MUMBAI  – mxmtoon has released 'plum blossom (revisited)', a reconsideration of the early songs that propelled her to fame along with the focus track “stuck (revisited)”. The reimagined EP follows the release of “feelings are fatal (revisited)” and “the idea of you (revisited)”. Along with the digital release, the double-sided vinyl – including the revisited EP on Side A and the original EP on Side B – sold out immediately. Fans can listen to it here: mxmtoon.os.fan

Working exclusively with women on the production was incredibly important to Maia who tapped Merrill Garbus (tUnE-yArDs) as co-producer, Maryam Qudus as engineer as well as Laura Sisk (Lana Del Rey and Lorde) for mixing. She spent two weeks at Oakland’s Tiny Telephone Studios. Garbus is a playful collaborator, and at one point, had Maia bang out a beat by slapping two books together, which wasn’t a far cry from the original techniques employed on 'plum blossom'. “I wanted the production on this new version to be elevated, but I also didn’t want to lose the childlike sense of wonder that limited resources can produce,” Maia says.

mxmtoon’s tour kicks off later this month with a show in London, returning to the US in December hitting cities such as Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and more. These shows are designed to be intimate and special with Maia playing solo and in much smaller rooms to enhance the connection between Maia and her fans. This mini tour hitting several major markets will be another unforgettable chapter in mxmtoon’s already unique career. More information about the tour here.

While Maia is only 23, the amount of growth in the five years since 'plum blossom' debuted is unmeasurable. She came out as queer, moved to Brooklyn, and experienced a year of familial tragedy. Her grandmother, a visual artist who has inspired Maia throughout her life and encouraged her music career, died of cancer. In the aftermath of enormous loss, and in the midst of another close family member’s illness, Maia found a sense of wholeness by reimagining the music that made her.

Her instrument of choice was a ukulele and she wasn’t above using common household objects (a hair straightener, for example) as a percussive tool. After uploading a stream of one-off singles to various social media platforms, mxmtoon’s debut EP, 'plum blossom', dropped. It garnered the attention of a broadening fan base with sold out tours and multi Platinum records, but also earned the stamp of approval from mainstream media outlets like The New York Times and NPR. Since then, mxmtoon’s output has been prolific. Last year, she released her sophomore LP, 'rising', which followed 2019’s 'the masquerade', all while maintaining a creative practice outside of music.

Leveling up the promise of her 17 year-old self became the project, and in no place is that more obvious than on the remaking of “1-800-DATEME,” the first song mxmtoon ever released. In keeping with the old, the new maintains Maia’s charmingly self-deprecating interludes, but now she’s accompanied by rhythmic hand claps and vocal doubling that suggests she’s less lonely than she thinks she is. In the process of recording it, Maia chose to change the opening verse to better reflect her queer identity. “I wasn’t out of the closet yet when I wrote ‘1-800-DATEME,’” she says. She flipped the lyrics changing to “Girl after guy, crush after crush, never really figured it out with someone,” she sings, her voice gaining confidence as it goes. “I also had never actually been in a partnership when I wrote that song, or any of these songs, which definitely changes my relationship to them,” Maia says.

'plum blossom (revisited)'  tracklisting:

1. the idea of you (revisited)
2. cliche (revisited)
3. feelings are fatal (revisited)
4. stuck (revisited)
5. temporary nothing (revisited)
6. hong kong (revisited)
7. 1-800-DATEME (revisited)

Stream 'plum blossom (revisited)' here: mxmtoon.os.fan