Reasons to smile today – Maja Lena is back!!! She released the stunner of a record The Keeper just over a year ago, and she’s back with news of her second record Pluto, releasing via Chiverin Records on 18th November. First single No More Flowers is out now, once again produced by the legendary Rob Pemberton and with a video directed by Martha Webb – both are a joy, and exactly what I love Maja for.
Talking about the new track, she explains: “No More Flowers marks the acceptance of a close friendship ending or changing course, and deciding to stop putting energy into something unreciprocated. I’d been re-watching Studio Ghibli films at the time and fell in love with some of the earlier heavily synth driven soundtracks. I liked the idea of some of the parts sounding like creatures from another world in conversation with each other, which Rob managed to emulate better than I could imagine. Despite the song not being of a particularly happy theme, I wanted the music to feel fun and uplifting, as sometimes change can be a really good thing, even if it doesn’t initially feel that way.”
Having worked for 13 years on a natural horsemanship yard and on a no dig permaculture vegetable growing project, Maja is immersed in the natural world – so it is a starting point for much of her music. She explains “I find the repetitive motions of walking, seed planting, sweeping really beneficial to writing music. I’m also very introverted so I find working alone out on the land quite recharging, it can in turn give me energy for music and gigging. My love of nature and animals feeds into the sound. I like to find sounds or riffs that might conjure landscapes in my head, for this album that’s otherworldly sounds or creatures in particular.”
While the previous record was very much placed in the pastoral, this one is set in an alternate world close to Pluto, a decision inspired by Maja’s increasing fascination with science fiction in TV, literature and art. Intriguing… I can’t wait to hear more!