By Nicholas Jason Lopez
A followup to her previous single “SOURPATCH,” which received universal praise and racked up more than 45,000 streams across all platforms, artist Lexi Mariah recently unveiled her new song, “Waterfall.”
“Waterfall” explores the everyday struggles of society’s constant negativities and what it takes to overcome it. Mariah wrote the song herself, along with producers Josh Frank and Joe Frank and it showcases her most vulnerable work to date.
Known for her boisterous personality on social media and creative music videos, Mariah has already proven herself to be a force to be reckoned with.
The Music Bugle had the opportunity to chat with Mariah about “Waterfall” and more.
Music Bugle – What makes you the most proud about where you come from?
Lexi Mariah – I feel very proud to have so much local support. It always makes my day when I see that someone I went to school with has discovered my music and wants to support me. A lot of times, I see people from high school supporting me who I barely know or people who I didn’t necessarily get along with back then and I think that just shows a great sense of maturity. It’s something I really appreciate!
Music Bugle – What inspired your latest single “Waterfall”?
Lexi Mariah – I really wanted to show how I’ve truly been feeling. I felt that this was the right time to release a more emotional single. As much as I love being in the music industry, there’s a lot of negativity that comes along with it, even as an artist still breaking in. Dealing with some things that are said online, on top of dealing with everything going on in real life, sometimes, it can compare to the feeling of being under a waterfall and not being able to get back on your feet. I hope that this song can be something motivational for my audience to listen to whenever they’re going through a tough time.
Music Bugle – Does social media make it easier or harder for a musician to stand out these days?
Lexi Mariah – That’s kind of hard to say. I definitely feel very lucky to have gained so many amazing supporters through social media. I mean, if we didn’t have the internet, I’d literally have to just go around town handing out CDs with my singles on them, wouldn’t I? As far as standing out online, there are so many talented artists trying to break through right now, it’s definitely easy to get lost in the crowd. That’s why I think it’s so important to create genuine friendships with your supporters. I think that really makes an artist stand out.
Music Bugle – What excites you the most about your musical style?
Lexi Mariah – None of my songs sound anywhere near the same and I’m constantly brainstorming new ideas to keep my sound as unique as possible. The fact that my listeners never really know what’s coming next is exciting to me and I think that really excites them too!
Music Bugle – What do you wish happened more in today’s music industry?
Lexi Mariah – I really wish that digital streaming platforms would pay artists more fairly. Especially with live shows not being a thing right now, it’s so difficult for independent musicians to make a steady income when we’re making only a fraction of a cent per stream.
Music Bugle – How have you been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic?
Lexi Mariah – All of our lives have pretty much been turned upside down. It’s definitely taken its toll on me. When you’re a musician, live shows, rehearsals and studio sessions occupy the majority of your life. To have all of that taken away so quickly and to not know when you’ll have it back, it’s really difficult to deal with. Worrying about the health of my family constantly has also been hard on me. I try my absolute best to stay safe and positive through it all. I’m happy that I’ve still been able to make new music from home and work with my team over the phone.
Music Bugle – Who are you listening to right now, music-wise?
Lexi Mariah – One of my favorite new artists that I’ve recently started listening to a lot is Tones and I. She’s super unique and I really love her style.
Music Bugle – Which of your music videos was your favorite to shoot?
Lexi Mariah – That’s a hard question because all of my experiences filming have been so different! The “Strange” video was really fun to shoot because we had a pretty big team. There were around 15 people in total who worked on it between the crew and the actors. “Oh Boy” was also a lot of fun though, just completely different since we only needed a couple of extras for the concept. We actually also just filmed the music video for “Waterfall” recently and it was a lot of fun, but was definitely challenging because we had to keep it Covid-safe.
Music Bugle – What’s a quote that motivates you to keep doing what you do?
Lexi Mariah – I’m so grateful to have had the chance to video chat with Cher Lloyd a few weeks back, who is my favorite artist of all time. We got to talking about our music and our experiences and she said to me, “I never make a plan B. Never ever have I ever made a plan B and I think that’s what keeps me going.” That meant so much coming from her because I’ve always been told my whole life that I need to have a plan B and I’ve always refused. Having the person who I look up to most understand me and say that to me was very special and motivating.
Music Bugle – How would you define the year 2020?
Lexi Mariah – I think the only way most of us could define 2020 is the year that you definitely don’t want to remember! (Laughs)
