Maya Manuela writes with a rare mix of clarity and softness, crafting songs that feel both sun-warmed and emotionally raw. Originally from the East Coast and now based in Nashville, she creates music that sits between indie folk and surf-pop glow — warm melodies carrying lyrics that know how to cut gently. A visual thinker at heart, Maya approaches songwriting like she’s building scenes, letting the outside world fall away until the story inside becomes vivid enough to follow. Her work lives in the in-between spaces: beginnings, endings, and all the quiet shifts that shape who we become.
SNQLX: Your songs have this dreamy clarity — like late-afternoon light. What kind of atmosphere do you try to create when you write?
MAYA: Thank you so much, that’s so sweet! Honestly, my external environment is always changing when I’m writing. Sometimes I’m writing with producers in their studios, other times it’s with friends at their houses and a lot of times it’s just at home alone in my room. I do tend to love to write in sunny rooms though hahaha. I’ve learned to focus much more on my internal environment. I try to be clear minded and present when I’m writing and allow myself to let the rest of the world really fade away. I’m a very visual thinker so when I’m able to be present while writing I’m almost seeing the songs as movie clips.
SNQLX: Your music is often listed as surf pop — why does that label feel right for you, and what does it mean in your world?
MAYA: I grew up on the water, my dad is an oyster farmer and my grandfather was a lobsterman. I don’t think I realized how much being by the ocean and on it really influences people. Surf pop feels right because it’s pop but it isn’t super upbeat, it’s sort of a go with the flow but still sunny feeling vibe. I’m really excited to keep exploring the genre and experimenting with it more.
SNQLX: “Multiverse” connected with so many listeners. Did you sense it would hit that way when you first wrote it, or did it surprise you?
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