Credit: Tristan Paiige

The new collection finds Japanese-American songwriter Maria Maita-Keppeler digging into that crippling oxymoron of modern communication — constant bombardment paired with utter disconnection. Along with guitarist/producer Matthew Zeltzer, bassist Nevada Sowle, and multi-instrumentalist Cooper Trail, Maita-Keppeler picks apart the smallest moments of confusion, uncertainty, and disconnection to achieve incredible emotional heights.

I Just Want To Be Wild For You grasps passionately for a world that too often seems at a gauzy distance, framing complex ideas with visceral songs that sink immediately into the heart. MAITA have announced an extensive national tour, making stops in Los Angeles, Seattle, Phoenix, Denver and more. Visit MAITA’s WEBSITE for dates and tickets

Maita Tour Dates

2/18: Walla Walla, WA @ Billsville House Show
2/19: Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
2/25: San Luis Obispo, CA @ A Satellite of Love
2/26: Los Angeles, CA @ Junior High
3/1: Phoenix, AZ @ Trunk Space
3/3: Trinidad, CO @ Trinidad Lounge
3/4: Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive
3/5: Fort Collins, CO @ Surfside 7
3/6: Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
3/8: Reno, NV @ Holland Project
3/9: Davis, CA @ Veterans Memorial Theatre
3/10: Bend, OR @ Volcanic Theatre Pub
3/11: Seattle, WA @ Barboza
3/12: Bellingham, WA @ The Shakedown
3/18: Austin, TX @ Kill Rock Stars showcase – SXSW
3/23 – 3/27: Boise, ID @ Treefort Music Fest

What’s your story as an artist?

-I began writing songs in high school, and fell in love with the freedom that the outlet allowed for me to express my emotions. I can be a highly emotional person, but I tend to regulate what I show to others because I’m always worried about saying or conveying something that is untrue or unfair. Songwriting gave me the opportunity to explore both at once. I loved how I could take my time to distill exactly what it is I was feeling and communicate it, but also able to release it in a way I couldn’t in my daily life. When I moved to Portland, and a few years afterwards began playing with a rock band and touring, this palette only continued to grow wider and more rewarding for me. 

What do you want your music to communicate?

–I want my music to communicate some kind of truth, to capture an emotion, no matter how nuanced or how visceral, and present it in a way that can produce feeling. I gained so much from having this same connection with the artists who I grew up listening to. 

What are some sources of inspiration for your storytelling?

–Relationships are a huge source of inspiration for me, between romantic partners, between friends, between family members—we feel so many complex emotions within our connections with others, and it can be so challenging to figure out why we react in certain ways, or feel a certain way. I’m endlessly curious about the gravitational pull we have on one another as humans, and songwriting can be a really amazing way to explore this. 

Who is an artist that you look up to more than others today?

-I’ve been looking up to Big Thief a lot lately. It is so difficult these days to continue to create without compromise. It’s a fear that I struggle with, and it’s always refreshing to see the ways in which they continue to create music that feels like it is tapping into something authentic, special.

What’s the record or artist that made you realize you wanted to be an artist?

-As a high school indie kid I dove hard into Bright Eyes. I listened non-stop and remember finally seeing them live in 2010, and that was the moment I realized that I definitely wanted to be a participant in the world of music, and not just a listener, and decided to pursue music professionally. 

Tell us about your latest release and how it came about

–Honey, Have I Lost It All? Is the latest single off our upcoming album. It was written in a bout of frustration over the difficulty of writing a good song, a song that feels effortless. At times I feel worried that I’ve lost something, that I won’t be able to write another good song. I was in a sense chasing my own creativity with this song, which is how the music video idea came about (me running after something and essentially going in circles). When we recorded it, it was clear it would be loud and fast and frantic, echoing the subject matter. 

What inspires your sound?

-So many things. As an adolescent, I loved the pairing of a good song with an emotional or intense scene in a show or a movie, and would think endlessly about how music could accentuate an emotional high or a low so acutely. I think that’s why I like a good amount of sonic and melodic drama in my music. Our band members also inspire the sound—they are all songwriters themselves, Matthew Zeltzer, Nevada Sowle, Cooper Trail, and so they really play things by feel, and react to the subject and emotion of the song very intuitively. I trust them to write arrangements that serve the melody and lyrics, and that is how a MAITA song is recorded.

What’s your favorite tune of yours?

–All my songs hold a place of importance for me, because they capture a different moment in time, no matter how brief. Songs loop around again at times too, old memories become relevant within the patterns of our lives. At this very moment A Beast is resonating with me again (as it did when I first wrote it.) The release at the chorus is something that I’ve been craving as of late. 

Where are some things you really want to accomplish as an artist?

–If I was able to stay inspired, and find truth and authenticity in my songwriting for the rest of my life, I think that would be the biggest accomplishment as an artist. I do fear the idea that I might run out of things to say musically, which is something I’ve seen happen to other artists. I think part of staying inspired is continuing to challenge yourself in other aspects of your life, continuing to put yourself in the path of learning, listening, so as an artist I never want to lose that practice. 

Favorite lyric you ever wrote?

-Also so difficult. I think the lyrics for “Boy” off “Best Wishes:”

Your anger sleeps ‘neath your skin

my memories eat from within

but you have your medicine

and I have my medicine

I like tricking myself into thinking I’m going to come up with a rhyme, and then deciding in the end that the truth might simply be the same word again. This song feels so simple in its writing but I felt like I fully captured the turmoil of this relationship, sweet and out of control at the same time, and I was proud of that.

Was there ever a moment when you felt like giving up?

– Definitely. Any time you don’t get a response from an audience, you get rejected, or you have a bad show, a part of you wonders if you are choosing the right path. I worry all the time about whether people want to hear my music, whether I’m not using my time and efforts on something that is worthwhile, or whether I’m just chasing something that is fruitless. 

What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten?

–This relates to the answer above. The best advice is that you’re going to have bad shows forever, at every stage of your career. You will be faced with rejection and you will get discouraged, others will do better than you. I played a lot of bad gigs when I first started, and I’m so grateful for those days because I know how to finish a show in high spirits even when the entire bar is talking and not paying attention. 

Where do you think the next game changer will be in the music industry and entertainment scene?

-With covid I saw a huge influx in creative, DIY, outdoor shows that have felt more spontaneous and extremely special. I like the idea that this trend will continue to grow, and that the kinds of shows and touring we can do will expand and become even more creative, inclusive, and special.