Ma
Hailing from New Jersey but working in Brooklyn, Ma are three girls making rock ’n’ roll music for the 4G generation. “We record our practices on our iPhones. We honestly needed to post something so we chose the best sounding three out of them all,” says lead singer Angelica. “I’m a receptionist, Meg edits movies and Bettina is the right hand girl at a start-up.”
With an unmistakably DIY feel, the songs were born out of a very organic desire to record. “During a leave of absence from film school I was spending a lot of time at my grandma’s house, the house I grew up in, as she was really sick. All of my cinematic daydreams started to become these two/three minute acapella songs during my year off with her. After she passed away I recorded all of them in her big white tiled bathroom in New Jersey.”
Even on a ruckus as clearly homemade as Party on the BLVD, there’s no doubt these girls want nothing more than to be playing these songs. Their lo-fi three track demo is the sound of songs written by “a true 21st century band”. Having met via a mixture of Craigslist and Tinder, Ma are keen to take their cosmopolitan noise pop to anyone that might have them. “I often have a very vivid daydream of playing a private Medieval themed birthday show in Livingston NJ for a 13-year-old. We really want to play BBQs, birthday parties, empty swimming pools, civil union receptions, Bar-mitzvahs… everything”.
With a carefree disposition and an unmistakable keenness to move forward, Ma come across as a tough outfit to dislike. We even tune in eagerly as they wax lyrical about their favourite street food joint. “Rafiqi’s is the best Halal street cart in the game. Many have tried to duplicate what’s going on there but the truth is that all the stars have aligned for Rafiqi’s.” We’ll take their word for it.
File next to: Vivian Girls, Magik Markers
Photography: Vic Sorvino
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