Jewelia’s music is a mixture of nostalgia-infused indie pop and piano-powered fairy tales. In 2020 the London-based singer-songwriter wrote and released a song on the 20th of every month on her website, as part of a self-challenge she called “Project2020.” ‘Maze’ was the first track of Project2020 and exactly one year later, is the first to be revisited and released with a music video.
‘Maze’ is a dreamy, Sufjan Stevens-esque journey through the metaphorical maze of life, with each cascading fork in the road taking us further down a path we can never go back on. The minimalist arrangement is underpinned with the trotting rhythm of an electro-acoustic piano, on top of which airy layers of vocals create an ethereal soundscape.
The music purposefully compliments the yearning lyrics. The recurring “Wish I had more time” line is illustrated musically through the irregular time signature, which creates an underlying sense of unease, with the vocal melodies forever chasing a rhythm that is cut short.
The song gradually grows to the soaring conclusion, where several vocal melodies create polyrhythms on top of the instrumental, as if to display the “complicated pattern of twist and turns of fate” that the lyrics refer to.
“Maze” is about my (and every other human being’s) inherent fear of ageing. I feel like there are so many things I want to do, or try, or experience, and never enough time. Every road we take is another road not taken, just like in that popular Robert Frost poem. Once upon a time I was set to become a lawyer, I chose to be a musician instead. Unfortunately life is too short to be able to experience everything, and we never know where it might take us or which are the right choices.”
Stream ‘Maze’ on all platforms.
Find out more about Jewelia on Instagram, Facebook and her website.
