‘Do Not Be Afraid To Let Go’ - Maria Moss

I sometimes wonder if a scientific study has ever been done on the emotional power of music, how chords and melodies, even individual notes can make you feel something. Elated, euphoric, angry, motivated, melancholic, every human emotion can be felt in music. This particular artist makes you feel emotion with her music too. Maria Moss makes you feel empowered.

Based in London, Spanish singer, songwriter and dancer Maria Moss has played renowned venues of the English capital such as Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club and Shepherd’s Bush Empire. Outside of the U.K., Moss has also played in Spain and the U.S. including performances in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago. Her inspirations include Sia, Rihanna, Michael Jackson, Alicia Keys and Major Lazer, Maria Moss’ music has been playlisted on Spotify, and aired on BBC Introducing.

As well as working with legendary producer Mark Taylor, whose list of credits is long but include Mike + The Mechanics, Enrique Iglesias, Tina Turner, Kylie Minogue, and Lionel Richie, Maria Moss has also worked with Cher. It would be easy to assume the connection here as Mark Taylor has produced three of Cher’s albums including her Grammy award winning ‘Believe’ in 1998, and Cher’s most recent album of Abba cover songs in 2018’s ‘Dancing Queen’. Maria’s work with Cher involved vocal coaching on pronunciation for ‘Chiquitita’ on the Dancing Queen album. Further to this part of her career, Maria Moss writes and translates songs for other artists and producers.

But what of Maria Moss’ own music? The video for ‘Gold’ was released at the end of 2019. With Maria’s opening line ‘Can you see I am Gold?’ you know this is going to be an epic piece of pop music. The drums are like giant footsteps driving this track forward, alternating with one like the rattle of coins. For the most part the instrumentation is electronic, and I can see the Sia influence here, but with touches of Latin including the light guitar part. I love this group of lines; ‘I don’t need your bullshit talk, I know where I am gonna be, I am not afraid to walk alone, I am bulletproof baby.’

Gold is entirely written and arranged by Maria Moss, with co-production shared with Jamie Sellers (who founded Run Wild Studios in Essex), with the music video directed by Stavros Ladikos. Julian Nichols plays a frustrated cleaner who decides instead to dance to Gold in a lovely big studio space, Maria Moss is exquisitely covered in a trail of gold-leaf by make-up artist Katy Beth Gale. The result is an inspiring companion to the track for those who never lose sight of the dream.

Fast forward a year later and Maria Moss releases her latest single ‘Nah’, a more infectious track with less of the epic and more of a spotlight on Maria’s powerful voice. Nah is about letting go of the toxic side of old relationships. Co-produced again with Jamie Sellers, the feel is more upbeat, and still entirely electronic save for those guitar parts you hear beginning with the first chorus, and then there’s that guitar solo which was completely unexpected, but utterly vital. I can imagine Maria Moss putting on a great live show, interacting with the audience with a solid band of musicians behind her. Moss totally owns this music video, playing the role of an individual empowered, and not nearly about to take anyone’s shit anytime again soon.

Both Gold and Nah will feature on Maria Moss’ upcoming EP, due out in 2021. Continue reading for more information on these singles, including their music videos, performing live, and working with other artists.

1. 'Nah' is your latest single and music video, what inspired the lyric here?

Some time ago, I had a bad experience that inspired me to write this song. I wanted to write a song about letting go of toxic relationships.

"Nah" is about breaking away from all the bad stuff. Do not be afraid to let go of toxic situations or relationships that have hurt you and be open to an uncertain future. It's about saying “it’s enough", loving yourself and making decisions to be happy.

2. For this single you co-produced it with Jamie Sellers, what's it like to work with him?

I created this song with a loop-pedal, then, I produced a demo and arranged the song. Later on, I asked my friend Arthur Samett to help me with the demo, and in the end, I worked with Jamie Sellers who helped me with the final touches. He is a very fast producer!

3. I didn't expect to hear a guitar solo on this track, who plays that?

Ben Turner is the amazing genius who played the guitar solo. We had a lot of fun creating the guitar solo! Ben is a very talented guitar player, he is also a composer, a producer and a bass player.

4. This music video is perfect for the song, how was that day of filming?

San Marino Films made the music video in August in Barcelona. The song talks about when you have split up with a toxic relationship and your ex-boyfriend comes back telling you he misses you. In the music video, you can see what is going on in my head when he comes back. There are two “Marías” behaving in the opposite way in front of a mirror. Both have a very different attitude towards what is happening. That happens many times in real life, in which we debate whether to make one decision or another mentally. I thought it was a very interesting idea. You can see a Maria that is insecure, still in love, who does not know what to do, and another Maria who feels full of strength, who feels empowered, she does not want to go back, she wants to get rid of everything bad and is ready for the future. The music video also narrates the daily routine of the ex-boyfriend after their breakup. Matthew Merton, a very talented English actor who lives in Barcelona, played the role of my ex-boyfriend.

5. The video for 'Gold' looks like it was a lot of fun, where did the concept for the dancing cleaner come from?

‘Gold’ talks about following your dreams and being yourself. In the music video you can see a young boy who is not noticed by anybody, he is the studio cleaner but what he really wants to do is dance. Once he is alone and starts dancing, he feels better and more energized. He wants to follow his dreams and show everybody everything he is capable of.

6. We all miss playing and watching gigs this year, what was the last gig you played like?

I do miss doing concerts so much! I played at El Teatre Principal de Maó, the main theatre of Maó (Menorca, Spain) in August. It was such a pleasure for me to play at such an emblematic and important venue. It was so beautiful! I also played a very intimate acoustic gig in Menorca alongside other amazing artists like Carlos Maestro and Wanderlust Menorca. It was in the middle of nowhere, the decoration was so beautiful, with fairy lights, and the atmosphere was amazing. People could ask you questions during your concert and it all made it very special, magical.

7. You've also played the 02 Shepherds Bush Empire, tell us about that experience?

It was such an incredible experience. Playing at the 02 Shepherds Bush Empire was a dream come true.  I played with my whole band Ben Turner, Pablo Gil, and Leonardo Landini and we all had so much fun. People danced with us and it made us very happy.

8. You've worked with Cher as her vocal coach! How did that happen and what was it like to work with her?

The experience was amazing. I worked with her face-to-face when she came to London in November. From the first moment, I felt very comfortable working with her and her producer Mark Taylor. We laughed a lot! We would jump and talk in the studio and when she did it very well we would high-five. She is a very hard-working, friendly, perfectionist, and humble person. I admire her so much!

She returned to Malibu as she had to finish her North American tour, later we continued working via Skype. It was very nice to see the evolution of the song. Cher doesn't know Spanish and she had never sung in this language, but she did superbly well. I'm very happy with the results and I cannot wait to work with her again.

9. You also write and translate songs for other artists, would you tell us more about that?

I love writing different types of music that are not necessarily suitable for my project. I love writing for other artists and producers. Currently, there are many artists who want to translate their songs into Spanish as it’s becoming more and more popular. I do like helping artists translating their songs and then helping them singing in Spanish.

10. Both 'Gold' and 'Nah' are a part of your upcoming EP, can you tell us anything more about that?

My upcoming EP will have songs in English and Spanish. It will have a combination of danceable tunes, energetic and slower tunes. They all will give you energy and strength. You can follow my journey on all social media platforms and listen to my music on all digital platforms.

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Find out more about Maria Moss on her official website here.

Follow Maria Moss on Facebook and Instagram @mariamossofficial, and on Twitter @mariamossoffici.