Top Five Influences On MAY-A's 'Analysis Paralysis' EP

On Friday, Australian alt-pop singer MAY-A released her excellent new EP, Analysis Paralysis, via Sony Music Australia.

It’s a release that explores the more “alternative side” of MAY-A, containing distorted and reverb-filled guitars, song structures that support her falsetto and commanding chest voice, and the kind of darkness needed on an EP called Analysis Paralysis.

She utilises the all-lowercase and all-uppercase, sometimes all one-word song titles popularised with albums like Billie Eilish’s When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, but unlike that album, MAY-A follows a less in-your-face industrial electronic direction in favour of organic, guitar-based alternative meets pop rock tunes.

“Analysis Paralysis describes an individual or group process where overanalysing or overthinking a situation can cause forward motion or decision-making to become ‘paralysed’, meaning that no solution or course of action is decided upon within a natural time frame,” MAY-A explained about her new EP in a press release.

She added, “The first EP, Don’t Kiss Ur Friends, felt endearingly innocent and lovestruck. It was self-discovery. ANALYSIS PARALYSIS feels like anger while feeling displaced. Flip-flopping from the highs and lows of [the] ‘nothing matters’ mentality.

“I feel as though I played things very safe with the first lot of music as I was still navigating the processes of songwriting and connecting to listeners; this time around, I am leaning into the confusion, experimentation and sounds, and I’ve only just started to find something that feels a little different. That’s what this EP is for me.”

The single, Sweat You Out My System, has found popularity on triple j, but on Friday, MAY-A released the music video for her latest single, Guilty Conscience. You can watch that video and listen to Analysis Paralysis below.

To learn more about MAY-A’s new seven-track EP, the Australian artist has shared her top five influences behind Analysis Paralysis.

1. Overthinking

There are too many choices in the world, and it’s super overwhelming, but I wanted to embody that feeling through this EP whilst experimenting with new sounds. It’s all about creating a sonic landscape that embodies indecision with a common thread of chaos whilst still feeling connected and emotional.

2. Dominic Fike and King Princess

They both have created their own distinctive worlds that house everything musically from live to visuals to sonics – which has given them the opportunity to evolve throughout the years. I took a lot of inspiration from King Princess’ recent live shows in Australia. It really affirmed the direction that I want to go in with my live shows and with my band.

3. Colours

Dark, smokey, blues, blacks and chrome. The colours really help push the sonics on the darker side of the EP (Superior Liar, Sweat You Out My System, Guilty Conscience, ifyoulikeitlikethat) all feel quite dark. Coloured lighting has been a key feature to better embodying the emotions expressed in those songs.

4. Radiohead

[Radiohead] was a good influence sonically for Superior Liar. It helped unlock the part of my brain that wanted to lean more into live, rock-y music.

5. Visuals

The visuals for this EP feel really fantastical and kind of surrealist, experimenting with different photography styles: overexposed pics, mixed media, and lots of Super 8. The still images feel quite alien and supernatural. It’s giving Twilight.

MAY-A’s EP Analysis Paralysis is available everywhere now.