by emma schoors
photo by antalia martin
Bailey Furman, Hamish Hunter, David Porter, and Joe Hildreth make up the York-based band Mayfire, and though their beginnings only stretch back to 2023, airplay from Radio X, Radio 1 and the emergence of an ever-growing online fanbase prove it’s been a whirlwind first year for the English rockers.
The name Mayfire — not to be confused with Memphis May Fire — derived from a song Furman wrote about relationships dissolving around summertime, when the comfort and warmth of a winter romance turn to restlessness and a desire to break free. So became the band, who met organically through the local York music scene and began writing original material together.
Their first releases, “Skylines” and “Faker,” garnered modest support, but it was “Telephone” that piqued the interests of 200k+ users on social media. With observational lyricism, thrashing choruses, and the injection of progressive and older rock elements, their sound has provided them with ample opportunity to form an attentive following.
Mayfire’s single “Without You” continues their slow, steady climb of the indie rock ladder, doubling down on their no-nonsense approach to the genre. We had the chance to sit down with lead singer Furman to discuss how the band formed, their typical writing process, the immense success of “Telephone,” and what comes next for the four-piece.
Thank you so much for taking the time! Before we get to your single “Without You,” I’d love to start with how Mayfire came to be. Can you take me through how you all know each other, and the beginnings of the band?
Bailey: “Hamish and I have been writing songs together for a few years and really enjoyed that, so when we felt like it was time to move things to the stage and try our hand at live performance we thought, ‘You know what? We need more musicians.’ We asked Joe, who we knew from the local York music scene and met in a bar, if we would want to drum and I told my mate David that he was playing bass for us. After a couple of gigs, we were having so much fun that we decided to officially be a ‘band’ and we haven’t stopped since then!”
Is there a shared goal/dream that drove you all to want to form the group?
Bailey: “A love of music was definitely the starting point and once we realized we could really connect with people that was what we started striving for.”
Who are some artists you all look to for influence lyrically and sonically? Any bands you’d be starstruck touring or collaborating with?
Bailey: “The four of us all enjoy different flavors of the indie rock genre. I know Hamish loves some older rock, whereas Joe is more into his prog rock and me and David enjoy more of the indie folk/alternative artists. Think The Backseat Lovers, Father John Misty, things like that.”
As for your own material, how does the typical Mayfire track come to life? Do you start with lyrics and build a melody from there, or vice versa?
Bailey: “Historically, our set has been made up of songs that either me or me and Hamish have written. It almost always starts with some sort of guitar melody or riff that gets built around to become a whole track. Going forward, we’re trying to make the writing process more collaborative between us and figure out writing songs as a band.”
“Telephone” has garnered an insane amount of support so far. How does it feel to know so many people are resonating with the band, and this song specifically?
Bailey: “It’s kind of mad. It’s crazy to think that so many people enjoy what we’re putting out. You see the numbers we’re pulling online and it’s hard to visualize that many people actually interacting with something we’ve written. To think that someone walking around a supermarket in America might be listening to ‘Telephone’ on their headphones while doing their shopping is mad.”
What drives you to make music?
Bailey: “For us, it’s just something we do. Some people get in the habit of writing a diary, we do the same but with writing music. Like I could work a 9-5 for ten years and get rich but still feel like I’ve not got anything done because I haven’t written a good song. It’s gotta be done.”
Congratulations on your newest release, “Without You!” What inspired this track, and were there any specific experiences you were pulling from lyrically?
Bailey: “Thank you! Nobody ever believes me when I say this, but honestly, one night me and the band all sat down to watch Pixar’s Cars 2 and that film just changed me. I had to write about it. But we tell people that and they never believe us.”
You’re currently gaining massive traction on social media — on Instagram alone you’re averaging hundreds of new followers a day, which will surely add up in the long run. What’s your strategy like in terms of building a fanbase?
Bailey: “Early on we sat down and we thought we can either try and be professional and marketable and do social media properly or we could just have some fun with it. We post a mix of stuff to promote gigs and songs but also just whatever we think is funny or our followers might enjoy. It’s quite literally been throwing stuff into the void and seeing what sticks — and it seems some of our stuff has stuck quite well! Don’t ask us for any tips though — we don’t know what we’re doing.”
How do you envision Mayfire in a year's time?
Bailey: “In a year's time we hope to be releasing more music on a higher budget and getting out there and touring. All the music is made for us to play gigs with, so the more shows we can be doing to more people the better!”