Mae Krell
22 year old Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Mae Krell (they/them) have just released their new single, "colorblind”. The indie folk-pop single came after a fight with their partner and feeling like the world was ending.
Influenced by the likes of Bob Dylan, Phoebe Bridgers and Gregory Alan Isakov, Mae has been creating timeless songs that tell personal and vulnerable stories.
In addition to their artist career, Mae also runs the online publication Tongue Tied Magazine and recently founded Bitch Mgmt, a multimedia marketing and PR firm.
“colorblind” is now available worldwide :)
Photo credit: Sarah Midkiff
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
Hi! I’m Mae and I write sad songs as a way to be a less sad person. I grew up in New York City and have a dog named Apollo and a lizard named Basil who are my whole life.
What did you grow up listening to?
A big mix of things! My mom was more on the mellow end: Elton John, Simon & Garfunkel, The Shins. My dad, other than a lot of classic Israeli music, played a lot of The Who, Nirvana, Pink Floyd, etc.
Growing up, what were your favorite songs to sing along to?
I used to love to headbang to In Bloom!! I was also obsessed with Josh Groban as a kid.
When did you start writing songs? What made you want to write in the first place?
I wrote my first song when I was sixteen! I used to write (not great) poetry, which I started doing after a school assignment I was given in seventh grade. Eventually, I decided I wanted to make music and decided to try to make the poems into songs.
What gave you the confidence to release your first original music?
I don’t know if I necessarily ever had the confidence, or if I even do now. I just decided that I’d try and worst case it doesn’t work out, best case I get to keep doing it!
Who was the first person to ever believe in you?
My mom! Really following the stereotype here, haha.
How would you define Mae Krell?
Sad but hopeful. Grateful. Kind of a mess but in a fun way.
"colorblind" is your new single - what's the inspiration behind this single?
I fell in love for the first time this past year. Like, properly fell in love. We got into this one huge fight and we were in different states and I was sure things were going to be over right then and there and I wasn’t ready. In that moment it felt like the world was ending, and that’s when I wrote “colorblind.”
Could you describe the songwriting/production process for this single? Who helped you create it?
I wrote it at five in the morning or something crazy. I had been up for two days and read like 3 books and my brain was going completely wild. I was trying everything to distract myself from how I was feeling except writing about it. Once I had a rough version I texted it to Jakob (Leventhal) who produced the track. This was back in December, so we were doing everything 100% remotely. Jakob sent a rough track back, I sent him a rough vocal, and we just went back and forth and back and forth and back and forth and eventually there was a finalized song!
What did you feel when writing this song?
I was all over the place. Trying to avoid feeling as much as I could but obviously that didn’t work too well and I ended up with this song.
What made you want to release "colorblind" as a single?
I decided a bit ago that I’m just going to release singles until I felt like I was ready to put together a full body of work, and I’m still doing that! I’ve been trying to keep releases as close to the writing process as I can, so they represent my life as best as I can. This was just the next chapter.
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
This is a super difficult question! There’s so many positive things about the music industry today— how accessible it all is, how empowered young people are to make their own future and do what they want, how invested fans are in finding new artists to listen to. In the past, the industry and especially major labels were focused on finding and developing talent and that’s something that has completely changed over the years. So, I guess if I could change one thing it would be to bring the focus back to developing and supporting artists from beginning stages rather than waiting for them to do it all on their own.
What biggest life lessons have you learned so far?
The biggest thing I’ve learned as a musician is that everything takes time. Genuine and lasting growth is a long term process and it can sometimes be exhausting. You can make an incredible record and there’s always the chance no one will hear it— if you love what you’re doing, you’ll keep doing it regardless.
Outside of myself as a musician and just speaking as a person in 2021, gratitude is huge. If your goals are rooted in yourself rather than outer sources, and you’re able to step back and be grateful for what you have regardless of where you’re at, you’re always going to be satisfied. I don’t ever want to be a person who is bitter or unhappy, and learning to express and internalize gratitude has made all the difference.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
More kindness and honesty!
What message do you want to give to LGBTQIA+ communities?
You’re loved, you’re cared about and one day you’ll find people who will accept and support 150% of who you are. It might take time, but it’s worth the wait.
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