by emma schoors
photo by whitney otte
If romance could be bottled, “Rendezvous” by blossoming musician Nora Mae would fit the bill.
Elegant vocals are laid above a gentle bed of guitar in her debut single. In just three minutes, with just two core chords, Mae ushers listeners to a Spanish countryside, a Parisian balcony, a lush forest. The sounds hark back to an endless array of tranquil landscapes. In this tranquility lies an undercurrent of sensuality and danger, as Mae describes the uncertainty that is inherent in intimate relationships. She ponders, “Should I let myself go to these places, and will you meet me there?” Mae’s knack for escapism is sure to land her a devoted following in the years to come, but for now, her tight-knit audience can revel in knowing they are part of the inception of a sound so classic, yet so timely.
We had the chance to speak with Mae recently about her musical beginnings, the wondrous single, and her upcoming EP.
Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us! Before we get to your stunning new single, I wanted to start a little further back. What was your first memory of music?
Nora: “Well, thank you so much. It’s so wonderful to get to chat with you, thank you for having me! That is a great question. My earliest memories of music were definitely watching my grandmother perform. I’m not sure it’s the first, but one of the most vivid memories I have is being underneath the moving staircase when she was on the Cinderella tour. I must have been about five years old.”
Did you always know you wanted to be a musician, or did you at any point in time have a different dream career?
Nora: “Oh, I always knew. There was a period of my life when I went to college and entertained the idea of a different path. I thought about being a psychologist, or working for an advertising agency. I even gave working a 9-5 job a try, but I knew instantly that something was missing and it wasn’t right for me.”
Who were some of your absolute favorite artists growing up?
Nora: “It’s so hard to narrow down because my taste really changed all the time growing up. I went through quite a few phases. I always loved Alicia Keys, she’s been a constant for me, Adele, Ed Sheeran, John Mayer, Coldplay, Beyoncé, Amy Winehouse. The list could go on and on depending on which season of my life I was in.”
In what ways do you think these artists influenced the way you make music, and view music in general?
Nora: “I think what all of those artists have in common that really inspires me are powerful storytelling and versatility. They’ve all made songs that were ‘upbeat’ and songs that were ‘sad,’ but still achieved such cohesivity and distinctiveness in their style. If you heard a song you’d never heard before, you could probably still identify as theirs. In terms of sound and production, there’s nothing that sounds too fake, which I love. It’s a lot of minimalist, but interesting production using live, organic instrumentation and natural sounding vocals.”
“Rendezvous,” your debut single, is a beautiful introduction to your discography. Can you take us through the songwriting process for this track?
Nora: “Thank you so much for saying so. The songwriting process for this one was interesting, because we wrote it at the height of the pandemic over Zoom. I was in the woods with my dog, and my producer and co-writers were in Los Angeles, and it was the first time the three of us had worked together, mind you, so I really had no idea what to expect but I had a good gut feeling about it. We started out just chatting about life and how we were all faring in Covid times, the direction I saw the music heading down, and conceptually what I wanted to write about. I came in with a lot of thoughts and musings written so as I spoke it through and gave context, my co-writer, Alexa, would write down things that stood out to her. With that, we started to build the story and how it would flow. We want to say ‘X’ in the first verse and have it lead to ‘Y’ in the hook, and so on. And my producer, Mark, started poking around on the guitar trying to match the mood based off of some of the reference tracks I had pulled and of course, he nailed it instantly. It was two chords, but it was perfect. And then, it all just started to come together. I recorded vocals as we went along and would export them and we’d add them in, which is the only time we’ve ever done that. We usually save that for the end of the session or have a session solely for vocals. All-in-all, we were probably on Zoom for nearly 10 hours. I remember I took my laptop with me as I brushed my teeth, washed my face, and got in bed since I was on a later time zone, and we kept working. We were buzzing. It was magic.”
photo by whitney otte
You cited “Bang Bang” by Nancy Sinatra and “Fever” by Peggy Lee as reference tracks. What about these songs specifically inspired you?
Nora: “The sexiness and the mystery. They’re both very simple in production and vocal style, so laissez-faire. When I listen, I feel like I’m in a classic film, sitting in the back of a smoke-filled jazz club locking eyes with a stranger. And that’s where I wanted to be. That’s the energy I wanted to bring.”
“Rendezvous” connects classic vocal styles with lyrics attuned to the modern listener. How do you hope audiences react to this song?
Nora: “I really hope they feel the sense of nostalgia and timelessness, and get lost in it. I love the idea that this song could invoke romanticism and playfulness for the listener to fill in their own fantasy. Mostly, I just want to make people smile and feel that sense of escapism, even just for a few minutes.”
Is there anything else you’d like to share with fans about your creative plans for the future?
Nora: “Well, I plan to release my debut EP later this year that ‘Rendezvous’ will be a part of, so stay tuned for more music. That’s really my main focus right now, but lots more planned down the line so you can keep up with me on social media and come along for the ride!”