The Marías

The Marías are an American indie pop band from Los Angeles, California. They are known for performing songs in both English and Spanish, as well as infusing their music with elements like jazz percussion, guitar riffs, smoke-velvet vocals, and horn solos.^[1] María Zardoya is the lead vocalist with Josh Conway on drums. In concert they are joined by Jesse Perlman on guitar, Doron Zounes on bass, Edward James on keyboards,^[2] and Gabe Steiner on trumpet.^[3] Carter Lee played bass with the band until his 2019 departure.^[4]

The Marías
The Marías performing at the Marquis Theatre in 2019
Background information
Origin	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Indie pop indie rock alternative pop psychedelic soul
Years active	2016–present
Members	María Zardoya Josh Conway Edward James Jesse Perlman
Past members	Carter Lee
Website	themarias.us

History

The band is named after its lead singer María Zardoya who was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. She and her partner Josh Conway, the drummer, met at a show at the Kibitz Room, the bar and music venue inside Canter's Deli in Los Angeles.^[5] She was performing on the bill and he was managing the sound, something he had never done before. They began writing almost immediately after meeting, and subsequently began dating.^[6] Soon they recruited close friends to join as band members; Edward James on keyboards, and guitarist Jesse Perlman.^[7] They were offered an opportunity to make songs for television, which helped them understand the visual and sonic feel that they were striving for,^[5] but when it did not materialize, they used their recordings to make an EP, entitled Superclean Vol. I.^[2] Vol. I was released in 2017, while its counterpart Vol. II was released in 2018.^[8] In 2020-2021, the Marías quietly signed to Atlantic Records. In September 2021, their single "Hush" topped the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart, becoming their first chart-topping single.^[9] On November 23, the Recording Academy announced that band's debut album Cinema was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.^[10] In 2022, the band went on tour in promotion of Cinema and opened for Halsey on her Love and Power Tour.

In 2018, they collaborated with Triathalon on the song "Drip" released as a single.

In 2022, they collaborated with Bad Bunny on the song "Otro Atardecer" from his album Un Verano Sin Ti.

In 2023, they collaborated with Cuco on the song "Si Me Voy" released as a single. In 2023, they collaborated with Tainy and Young Miko on the song "Mañana" from Tainy's album Data.

Influences

María Zardoya has stated that her influences include the late Tejano singer Selena, Norah Jones, Sade, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Carla Morrison, Julieta Venegas, Erykah Badu, and filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar, while Conway is influenced by Tame Impala, Radiohead, D'Angelo, and The Strokes.^[11][12]

Zardoya stated that although Conway was not familiar with her Spanish roots, the band was nevertheless open to experimenting with new styles, ultimately leading to several Spanish-language tracks across their releases.^[5]

Discography

Studio albums

• Cinema (2021) – No. 176 US Billboard 200^[13]

Extended plays

• Superclean Vol. I (2017)
• Superclean Vol. II (2018)

Singles

• "Drip" (featuring Triathlon) (2018)
• "...Baby One More Time" (2019)
• "Out for the Night" (live) (2019)
• "Hold It Together" (2020)
• "Jupiter" (2020)
• "Exit Music for a Film" (2020)
• "Care for You" (2020)
• "Bop It Up!" (2020)
• "We're the Lucky Ones" (2020)
• "Hush" (2021)
• "Un Millón" (2021)
• "Little by Little" (2021)
• "Kyoto" (The Marías Remix) (2021)
• "In or In-Between" (Remix) (2021)
• "Hush" (Still Woozy Remix) (2021)
• "Hush" (Spotify Singles) (2021)
• "Dakiti" (Spotify Singles) (2021)
• "Si Me Voy" (featuring Cuco) (2023)
• "Mañana" (with Tainy and Young Miko) (2023)

References

1. "There's Something About The Marías". Vice. November 2, 2018. from the original on October 10, 2019. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
2. "Why the bilingual Marías are 'the perfect indie band for L.A. kids'". Los Angeles Times. March 29, 2019. from the original on October 10, 2019. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
3. "The Marías - María On The Band's Forthcoming Album". April 19, 2022. from the original on August 6, 2021. Retrieved June 4, 2021 – via Flaunt.
4. "Interview with the Marías". April 20, 2022. from the original on June 1, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2022 – via Fender.
5. Jackson, Jhoni (December 13, 2017). "Meet the Marías, the LA Band Making Dreamy Vintage Pop for Lazy Pool Days". remezcla.com. from the original on July 30, 2019. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
6. "Meet María, the Frontwoman Mastering '90s Minimalist Makeup and Self-Care on Tour". Vogue. August 15, 2019. from the original on October 25, 2021. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
7. "Bilingual Indie group the Marías blurs the lines between fantasy and reality". Detroit Metro Times. from the original on October 26, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
8. "Music Review: Superclean, Vol. II by The Marías". Associated Press. October 25, 2018. from the original on October 10, 2019. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
9. "Chart History: The Marias". Billboard Magazine. from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
10. "2022 GRAMMYs Awards: Complete Nominations List". GRAMMY.com. November 23, 2021. from the original on November 25, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
11. "Q&A: The Marías Craft Sensual & Timeless Music That Will Make You Fall in Love (or Lust)". onestowatch. from the original on October 10, 2019. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
12. "Maria, de The Marías, nos platica sobre su participación en GRRRL Noise 2019". Time Out México. March 4, 2019. from the original on October 10, 2019. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
13. "The Marias Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved May 27, 2022.