Best Wishes

“For me, songwriting comes from a place of wanting to find the truth in life. Sometimes that truth is so complex and nuanced that it requires a whole song to explain,” shares Maria Maita-Keppeler, the principal songwriter and front person for the Portland, Oregon-based indie rock band MAITA.

Maita-Keppeler’s bold vulnerability and literate flair is on full display on the quartet’s debut album, Best Wishes. She began experimenting with songwriting while soaking in the indie artists of the 2000’s such as Bright Eyes and Feist. She related to how these writers interweave reality and poetry, and resonated with their emotional candor, particularly in light of her tendencies toward emotional restraint while growing up.

“I have always had this desire to make sure everyone is happy and no one is dissatisfied or hurt,” Maita-Keppeler explains. “Music has been a place for me to demand the free space to say what I want to say.”

Best Wishes balances ethereal musicality with visceral expressiveness. This juxtaposition is mirrored in the arrangements through potent use of loud and soft dynamics and in Maita-Keppeler’s lyrics, which manage to be layered, literate, but also impactfully concise.

1. A Beast
2. Someone's Lost Their Goddamn Wallet
3. I'm Afraid Of Everything
4. Can't Blame A Kid
5. Broken Down Boys
6. Japanese Waitress

7. Perfect Heart
8. Darling, Don't Take Me When You're Ready To Go
9. Boy
10. Pay To Play
11. Best Wishes, XO, Hugs And Kisses, Goodbye

Cat. No. KRS660
Release date: May 15, 2020