SXSW Artist Spotlight: Maz
360°Sound chatted with Marley Guevara, who goes by the stage name Maz, for this edition of our SXSW Artist Spotlight series. An indie pop singer from Logan, Utah, Maz’s debut EP, NPC, is set for release April 4 on the Winspear label. The singles “Too Bad,” “Kiss Kiss Boom,” and “Conundrums” are out now. In this exclusive interview, Maz talks about her influences, growing up in Utah, mixing Blondie and Grimes, and more.
Maz will be playing two official showcases at SXSW 2025: March 13 – Planetary Showcase @ Valhalla (9 p.m.) and March 15 – The Fiji House Showcase @ Belmont (9 p.m.)
Editor’s Note: This Q&A has been edited for length and clarity. Scroll to the bottom to view the full video interview, or visit our YouTube channel, @360degreesound.
360°Sound: How was it growing up in Utah?
Maz: Growing up here was really cool. I think it made me really learn how to find weird references and things that inspired me, because no one else was really doing it. It’s a gift and also a curse I feel like. It’s nice to have creatives around you, for sure, but it’s also nice to just kind of pull from whatever and make something out of it.
Tell us about your interest in music and your decision to pursue it as a career.
I’ve always wanted to be a creative. I grew up with two parents that are entrepreneurs in art. One’s a designer, and one’s a Victorian jewelry reseller. I’ve always been interested in the arts and creating. I’ve always loved music, I just didn’t know I could do it. And then I started making stuff on SoundCloud with YouTube beats and FL Studio with my friends, and I was just really inspired by the electronic scene I grew up in.
I love snowboarding, so a lot of indie electronic stuff was going on during that time in the snowboarding world I grew up in. Early 2000s stuff like Santigold, Daft Punk, and MGMT, that stuff has always felt really nostalgic and fun and exciting to me, and it feels very much home. So that’s kind of the sound I’ve been trying to create.
What do you hope to get out of your SXSW experience?
I’m excited to meet people. I just barely started playing live. I got back from tour with Wallice, and I loved the change of crowds and scenery and just trying to adjust and be flexible. I honestly have no idea what to expect with SXSW, but I’m excited to just feel the energy and try to play live the best I can. It’ll be fun.
How did your shows go when you were touring with Wallice?
Honestly, it was so fun, and it was such a good learning experience. I feel like I grew so much in a week. The first show was really rough and really scary. I just had a lot of nerves. And then the rest of the shows, I just felt like it was really addicting, because I just wanted to get better every time. I’m ready to play live again for SXSW. I’m excited.
Tell us a little bit about your forthcoming EP NPC.
NPC has some songs I’ve been sitting on for the past two years. I’ve been wanting to introduce more layers to what I can create. I wanted to do a little bit more. I want to keep things electronic, but I also wanted to introduce more ‘60s and ‘70s instruments. And I also wanted to show different layers of my voice.
I don’t think I’ve done a lot of slower songs or using lower parts of my voice, so I wanted to kind of introduce a world of different avenues I could go. For my music and the genre I’m doing, I’ve been realizing what I’m wanting to do with this EP. It’s kind of like, ‘Look what I can do. This is me. Here’s a little taste.’
You said your new single “Too Bad” was your favorite on the EP. Talk about the vibes that you wanted with that particular song.
I love early Blondie, when they were doing more of the surf-y stuff. I feel like that song resonated more to me. I just thought about Debbie Harry and Grimes, and I wanted to combine more of an ethereal, surf-y sound, which I personally love to listen to. And I kind of wrote it without any lyrics, just weird melodies, and so I’m happy that it worked out the way it did.
Do you usually come up with a melody first? Or are you writing lyrics first?
I usually start with poems or lyrics. But that was the first one where I was just like, Okay, let’s write the melody first and then put the lyrics in. And it was definitely good. I think I’ll definitely make more songs like that.
What are your goals for your career?
Honestly, I just want to make more music. I want to play around and push what I can do as an artist. I’m really looking forward to storytelling more and figuring out who I am as an artist and what I want to represent. I feel like I’m so new, but I’m very stoked to see what surfaces the more I work on it, and I’m excited for it all. I’m just riding the wave, see how long I can go.
You have several music videos for the songs on your forthcoming EP. Has coming up with visuals to go with your songs been something you’ve enjoyed?
Yeah, growing up with a designer for a father, I feel like I’ve always been very particular. Actually, the biggest and hardest thing I’ve learned in music is that I’m such a perfectionist and learning how to communicate my vision visually and figuring out what I want to represent and do. It’s been really fun working with people and trying to do that.
The past two music videos have been super fun, and I have all these crazy ideas, and then we end up being like, ‘OK, we have like three hours to record this.’ I’m definitely looking forward to having bigger budgets and more planning and time to do what I want to do. That’s something I’m very excited for.
Here’s the complete guide to Maz’s Austin appearances during SXSW:
March 13 – Planetary Showcase @ Valhalla (9 p.m.)
March 14 – Winspear Showcase @ Cheer Up Charlie’s (3 p.m.)
March 15 – Save the Music Showcase @ Proper Hotel (8 p.m.)
March 15 – The Fiji House Showcase @ Belmont (9 p.m.)
