On the Rise: Maeve McMahon
By Natalie McCarty
Maeve McMahon moves through music on her own terms. Born in Boston and now based in Miami, she spends her days performing, songwriting, and shaping a sound that blends indie alt-rock, folk-tinged grit, and raw feminine energy. Her music is lived-in and intense, balancing vulnerability with force, with every performance designed to move listeners physically and emotionally, inviting them to feel seen and connected to her story.
“I want the people I’m sharing my music with to feel seen and hear my life story,” Maeve says. “As a more edgy powerhouse vocalist, my goal is to impact others greatly to move with me physically and emotionally.”
Photo Credit: @melborgesphoto
Maeve describes her sound as something that is constantly evolving, shaped by her experiences and emotions. “As I’ve continued writing more music, my sound shapes to the world around me and how I’m currently feeling. This keeps my sound ever-changing, and why my genres vary. But they somehow morph together into my own sound every time, where I’m not tied to one of them, but all of them at once. Nothing is meant to stay the same; therefore, neither do I, and neither does my music. This is how I know I’m on the right track because my sound always finds me through the chaos of trying new things.” She adds, “I feel most connected to a more moody divine feminine energy right now that resembles strength and optimism. So I embody that into my music, encapsulating the main genres of alternative indie rock and a little country.”
When discussing her influences, their imprint becomes clear: Mazzy Star inspires her atmospheric soul, Alanis Morissette shapes her unfiltered lyricism, Miley Cyrus brings power with a subtle country edge, Yungblud fuels emotional intensity, and Julia Wolf adds grunge elegance. Rather than imitating these artists, Maeve draws from their fearlessness as she explores her own voice and experiences.
Her new single, “Recklessly Blind,” out December 5th, is her most personal release yet. It’s the first track she’s recorded with her full band playing live, creating a dynamic where her voice moves in tandem with the instruments. Written when she was nineteen, it channels pent-up rage from a past relationship she hadn’t fully expressed.
Photo Credit: @melborgesphoto
“I want people to feel shocked, empowered, and joyful listening for the first time. I want people to dance and scream as if they’re telling the person they never got to speak their truth to for the first time. This song’s meant to be an anthem to release emotions and feel the adrenaline to lift you. It’s meant to lift the weight off your shoulders and remind everyone [that] we experience this in our own ways. So you gotta let that shit build you, not break you.”
The track opens dramatically before spiraling into high-energy chaos, propelled by percussion, distortion, and Maeve’s voice. It mirrors the tension and release that run throughout her work, exploring messy relationships, emotional highs and lows, and the process of finding oneself
Photo Credit: @melborgesphoto
Offstage, Maeve is spontaneous, playful, and adventurous. “I come off with a strong voice and big energy, but behind the scenes, I’m more spontaneous and adventurous, always looking for new things to inspire me on a deeper level,” she says. She’s goofy in the studio to capture authentic moments, climbs mountains despite a fear of heights, and surrounds herself with people who challenge her creatively and believe in her as much as she believes in her music.
Photo Credit: Meghan Tinelli
Maeve’s creative process is intuitive. She writes constantly, pulling from new experiences, relationships, and emotional extremes. She isn’t afraid of vulnerability or combining raw honesty with confident energy. “I lead with feelings and the constant change of life and how to find beauty and strength within it,” she says. Her music reflects that growth, offering listeners a place to release emotion and connect with what she shares.
Maeve McMahon’s music refuses to fit neatly into a genre, and she wouldn’t want it to. It’s personal, dynamic, and alive. With her new single, she invites audiences deeper into her world. “Recklessly Blind” will be available to stream on December 5th.
