Ava Maybee returns to Phoenix, chats about new EP

Ava Maybee has been in the music business for years, but in some ways is just getting started. The smoky-voiced 23-year-old just released an EP titled Orange Drive. Although it only contains six tracks, it speaks volumes about her life and limerence. You can catch her live on her return to Phoenix, June 10, at Valley Bar.

Maybee has music in her blood. Her mother is a professional singer, and you may know of her dad, Chad Smith; he’s been the Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer since 1988. With that kind of background, she could rely on them for success, but that’s what Maybee chose not to do. Instead, she made a name for herself, on her own, getting recognition for her single “Colors” in 2021.

If a hit single weren’t enough, she walked out of her Los Angeles front door and into Hollywood after a successful audition on the 20th season of American Idol, where she placed in the top 40.

With a full-bodied whisky voice in tune with her guitar, Maybee has taken to the road for a tour that ends in Milwaukee this month. Phoenix New Times talked to this budding artist ahead of her upcoming local show. We discussed why she is labeled as “alternative” when that almost seems too broad of a description. We also talked about her inspirations, why this EP is so important to her and her plans for the future.

Phoenix New Times: You seem to have a passion for storytelling and not just storytelling in general, but about your life. I can tell these songs you have written for your new EP “Orange Drive” have come from a very personal place, and I feel like you’re transitioning into adult storytelling, but kind of apprehensive about it. Is that true, or am I just talking out of my rear end?

Ava Maybee: No, no, I definitely think that’s true. I think it comes with the territory. The older I get, I feel a bigger responsibility because I have younger fans to be very open and honest with, and I’m not afraid to embarrass myself.

I was listening to your single “Colors” in the car the other day and was like, 'OK, yeah, she’s taking a boss bitch type attitude,' and I wondered how you've been hurt or if the pangs of adolescence have you realizing, 'Man, this is the world, and what a lesson.'

Yeah.

As I said in my first question, the human connection seems important to you. Are you more curious about how people bond or how they go their separate ways?

I think both are equally beautiful.

This EP is basically your firstborn. Were you worried about how people would receive this collection? You have a history in the industry; both of your parents are in the music field. Did you have any apprehension?

I feel very confident with the music. It’s taken me a long time to get to where I’d like to be sonically, and I think that just comes with age and it comes with practice and refining your palate and refining your ear. I was honestly just very excited to put out the project just ’cause I put out 11 singles before; that’s literally an entire album, so I was excited to tell a story; really, the EP is about the last four years of my life.

Apple Music labels you as “alternative.” Are you happy with that?

Honestly, I think it’s perfect because it’s not really a genre. It’s just kind of left of center of pop, I guess, is how I would describe it. I mean, obviously, you have to put specific genres when you put it on DSPs because they need to make sure to know how to pitch it playlist-wise, but I’ve definitely sort of gone through a couple of different genres. I mean, they’ve all been pop, but I’ve kind of landed on what me and my team call ‘Indie pop’ with a sprinkle of rock, which really is just alternative I guess.

Pop is an easy way to write messages about bad relationships, but I don’t think you fit into that category.

Right, yeah, I mean it’s definitely a very interesting point of conversation with my team or anyone who helps me in terms of promoting my music, just because all I care about is that it’s authentic. I don’t really care what genre it goes into. I wear the title of pop artist very proudly because you know, pop is just popular music, it’s very broad, so I would love to make popular music. Popular music is my favorite thing to do.”

I noticed you use interesting guitar choices in your songs. You love to change up the soundscape mid-song, like incorporating a musical bridge that goes against the flow of the lyrics. I noticed that you love to surprise the listener. Is that true?

I work with these two collaborators that I absolutely adore, and one of them is a really, really incredible guitar player; he studied jazz guitar at Berkeley, and he’s very prolific. He always just makes really incredible choices melodically with the guitar. I always think about melodies first before lyrics, so I’m humming out what I want the guitar to sound like. I play guitar but definitely not as well as him. About half of the melodies I have hummed to him and then he can play it on his guitar.

You say you’re inspired by Motown, but listening to your songs, especially “Colors (Recolored),” they also have that mellow California beach vibe of the ’70s singer-songwriter era. Are you inspired by that as well?

That’s a great question. It was really more of a challenge to write interesting melodies and interesting lyrics. Like [Colors] is only two chords, so it was really just kind of a race to see how many melodies and lyrics we could come up with. I like the simplicity of the song. But yeah, definitely in terms of California sounds, like I’m born and raised here. We had a lot of Joni Mitchell playing in the house. I am a huge, huge Mamas and Papas fan.”

In “Colors,” you mention an orange car. Did you have an orange car?

I drive an orange car. I still drive my orange car — the same one from high school.

So, what’s next for you?

So I will be going on tour. It’s a mixture of my tour and then also festival dates; I’m starting at BottleRock in Napa. And then I’ll do all of the West Coast, and then I end my tour for a hometown show in Los Angeles at the Roxy. And then a couple days later I’ll fly out to Summerfest in Milwaukee and I’ll play that festival. Then there’s the Warped Tour that’s happening in Long Beach, so I will be playing that as well, and then after that,it’ss new music.

AvaMaybee’s Gold Star Sticker tour is at 7:30 p.m. June 10 at Valley Bar, 130 North Central Avenue. Annika Rose and Daddy open. Tickets are $21.19.