Maria BC

190 fans
Lockdown has been a time of great intimacy for people across the globe, interrogating thoughts previously buried under busy schedules, bustling commutes and never-ending to-do lists. The debut EP from Ohio-born, New York City-based artist Maria BC leans heavily into this sense of closeness and emotional vulnerability.

Recorded in their apartment through April and May, the ‘Devil’s Rain’ EP is concerned both with nostalgia and carving a better path forwards. From religion to childhood memories and giving advice to a depressed version of yourself, it’s a debut statement that tackles the big questions with openness and grace. Created in a period of what they call “extraordinary urgency,” Maria says they became “obsessed” with the project. “Nothing about it is comforting. Music just seems necessary for whatever reason,” they say.

Musically, the EP is gorgeous and sparse, with Maria’s classical training as a mezzo-soprano mixing with hushed pop melodies and a love for the quiet grandeur of Grouper. In order not to disturb their neighbours and roommates during lockdown, Maria had to write and record the music on ‘Devil’s Rain’ quietly. The forced constraint helped them craft the songs as something approaching “hymns or lullabies.”

“Normally I belt when I sing,” they say. “It constrained the melodies I could write, knowing I
would need to be singing quietly, and it meant I couldn’t rely on certain old tricks to craft an arc.” This added layer of intimacy onto an already stark emotional period is stunningly portrayed on ‘Devil’s Rain’; it feels like you’re right there in the apartment with them.

On the opening title track, named after an expression in the southern states handed down to Maria by their grandmother, softly plucked guitar interweaves with their soft but soaring voice, while ‘Unmaker’ flirts with the expansion of their sound into something brighter and more pop-leaning. These are five songs borne out of – and championing – sitting with your thoughts, learning more about yourself and carving out your own space in the world.

Growing up with a lot of religious feeling, including but not limited to “euphoria, adoration, guilt – all those weird irrational emotions that accompany faith,” Maria had been battling with leaving their faith behind and struggling to shove down the feelings that produce the “romantic, gothic songs” they would write in their church-going days. But then, as with everything you hear on ‘Devil’s Rain’: an epiphany. “For this project, I said ‘fuck it’ – if these love songs end up with some glimpses of god or the devil in them, so be it. It was freeing! For the first time in a long time, it felt like I was writing songs for myself.”

Though the songs on ‘Devil’s Rain’ are deeply personal, this interrogation of the self makes them universal too. Described by Maria as “love songs inspired by real people in my life,” the five tracks here take micro-observations on personal relationships and memories and make them widescreen, their unguarded intimacy allowing the listener to unpack their own emotions at the same time.

“Hopefully people will find company in these songs,” Maria says, “and will be reminded of relationships in their own lives as they take these songs into different contexts, like when they go on bike rides or sit on the stoop with friends or cook meals or prick their thumbs in the garden.”

In the end, the aim of this remarkable debut collection is simple: “I hope people find some intimacy in these songs.”
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Top tracks

06
Taper
Maria BC
I Saw The TV Glow (Original Soundtrack)
04:29
Composers: Maria BC
01
Adelaide
Maria BC
Adelaide
04:10
Writer: Maria BC / Composers: Maria BC
07
Daydrinker
Maria BC
Spike Field
03:58
Composers: Maria BC
05
Return to sender
Maria BC
Spike Field
03:21
Composers: Maria BC
01
Amber
Maria BC
Spike Field
03:54
Composers: Maria BC

