New single: So You Think

My latest single came out on 8 March 2022, International Women’s Day!

‘So You Think’ is a laid-back jazz track featuring some serious piano chops, swinging upright bass, and a chihuahua. It’s the first single from my new jazz-inspired album, Little Dutch Songbook.

Written together with my brilliant friend Becci Wallace, the song is our response to society’s expectations of women. To look young and beautiful. To leave the technical stuff to the guys. As you may have guessed, we don’t think so!

In honour of International Women’s Day, I made the track with an all-female team. I mixed and produced ‘So You Think’ myself. Emily Magpie mastered it. And it has Kerry Politzer (USA) on piano, and Madalena Graça (DE) on double bass.

The track got a wonderful reception – it was played on BBC Radio 6 Music by Tom Robinson, it was voted a favourite on Fresh on the Net, local radio stations played it. I couldn’t be happier!

Artwork

I’ve been making more arty visuals for Dora Lachaise; I guess it slipped into my own work as well!

Reviews

“the piano is fluid and has a lightness of touch that seems to inspire all around it and Maaike’s vocal performance is characteristically commanding and appealing” Trust the Doc

“agile vocal delivery and storytelling.(…) Jaunty piano and double bass provide the relaxed bedrock for Maaike’s amusing take down of the traditional male expectations of a women’s place.” fifty3.net

“So You Think put a real smile on my face this week … the chihuahua is a brilliant touch. … I love how it’s delivered with a wry smile.”Fresh on the Net

A song from lockdown: Clockmaker

For me, one highlight in these gloomy times is being part of an online songwriting group! We set songwriting challenges every Sunday, write and record a demo during the week, and share our songs in a massive online meeting on Saturday evening.

Last week’s task was to write a song using real-world sounds. I love big grandfather clocks, so I wrote a song with one! You can hear it here:

I sent Clockmaker to the BBC, and within days DJ Adam Crowther played it on his show Upload, on BBC Radio Bristol! He said: “Quite sinister-sounding, but beautiful nonetheless.”

The song will be available on a digital compilation album, in support of music venues in Glastonbury – they’ve supported my music in the past, so I wanted to do something back. 

You can pre-order the album here, if you’d like to help! (There’s a lot more great local music on there.)

Cover art of Glastonbury Calling album

And if you’re curious about the songwriting group, you can hear wondrous new music from my friends and me here: Songs from Lockdown.