Maya Lane may have grown up far from Nashville, but the path to country music began in her dad’s car on everyday drives in and around London. “He’d play a different album or genre every day,” she recalls. “Country and folk — Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Johnny Cash — were the ones I latched onto. Their storytelling really drew me in.” Then came Taylor Swift. “I was ten and thought, ‘This is the best thing ever.’ That’s how country started for me.”
Writing From the Heartland of Emotion
For years, Maya loved the genre but struggled to see where she fit. That changed at thirteen, when Kacey Musgraves released Golden Hour. “I’d heard her before, but that album became my escape. I was being badly bullied and Golden Hour just resonated. It mixed pop, folk, country, Americana — and made me realise there’s space for everyone to shape country music their own way.”
Long before melodies came lyrics. Maya first turned journal pages into songwriting when she wrote Up, Up Up at ten. “I came home from school after being bullied and just scribbled in my journal all my thoughts and everything I was sad and angry about The first line was ‘You push me down to the ground.’ That became the start of the song.” She laughs, “It’s somewhere on the internet — I’ve been trying to get it taken down. Please don’t look!”
Emotion continues to guide Maya’s writing — but she doesn’t always wait for hindsight. “I think it’s a real mix,” she says. “There’s something that, with hindsight, you’re able to gain another perspective on. But some songs have to be written in the moment. If you’re feeling something really intensely — being really upset, really angry, or just having some really strong emotion — I always find that the bulk of the song probably comes out best in that moment. And then the refining of it happens when I’ve had some time to reflect and really think, ‘Okay, was I just really angry, or is that actually a valid experience?’”
Heart For A Heart, one of her most visceral tracks, was sparked by fiction. “I’d read Where The Crawdads Sing, but it was the film that stayed with me — that scene where she’s screaming in the sand for her boyfriend to come back, then ends up killing him. That visual stuck with me. Obviously, I haven’t lived that, but the feeling of betrayal? We’ve all been there. So I took that emotion and exaggerated it for the song.”
Vulnerability, Performance, and Connection
Maya doesn’t shy away from vulnerability. “I’m a huge over-sharer,” she admits. “I probably share things too quickly, if anything, and too much. Sometimes I’ll share moments and be like, maybe I should have held back. But if a song comes out, that’s usually when I know I’m ready to share it. Some things I can’t write about yet — I don’t have the words. But when they come, that’s when I get closure.”
On stage, Maya finds power in stillness. “I definitely like to be alone for a minute,” she says. “I do my little warm-up routine. Have either a cup of tea or a glass of water and just take a moment to be by myself. I visualize myself doing a good job on stage. It’s something I’ve done since I was a kid — being really nervous beforehand and closing my eyes and imagining, ‘OK, how is it gonna feel when it goes well?’ And I think trying to channel that energy of, ‘This is something fun. You get to do this. You’re hopefully bringing people joy.’ I try and remind myself that it’s not that serious. It’s just music. It should be fun. Which is easier said than done when you’re waiting to go on stage!”
That reminder was especially potent at BST Hyde Park. “Today was one of the most surreal gigs,” she says. “Seeing everyone singing along, hearing everyone cheering and clapping after each song felt really special. I was unsure how many people would come because there are some great artists here and so many other stages. But seeing people there, singing my songs, waiting to say hi after? It was really special.”
Maya’s journey is grounded in community — particularly the UK country scene. “There’s definitely a different sound,” she says. “I mean, I think the accent is the biggest thing, obviously. I write country-inspired music, but I don’t sing with an American accent. Our lyrics, what we write about — maybe there’s less truck writing,” she laughs. “I love a song about a truck though, don’t get me wrong! I think our sound leans more toward folk and Americana, maybe because of English folk roots.”
She’s also hopeful about country’s growing accessibility. “Each artist is so unique and individual,” she adds. “I just love how everyone is doing their own thing, taking inspiration from everywhere, crossing genres. Country music’s becoming really accessible. It’s amazing seeing UK artists being accepted, especially at festivals like C2C and Hyde Park.”
Hopes, Milestones, and Music’s Role
One milestone still sits on her wishlist: headlining Shepherd’s Bush Empire. “I can’t even begin to say how many artists I’ve seen there. It’s where I grew up going to. So I think it would be a real pinch-me moment. Having gone to some of my first gigs there to then playing it? That would be amazing.”
If she could write to her future self five years from now, Maya says she wouldn’t just list achievements. “I’d try and describe all the highlights, but also all the struggles,” she explains. “So I can look back and be like, ‘Oh, you got through that.’ If more struggles come, or more highlights, you know that everything’s a journey. I really would like to document it — not just the good parts. I want to know how I felt in that moment. Was I nervous? Excited? Apprehensive? I want to feel grounded so I can look back and remember it how it was, and then see — hopefully — how far I’ve come since that moment.”
And why choose music? “It’s always been there,” she says. “My parents don’t play instruments, but music was always in the house. I was a really vocal kid — my mum said I screamed until I could sing. Even now, it’s involuntary. “At my old retail job, people told me I sang along to every song playing in the store. I didn’t even realise! Music’s my biggest passion, my ultimate purpose. So it’s great to be able to do something you love — and hopefully make a career out of it.”
Looking Forward
From journaling as a child to singing on some of the UK’s biggest stages, Maya Lane’s path has been anything but typical — but her honesty, resilience and lyrical instinct continue to strike a chord with fans across genres. She’s building something lasting: a catalogue rooted in emotion, a live presence grounded in connection, and a voice that refuses to be boxed in.
Whether she’s writing from lived experience or borrowed fiction, one thing remains constant: the story always comes first. And for Maya, the next chapter is already underway — shaped by quiet moments, charged performances, and a belief that country music has room for every voice, especially her own.
Maya Lane
She’s an artist who writes with intent, performs with emotional presence, and invites her audience into moments that are often too fleeting to name. Whether she’s pulling lyrics from a journal entry or channelling heartbreak into something cinematic, Maya Lane treats music as both a mirror and a sanctuary. Her songs feel intimate, yet expansive—reflecting late-night thoughts, deep reads, and lived experiences that resonate well beyond the page. With the confidence of someone who’s already shaping the genre from inside-out, she’s not just adding her voice to UK country music—she’s helping redefine its tone. Check Maya’s profile for upcoming shows.