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  • Discography
Albums
2023 Maria BC under exclusive license to Sacred Bones Records
20-10-2023
Spike Field
01
Amber
Maria BC
Spike Field
03:54
Composers: Maria BC
02
Watcher
Maria BC
Spike Field
03:04
Composers: Maria BC
03
[ A backlit door ]
Maria BC
Spike Field
00:52
Composers: Maria BC
04
Haruspex
Maria BC
Spike Field
05:19
Composers: Maria BC
05
Return to sender
Maria BC
Spike Field
03:21
Composers: Maria BC
06
Tire iron
Maria BC
Spike Field
03:49
Composers: Maria BC
07
Daydrinker
Maria BC
Spike Field
03:58
Composers: Maria BC
Access the complete album info (12 songs)
2022 Father/Daughter Records
27-05-2022
Hyaline
01
No Reason
Maria BC
Hyaline
01:57
02
April
Maria BC
Hyaline
04:42
Composers: Maria BC
03
The Only Thing
Maria BC
Hyaline
03:22
04
ROF
Maria BC
Hyaline
04:27
Composers: Maria BC
05
Keepsakes
Maria BC
Hyaline
03:30
06
Rerun
Maria BC
Hyaline
04:10
07
***
Maria BC
Hyaline
01:04
Access the complete album info (11 songs)
EPs
2022 Father/Daughter Records
18-11-2022
Hyaline Remixes
01
No Reason (Ragana remix)
Maria BC
Hyaline Remixes
02:35
Composers: Maria BC
02
Betelgeuse (No Home remix)
Maria BC
Hyaline Remixes
03:29
Composers: Maria BC
03
ROF (Rachika Nayar remix)
Maria BC
Hyaline Remixes
05:09
Composers: Maria BC
04
Good Before (Nina Keith remix)
Maria BC
Hyaline Remixes
03:09
Composers: Maria BC
05
The Only Thing (Lucy Liyou remix)
Maria BC
Hyaline Remixes
04:14
Composers: Maria BC
2021 fear of missing out records
05-02-2021
Devil's Rain
01
Devil's Rain
Maria BC
Devil's Rain
04:07
Writer: Maria BC / Composers: Maria BC
02
The One I'll Ask
Maria BC
Devil's Rain
04:18
Writer: Maria BC / Composers: Maria BC
03
Unmaker
Maria BC
Devil's Rain
01:47
Writer: Maria BC / Composers: Maria BC
04
Adelaide
Maria BC
Devil's Rain
04:10
Writer: Maria BC / Composers: Maria BC
05
The Deal
Maria BC
Devil's Rain
03:41
Writer: Maria BC / Composers: Maria BC
Singles
2024 A24 Music
10-05-2024
Taper
01
Taper
Maria BC
Taper
04:29
Composers: Maria BC
2023 Maria BC under exclusive license to Sacred Bones Records
27-09-2023
Still
01
Still
Maria BC
Still
05:13
Composers: Maria BC
02
Amber
Maria BC
Still
03:54
Composers: Maria BC
03
Watcher
Maria BC
Still
03:04
Composers: Maria BC
2023 Maria BC under exclusive license to Sacred Bones Records
29-08-2023
Amber / Watcher
01
Amber
Maria BC
Amber / Watcher
03:54
Composers: Maria BC
02
Watcher
Maria BC
Amber / Watcher
03:04
Composers: Maria BC
2021 Fire Talk
30-07-2021
Now It's Gone
01
Now It's Gone
Maria BC
Now It's Gone
04:06
Writer: Maria BC / Composers: Maria BC
2020 fear of missing out records
02-12-2020
Adelaide
01
Adelaide
Maria BC
Adelaide
04:10
Writer: Maria BC / Composers: Maria BC
Featured in
2024 A24 Music
10-05-2024
I Saw The TV Glow (Original Soundtrack)
01
Anthems For A Seventeen Year-Old Girl
yeule
I Saw The TV Glow (Original Soundtrack)
03:33
Composers: Brendan Canning - John Jefferson Crossingham - Kevin Drew - Emily Haines - Jessica Moss - Justin Peroff - James Shaw - Charles Ivan Spearin
02
Another Season
Frances Quinlan
I Saw The TV Glow (Original Soundtrack)
03:44
Composers: Frances Quinlan - Kyle Pulley
