Maria Rae,
The TVD First Date

“Having grown up on CDs with no family records to inherit, my love for vinyl sparked in my late teens, when I moved to London from Greece. I found myself digging through record stores in Soho, in awe of the amount of different music available to purchase, and so I was hooked on discovery. I spent my early years exploring my parents’ CD collection, creating my own amalgamations of what I considered to be the best mixtapes ever made… ignorance is bliss!”

“I grew up with a love for the likes of Tracy Chapman, Nina Simone, Toni Braxton, Erykah Badu, Alicia Keys, Ms Lauryn Hill, and Mary J. Blige who would blare out of my parents’ speakers on a daily basis. The common denominator for a lot of my favourite childhood music was clearly female singers playing the piano. I learned the piano from the age of 7, leading me into a career of songwriting and singing—and I can only thank all the amazing female voices I heard everyday, giving me the confidence to pursue writing and performing music myself.

When I first arrived in London, I remember going to see James Blake live one night and needing to buy something at the end of the gig as a memento. The way the sound traveled through the venue, especially that of the piano, gave me chills and I needed something to remember that feeling with. I distinctly recall looking at the vinyl at the merch stand and the excitement of taking it home for its first spin—this purchase marked the beginning of my vinyl journey.

My record player came shortly after, and I immediately became obsessed with the way the mechanism works, going back and forth to Soho, adding a new record or two each time I got paid. The needle fascinated me and to this day, I sit in awe of the way the sound is created, the way it travels through the air, and the texture of the sound we hear. Whenever I come back from a gig, it’s with vinyl in hand. I will stick it on as soon as I’m home and relive the magic.

As my fascination with vinyl grew, my collection also started to expand, navigating my way through Soho’s Sounds of the Universe, opening me up to music from around the world, from São Paulo to Mali, as well as discovering the realms of reggae, Motown and the many classics I missed out on as a child. Sam Cooke’s Mr. Soul has become a forever favourite and an album that I always resort back to when I can’t decide on what to stick the needle on. I’m endlessly hooked to the raspy, soulful sound of his voice which revolutionised an entire genre of music.

It’s such a unique experience to listen to these classic records on vinyl, transporting yourself back in time—the best form of meditation. My passion for discovering new sounds followed me as I traveled to different countries, and I’ll never forget the time that my vinyl hunting brought it all home for me. I was in Amoeba Records in San Francisco and stumbled upon a collection of very old Greek vinyl that I hadn’t come across growing up. It’s an amazing power that vinyl has to take you on a sonic journey, landmarking my life in London or transporting me back to the traditions of my home in Greece—there is real magic in rummaging through old vinyl!

What I love most about vinyl, however, is the time you need to give to it—no skipping tracks, no shuffling, just pure commitment and gratitude for each track. The idea that it is so tangible in such a nonphysical, digital world. Having the capacity to escape into the world of vinyl sound is unmatched in our day and age—yet the recent rise of vinyl sales goes to show just how much we all need and miss that constant in music, despite our short concentration spans.

It was important to me that this love for vinyl resonated in my debut single “Walk Away.” I added in the crackle sound to give it that analog feel that I’ve known to grow and love and this is definitely something I want to keep on going throughout my music. “Walk Away” encapsulates the idea behind a common experience—letting go of something you know is not right for you, culminating with vinyl sounds, layered vocals, and ballad piano.”
Maria Rae

“Walk Away,” the debut single from Maria Rae, is in stores now.

Maria Rae Official | Facebook | Instagram
PHOTO: ALUMA NGOH

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