Maeve Interview

Maeve member Rollyn Zoubek did the answering for the trio.

Suite: One of my favorite things about Maeve is the way the three of you switch around your singing/song-writing duties. Could you tell us a bit about your creative processes?

Maeve: Since we each have very different creative processes, we've found that putting three heads together is much better than one when creating a song. When we first started making music together we would mostly bring individually written songs to the table and then we'd work out an arrangement for the three of us. Over the past two years, though, we've been spending more time co-writing (i.e. "Fire in My Soul," "Do Not Hide", "Return to Me"). Through our co-wiring we've been able to discover a more definitive "Maeve" sound which has been exciting. It’s important to us that each vocal be present in every song because that has become our common thread. When we co-write we usually try and have each person express themselves in a verse or three-part harmony. Three-part harmony can be tricky and feel like overkill at times so we also try and incorporate weaving vocal parts (i.e. "Sapphire") to change things up.

Suite: What are you generally creating first: the melody or lyrics?

Maeve: We usually find the groove and the melody before the lyrics. Occasionally the lyrics and music come at the same time. Especially if there is an inspiring topic or story to be told.

Suite: What inspires you?

Maeve: The three of us tend to be inspired by different things in our creating. Rachel (Taylor) is often inspired by relationships (i.e. "Return to Me" was written for a friend going through a painful break-up), Courtney (Reid) is inspired by God's passionate love for us (i.e. "Found a Love" and ""Owner") and Rollyn (Zoubek) likes to tell a good story (i.e. "Fly Away" was written about a friend of her husband's who had to fly through a hurricane to his mother's hospital bed in time to say goodbye).

The theme that tends to inspire all three of us- though it often comes to each of us in different ways- is finding hope in the midst of life's struggles. Currently, we're working on a new record that is largely inspired by Scripture. Many of the songs are taken straight from Scripture or old hymns. Writing "Fill this House" for the Voice, Vol. 2 project ("Son of the Most High") really jump-started this process.

We are also continually inspired by great music. Some artists who have inspired us recently are Damien Rice, Patty Griffin, KT Tunstall, Mindy Smith and Rita Springer.

Suite: What is the best advice you’ve been given as a band? How hard is it to follow?

How do you deal with the ups and downs of the industry?

Maeve: The best advice we've been given as a band is to just be ourselves! It can be tempting when trying to succeed in the music industry to try and write a certain way to get the "hit song," or try to fit into what appears to be the successful mold. However if we compromise our authenticity as people in the process, we lose the power of what God may want to express through our unique personalities and creations.

One of the most challenging things Maeve has had to face is that our music does not tend to fit into an easily-definable or marketable category according to the music industry. We're a little too raw for CCM, and perhaps a little too spiritual for the mainstream (although mainstream college radio in Boston has been very supportive of our music). As an independent band, we've been truly blessed over the years to have growing audiences, so we're encouraged that the music is

speaking to people even if it doesn't fit perfectly into an industry mold. At the end of the day, we have to live with what we have created, so it's a worthwhile challenge to remain true to ourselves in the process.

Suite found "Whatever Befall" to be a more-than-easy fit. Check out the Suite review here.

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