03
Starburned and Unkissed
Caroline Polachek
I Saw The TV Glow (Original Soundtrack)
03:40
Composers: Caroline Polachek - A. G. Cook
04
Riding Around In The Dark
Florist
I Saw The TV Glow (Original Soundtrack)
03:26
Composers: Emily Sprague
05
Big Glow
Bartees Strange
I Saw The TV Glow (Original Soundtrack)
02:52
Composers: Bartees Strange - Graham Richman - John Daise
06
Taper
Maria BC
I Saw The TV Glow (Original Soundtrack)
04:29
Composers: Maria BC
07
Psychic Wound
King Woman
I Saw The TV Glow (Original Soundtrack)
03:13
Composers: Kristina Esfandiari - Peter Arensdorf
Access the complete album info (15 songs)
NNA Tapes
26-08-2022
Heaven Come Crashing
01
Our Wretched Fantasy
Rachika Nayar
Heaven Come Crashing
03:30
Composers: Rachika Nayar
02
Tetramorph
Rachika Nayar
Heaven Come Crashing
09:46
Composers: Rachika Nayar
03
Death & Limerence
Rachika Nayar
Heaven Come Crashing
04:57
Composers: Rachika Nayar
04
Nausea
Rachika Nayar
Heaven Come Crashing
05:44
Composers: Rachika Nayar
05
Promises
Rachika Nayar
Heaven Come Crashing
02:00
Composers: Rachika Nayar
06
Gayatri
Rachika Nayar
Heaven Come Crashing
05:57
Composers: Rachika Nayar
07
Heaven Come Crashing
Rachika Nayar
Heaven Come Crashing
05:33
Composers: Rachika Nayar
Access the complete album info (11 songs)
2023 NNA Tapes
07-04-2023
Distant Intervals
01
Prelude (An Eternity of Light)
MIZU
Distant Intervals
04:00
Writer: Mizu / Composers: Mizu
02
Aubade (The Farewell Is a Beginning)
MIZU
Distant Intervals
04:23
Writer: Mizu / Composers: Mizu
03
Aria (I Stand by the Reflecting Pool and Remember)
MIZU
Distant Intervals
05:38
Writer: Mizu / Composers: Mizu
04
Elegy (As Soft Night Marches In)
MIZU
Distant Intervals
02:52
Writer: Mizu / Composers: Mizu
05
Toccata (Kisses of Earth)
MIZU
Distant Intervals
04:32
Writer: Mizu / Composers: Mizu
06
Interlude (Sunken Citadels)
MIZU
Distant Intervals
03:12
Writer: Mizu / Composers: Mizu
07
Serenata (To a Hidden Moon)
MIZU
Distant Intervals
02:31
Writer: Mizu / Composers: Mizu
Access the complete album info (9 songs)
2022 NNA Tapes
03-08-2022
Our Wretched Fantasy
01
Our Wretched Fantasy
Rachika Nayar
Our Wretched Fantasy
03:31
Writer: Rachika Nayar / Composers: Rachika Nayar
02
Our Wretched Fate
Rachika Nayar
Our Wretched Fantasy
03:45
Writer: Rachika Nayar / Composers: Rachika Nayar
03
Nausea
Rachika Nayar
Our Wretched Fantasy
05:44
Writer: Rachika Nayar / Composers: Rachika Nayar
04
Heaven Come Crashing
Rachika Nayar
Our Wretched Fantasy
05:33
Writer: Rachika Nayar / Composers: Rachika Nayar
05
Heaven Come Crashing (The Sight Below Remix)
Rachika Nayar
Our Wretched Fantasy
06:12
Writer: Rachika Nayar / Composers: Rachika Nayar
2022 NNA Tapes
22-06-2022
Heaven Come Crashing
01
Heaven Come Crashing
Rachika Nayar
Heaven Come Crashing
05:33
Writer: Rachika Nayar / Composers: Rachika Nayar
02
Heaven Come Crashing (The Sight Below Remix)
Rachika Nayar
Heaven Come Crashing
06:12
Writer: Rachika Nayar / Composers: Rachika Nayar
2023 NNA Tapes
07-03-2023
Aveu (The Beginning Is a Farewell)
01
Aveu (The Beginning Is a Farewell)
MIZU
Aveu (The Beginning Is a Farewell)
04:53
Writer: Mizu / Composers: Mizu