San Francisco singer-songwriter Mae Powell wrote the songs on her debut album, Both Ways Brighter, over a period of three years, and recorded them during the pandemic lockdown. As the songs took shape, she sent demos of her ideas to the musicians in her band. They sent her the parts they recorded in their homes. The record was then assembled at Oakland’s Tunnel Vision Studio, with producer Jason Kick.
Making Room for the Light, the album she just released, came together a lot easier.
“I made this record in two weeks, in a magical cabin/recording studio with the band,” Powell said. “It was so different from the way we made my first album. We recorded the whole thing to tape, which gives it a warm, vintage feeling that complements the music. We were all in the same room together while recording. You can hear that in the energy of the record, versus the back and forth emailing that making a record during the pandemic entailed.”
David Perry produced the songs at his Risque Disque Studio in Vancouver, Canada. Powell said she met Perry when she opened for his band, Loving.
“We were aligned, both musically and interpersonally, so I asked him to produce this collection. The process felt like summer camp,” Powell said. “We slept next to each other in the studio, made breakfast and dinner together every day, jumped in the river when we got upset or hit a wall, cried, laughed, watched Wallace and Gromit on VHS, played cards and made music.”
The band—Mayya Feygina (Mayya) on bass and backing vocals, Sam Jones (Mild Universe) on drums, and multi-instrumentalist and guitarist Garrett Barley (the Breathing Room)—added their own musical touches as the sessions progressed.
“I trust their musical stylings,” Powell said. “We cut one song every day, so we were able to dive into what we wanted them to sound like, talking about inspirations and what we wanted the instrumentation to be. This led to them becoming a magical mixture between me, the band and David.”
The album unfolds like a song cycle, painting a narrative of loss and renewal. “I wrote these songs to heal and process heartbreak, confusion and new love,” Powell said. “It’s not a linear story, but since it’s all written from my perspective, you can definitely string together the story of what I was going through at the time.”
“Where Will Love Go” opens with Powell on piano, singing about the end of an affair. The rhythm section comes in to highlight the beating of a broken heart on the chorus, as she realizes she has to love herself before she can love anyone else. The arrangement builds to a finale with the band jamming out on a lilting, Afro-beat groove, as Powell repeatedly croons: “Where will love go? I already know.”
Powell’s vocals on “Contact High” are marked by long, sustained notes and a scat interlude. Barley’s subtle Ace Tone Organ chords, Parry’s acoustic piano, and the subtle backbeat supplied by Jones and Feygina channel the complex rhythmic feel of a ’60s pop hit.
The album lands softly with “Again,” a quiet ballad concentrating on the positive memories of a fading relationship, with a chiming backdrop of vibes, piano and slide guitar.
When she’s not playing her own music, Powell fronts bands with people from the local community. “I’m part of the intertwined Bay Area music scene,” Powell said. “The musicians I get to play with are inspiring. I’m lucky to be part of the rich musical history of the Bay Area and the present day community of musicians.”
‘Making Room for the Light’ was recently released on Colemine/Karma Chief Records; listen to it at maepowell.bandcamp.com. Powell plays Swamp Soirée at 6pm on Wednesday, Sept. 17, at the California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Dr. in Golden Gate Park. 415.379.8000. calacademy.org. She also performs at The Mustache Bash with the Local Honeys at 5:15pm on Friday, Oct. 10, at The Phoenix Hotel, 601 Eddy St., San Francisco. 415.776.1380. mustachebash.com.
