The Marias – presents debut album”Cinema”
CINEMA, which received a Grammy nomination for Best Engineered Album, was written and produced by María Zardoya and producer and multi-instrumentalist Josh Conway, entirely within the walls of their LA apartment. Born in Puerto Rico and raised primarily in Atlanta, Zardoya grew up in a musical household – learning to play guitar from her father. After winning $5,000 in a costume contest, she bought a car and drove to Los Angeles. Soon she would cross paths with Conway, the Hollywood native had joined his first band at the age of 12.
June of 2017 made their debut with “I Don’t Know You.” With their debut EP Superclean Vol. I & Vol. 2 in 2018. The Marías soon gained recognition in the indie-pop scene, getting signed with Nice Life Recording Co. and Atlantic Records in 2021.
After their debut, The Marías’ had a couple of show-stopping television performances of “Hush” – including the top-rated daytime program The Kelly Clarkson Show as well as their television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
*The Marías reach #3 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart + #8 on Emerging Artists chart upon release*
While creating their debut album, The Marías kept the writing and production process completely self-tained in order to preserve their singular vision. “Every song we make starts out being just for ourselves—it comes from our psyche, our blood, and that definitely informs every second of this album,” says Conway.
“Hopefully the songs will help them to break away from real life for a while and create some kind of dream world in their heads—something like the scenes to their own little movie.”
THE MARÍAS – “CINEMA” – GRAMMY Nominee for Best Engineered Album *critically acclaimed band’s debut full-length released June 2021
“our songs usually start with some sort of visual component: we’re always picturing the world of the song in our heads.”
All throughout Cinema, The Marías adorned the tracklist with a number of instrumental interludes to every song. Purposely starting with a string arrangement of“Just A Feeling” sets the tone for the rest of the albums experience.
“Calling U Back”—an anti-breakup song.
The sing-song nursery rhyme style like cadence of each verse stands up against the intentional heavy hip hop beats, and r&B transitions. The vulnerable yet simple lyrics illustrate all the familiar feelings and emotions that come along with a fight to stay in love. *** MFT — (MY FAVORITE TRACK)
“Un Millón” unfolds in swaying beats, spellbinding melodies, and lyrics expressing a tender affection for Zardoya’s homeland. “I wanted to pay homage to the island and its music and people.
“Hush” “It’s a song for when people are giving you hate or telling you how to live your life, and the only thing you have to say to them is ‘shut the fuck up’—or ‘hush,’” Zardoya notes.
“Fog as a Bullet” took shape from a stream-of-consciousness piece Zardoya wrote on classical guitar after hearing about the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant. ““After I found out he’d died, I came up with this song about how something so beautiful can also be so destructive.”
In “Talk to Her,” Cinema closes out with a gorgeously sprawling number delivered in finely detailed spoken word. “That song came from a poem I wrote on tour, at probably the darkest point in the band’s history,” says Zardoya.
Spotify Album – Cinema hit #9 on Spotify’s Top 10 Album Debuts* *since amassed over 73M global audio streams*