Lexi Mariah is a pop artist who just released a new single. Her new single is titled “Playlist”, and it was released on June 11th. “Playlist” follows her previous single, “Waterfall,” which came out at the end of 2020. YEM was able to speak with Lexi about techniques she uses to help warm up her voice, who she would like to collaborate with in the future, and how she celebrated her singles release.
Young Entertainment Mag: Who inspires you the most as an artist?
Lexi Mariah: I’ve learned a ton about songwriting by listening to Taylor Swift for so many years. She has this amazing way of storytelling through her music and uses such vivid imagery, that it’s almost like a little movie going on in your head while listening to her. Although she’s inspired my sound quite a bit as well as the songwriting aspect, I’m also very influenced by Cher Lloyd and Bebe Rexha.
YEM: Where do you get your inspiration for writing new music?
Lexi: There’s really not any one particular thing that inspires me when I write. It can come from literally anywhere. I can be having a conversation with someone, hear one word that stands out to me, and I’ll go and write an entire song from that. Sometimes I’ll take inspiration from a situation that someone close to me is going through or certain strong feelings that I can’t let go of unless I vent, or write about.
YEM: What are some techniques you use to help warm up your voice?
Lexi: Vocal warmups are always a must, but I also never record before having a cup of peppermint tea. Whether I’m in my home studio or the main studio, I always have it with me while I do vocals. Not only is it great at helping to warm up my voice, but peppermint is amazing for relaxation which is really important while recording vocals.
YEM: If you could cover one song and make it your own, what would it be and why?
Lexi: I honestly think about this a lot while listening to music. I love covering songs and putting my own touch on them. If I were to take a song and completely rearrange it to make it my own, like with full production and all, I’d love to do All You Had To Do Was Stay by Taylor Swift. It’s such a good, solid pop song, but the lyrics are actually pretty sad. I feel like the sadness sometimes gets overlooked because of the upbeat vibe of the overall song. I think it’d be cool to cover it and slow it down, really focus on the mood of the lyrics and make it sound like it belongs on maybe…folklore rather than 1989.
YEM: Do you have anyone you would love to collaborate with in the future, and in your fantasy what would that look like?
Lexi: There are so many artists I’d love to collaborate with! Some of my “dream” collaborations would be with Cher Lloyd, Taylor Swift, Meghan Trainor, Bebe Rexha or Tones And I. Being featured on one of their tracks or even just writing together would be the coolest thing ever.
YEM: When did you learn to play the keyboard? How long did it take to get to where you are now? Do you have a daily practice routine?
Lexi: My grandma started teaching me the basics of piano when I was around 7 years old. Then there was a piano class that was actually offered when I was in high school, so I took it for about a year and learned scales, some theory and more complicated songs than I would’ve been able to teach myself at that time. Although the learning was sort of spaced out through the years, I caught on pretty quickly overall and was also able to teach myself quite a bit. I still play the scales I learned in high school almost every time I practice.
YEM: How did you celebrate your single’s release? Any traditions?
Lexi: My mom bakes me a fun dessert every time I release a new song! I almost always choose her lemon blueberry cake. It’s literally amazing! Other than that, in the studio all day on “Playlist” release day. Working on the next song can count as celebrating the current one, right? Haha!
YEM: What are some things that help motivate you?
Lexi: When I’m feeling overwhelmed and like I need motivation, I always make myself just stop what I’m doing and think about what I want to achieve from what I’m doing, and what exactly I need to do to achieve that. It’s easy to quickly overthink things when it’s not necessary, but breaking things down and being realistic with yourself helps a lot.
YEM: How would you like people to respond to your new single?
Lexi: I’d love for my audience to listen to “Playlist” and be like “yup, I totally feel that!” I definitely feel that this song is going to be something that a lot of people can relate to and can compare their experiences to.
YEM: What would you like to tell others pursuing the same career path?
Lexi: Here are a few things that I’ve learned so far from being in this industry for a couple of years:
- Keep working through every “no” because that “yes” will be worth it!
- You’re never finished learning and there’s almost always a way to make something better, even if you think it’s already perfect.
- There is always going to be someone who doesn’t like you, no matter what. Don’t allow their negativity into your life and always remember, the “block” button is there for a reason.
