of money," she says. "My hustle mode kicked in immediately. I was working three, sometimes four, jobs at the same time trying to find my footing. I’d even Airbnb my little studio apartment to make extra money. And all the while, trying to play as many shows as I could, and writing, and meeting with other musicians and artists. I think I’m still recovering from those first few months in LA." Conway, an LA native, had already done his time on the small venue circuit, playing his first show at the Whisky a Go Go. "I’ve definitely played almost every smaller venue there is here, although some of which I really wish I hadn’t," he jokes.
"It was all worth it," María remarks of the early struggles they faced individually and together. "It always is." She now shares a Franklin Village home with Conway where she can see the hills of Beachwood Canyon that "remind [her] of the mountains in Puerto Rico where part of [her] family lives."
María credits Conway with helping her adjust to life in Los Angeles. "Being with Josh, who’s native to LA, definitely helped make me feel more at home here," she begins. "His family has become my family. ...We grew up on completely opposite sides of the country with parents who come from completely different backgrounds, yet Josh and I still have so much in common when it comes to our outlook on life and morals."
This diversity of upbringings is reflected in The Marías' musical references, which range from the Beach Boys to Antonio Carlos Jobim to Tame Impala, and everything in between.
Beyond music, María cites her favorite director, Pedro Almodóvar [All About My Mother, Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown], as an influence. "He’s fearless in his storylines and doesn’t care about offending anyone," she says. "His defiance stems from growing up in Spain during Franco’s regime." The connection is personal for Maria, whose father also grew up in Spain during the reign of Franco. "But aside from that, Almodóvar’s films are full of life, color, and beauty. And his level of detail in every scene is inspiring."
Almodóvar's influence makes itself known watching music videos for songs like
Cariño and
I Don't Know You, both of which have a sweeping sensuality and focus on the relationship of María and Conway. "We compliment each other beautifully," María concludes, "which you can feel at the core of each song we write together."
Stream their new EP, Superclean Vol. II below.