- Words Adina Ilie
The Brighton singer-songwriter is set for her big 2019 breakthrough.
With hauntingly flavoured lyrics imbued in her newly released tracks, Maisie Peters is on the cusp of breaking into her own. Barely 18 of age, the singer-songwriter started her career by posting her songs on YouTube before being swiftly whisked away into a record deal with Atlantic.
She’s recently supported Tom Walker on his UK and European leg of his tour and made an appearance on the George Ezra And Friends show and Communion Music’s charity gig. Her debut single Place We Were Made was BBC Introducing’s first 2018 song of the week, which gave it significant airplay across Radio 1; it also amassed one million streams in its first week of release (Aug 2017). Maisie has now clocked up over 60m global streams on Spotify with 3 million monthly listeners and growing.
Maisie has also recently released her debut EP Dressed Too Nice For A Jacket and she’s embarking on a sold-out debut UK headline tour and playing The Great Escape on Friday 10th of May.
We get up close and personal with the young breakthrough singer-songwriter…
Do you remember your dreams? Tell us about a recent dream you’ve had….
I have really vivid dreams but then nearly always forget them, unless I remember them straight away! However, I really remember dreaming that I was writing a Christmas song with Chris Martin and it was really good and then I woke up in the middle of the night and didn’t record it because I was like ‘I’ll defo remember in the morning’. Then I woke up properly and had forgotten. So I basically lost a potential subconscious Coldplay Christmas banger, it’s very distressing.
What is the closest you’ve ever come to death
Obviously not that close as I can’t remember anything that drastic. I once got a bit too tipsy and my friend had to carry me out a very tall unsturdy fire escape which was apparently quite dangerous but I don’t really remember which is classic me.
Tell us, what is your first memory of music?
Playing albums in the car, I think – I really remember the CD case of ‘ABBA Gold’ and pestering my parents to skip to the last song of the Plan B ‘Defamation of Strickland Banks’ album because I liked the horn section.
What’s your star sign? (and are you a typical *whatever your sign is*?)
Gemini, and apparently I am! I’m also a twin and the Gemini star sign is the twins, so maybe I’m double Gemini-y (even though I’m not sure I really believe in that stuff. Shhh don’t tell anyone).
When was the first time you had your heart broken? (who by? how did it feel? what did you do?)
Derek Shepherd in Season 1 of Grey’s Anatomy when Meredith says “pick me, choose me, love me” – I can still recite her speech line for line, emo 12 year-old me was living for it – and he picks his horrible New York ex-wife. Pretty sure I cried, and haven’t trusted men since.
Who was your first celebrity crush?
That’s hard! Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock, maybe? I had his calendar on my wall for a whole year in my tween stages.
Tell us one thing nobody / not many people know about you.
I’ve never seen a single Star Wars film and genuinely have no idea what the plot is, apart from a vague understanding that someone is someone else’s dad.
What would your biography be called?
‘Why Am I Like This’ or ‘Not Today, Satan’
What was the first song you ever wrote?
It was called ‘Sandcastles’ and it was about sand, I found it in a notebook the other day. In this same notebook I found the handwritten lyrics to ‘About You Now’ by the Sugababes which I think I tried to pass off as my own song as well hilariously for 10 year-old me.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
My own advice I continually give myself and others is that everyone is too self-absorbed to care about what you’re doing so just do it anyway because no one is really that bothered. In a nice way.
What has been your biggest achievement?
I think I have quite a few for an 18-year-old, but to get serious, probably being able to support myself full time as a musician because that is pretty wild when you think about it deeply.
Which fictional character do you most relate to and why?
Me and my friends had a long conversation about which Disney character everyone was when we were at Disneyland and it was decided I am a mix between Meg from Hercules and Jiminy Cricket. I do not disagree.
How was high school?
Really fun – however I’m a serial over-worker so I do think I maybe could have chilled out during my 14 year-old end of year exams and done some more fun stuff instead.
Who is the most famous person in your DMs?
That would be telling! But Shawn Mendes has been known to confess his deep undying love for me in my DMs from time to time so I guess maybe him. Or that Komodo dragon from that episode of ‘I’m A Celebrity’ where Joey Essex thinks it’s an actual dragon, either of those two.
Describe your own personal idea of hell…
A slap bass solo to the backing track of a badly played Cajon – the devils instrument I tell you!
What’s a lie you’ve told and what was the fall out?
I can’t think of a specific lie, although I am a big liar of convenience so I often lie a little bit in order to ease everybody/ life around me. Not my best trait but I am working on it!
Which super power would you most like to have, and why?
I would like to be able to teleport so I could get through airport security really fast and then be able to spend maximum time in the duty free makeup section. Or be able to lift really heavy things, that would be funny.
What is one album that totally changed your life?
Lots! But maybe ‘Alright, Still’ by Lily Allen – the lyricism and storytelling in that was probably one of the first examples of that I heard as a child and probably had a huge influence on how I write songs now.
When was the last time you cried and why?
I’m not a huge crier so this is difficult. Maybe when I missed my flight home from LA after a month out there because I left my passport in the safe – entirely my fault, I think I was crying in frustration of being such a massive idiot. Who doesn’t bring their passport to the airport! This guy.
Where/what will you be doing at the end of the world?
Furiously eating Nutella out of a jar and making a list of all the best things about myself so I have something to bargain with at the gates of hell. Or maybe reading Harry Potter for the last time.