Feature Photo by Ellie Rogers
Hello, It’s Been a While: Michael Astley-Brown’s Maebe Strikes a Chord with Rebirth. Relieve. Repeat.
Interview by Andrew Daly
For Michael Astley-Brown, as far as his music is concerned, words are unnecessary. Of course, there’s heaping doses of irony in that, given his day job as Guitar World’s Digital Editor-in-Chief. But no matter, under the nom de plume of Maebe, Astley-Brown says more with his trusty offset Fernandes than he ever could by injecting lyrics into the mix.
But a deeply rooted bedrock of grandiose noise resides beyond the chord structure and very real emotional dissonance inherent in Astley-Brown’s musical machinations. It’s crazy to say, but in a world where the music we consume has become more boring, more plastic, and more catatonic, somehow, someway, through Maebe, Astley-Brown has given a voice to the masses who desire more from what they consume.
And what about consumption? In the world we find ourselves in today, low attention spans reign supreme, making it more difficult than ever for independent artists—especially ones with a statement as cutting as Astley-Brown’s—to get ahead. But thankfully, be it intentional or by happenstance, this is where Maebe’s second record, Rebirth. Relive. Repeat., shines most.
With a loose theme of mental health—and the trials and tribulations that go along with it—swirling through its ten expansive cuts, Rebirth. Relive. Repeat. is a record that, unlike most, if not all, that comes through the deluge these days, drives up a point with a bullet based is subtly.
Of course, Astley-Brown, a wordsmith by day and a virtuoso shredder by night, knows this all too well. Moreover, probably better than most, he also understands the rigors and consequences of laying his creative soul bare, telling us, “I think any type of creative person will always have doubts about if their songs are good enough. But a big part of what the Maebe sound would be was looking at the insecurity about people’s attention spans being about instrumental music and making something that would retain their interest.”
He continues, “The way I do that is I never have a section go on too long or repeat too many times. I’m always trying to change up the guitar parts each time, which means it takes a long time to write and record my music because I’ve got to balance the tones and everything else. So, anxiety is a big part of this, and it kind of fuels it in a way. I think it’s what’s fueled me in all areas of my life.”
Given the breadth of his accomplishments in the arenas of the written word and as a recording and performing guitarist, it’s a shocking yet all-too-relatable admission. But that same dose of humanity and humility makes Astley-Brown’s vision across Rebirth. Relive. Repeat. so striking and wonderfully listenable.
To that end, Astley-Brown digs into what makes him tick, saying, “It’s a funny thing, and again, it’s probably what fuels me, but in some ways, I’ve never felt good enough, you know? There’s this sort of imposter syndrome that’s always there. And that’s difficult, but it’s also pushed me to get where I am in terms of my career as a journalist, my technical ability as a guitarist, and in terms of the songs I write. So, I guess, even though it’s frustrating at times and can be a curse, it’s also a blessing.”
Casting aside the emotive end of things for a moment and digging into the nuts and bolts of Astley-Brown’s expansive creation, make no mistake—Rebirth. Relive. Repeat. is astonishingly hard-hitting. And yet, in the same breath, it’s melodically brilliant and slick.
Digressing for a moment to recall what brought him to this sublime amalgam of post-rock-meets-shred-happy ecstasy, Astley-Brown quips, “There’s a lot of different things in here that I love. What I wanted to do was bring all the strands of instrumental rock together in one sound by taking big crescendos and the atmosphere of post-rock and combining them with the frenetic riffs of math rock. And then, there are nods to guys like Joe Satriani, who was a massive influence for me growing up.”
He continues, “I wanted hooks like his that would stick in your head, along with a lot of the lead stuff I was drawing on. And there are offshoots of progressive music with phaser guitar tones and pitch-shifted stuff, too. There’s a lot of color, which is so important. If I had to describe the sound of Maebe, I’d say that it’s too complicated for post-rock but not complicated enough to truly be called math rock.”
Indeed, Astley-Brown has managed to accomplish a rare feat with Rebirth. Relive. Repeat. in that he’s been able to harness his passion and emotions and combine them with immense technical ability and an ear for innovation. But that’s not all—he’s also packaged the whole thing in a way that’s highly digestible, memorable, and (lyrics be damned) oh-so-catchy.
With Rebirth. Relive. Repeat. finally in the can and able to catch his breath, Astley-Brown can look back while also looking ahead, “The big thing with this record was that I knew it would be my last as a solo artist, so I wanted to make a definitive statement, you know? And now that it’s done, I’m kind of excited about getting into a room with an actual band that’s been assembled.”
Digging deeper into what Maebe morphing from a solo project to a full-on band means for him, Astley-Brown continues, “It’s going to feel a little bit more organic, a little bit less regimented, and probably lead to some things that are more in the moment, which I’m really excited about. I’m looking forward to messing around with pedals, getting in a room with my friends, and making a new record. But it’s going to be a very different creative process, meaningless day, and probably less of me saying to myself, ‘You suck,’ while forgetting to eat and drink for hours on end because I’m trying to get the take.”
Regardless of where the future takes him, there’s no denying that Michael Astley-Brown is an artist with a deep burning need to create. His desire to inject new and exciting sounds into the zeitgeist is not just apparent but scintillatingly refreshing in an age where cookie-cutter and “good enough” sounds seem to rule the day.
To that end, someone once told me they “have no idea what constitutes a hit song anymore,” which I found poignant. And so, not that it matters from an artistic perspective, but perhaps—and not that it needs to—Rebirth. Relive. Repeat. won’t top the charts. But regardless of if Astley-Brown’s walls are one day lined with platinum records, in many ways, he’s already accomplished his goal.
Because the truth is that these days, nobody knows what makes a hit single or record anymore; the very idea of it died the day we sacrificed our souls to the Gods of Inherent Toxicity via Facebook, Reddit, Instagram, and TikTok. And while we don’t know the full spectrum of what that means just yet, what we do know—as evidenced by Rebirth. Relive. Repeat.—there’s still a whole hell of a lot of incredible music out there ripe for consumption, provided your attention span will still accommodate it.
And so, yeah, nobody knows what sorts of untold riches and sold-out crowds may or may not await Maebe, but that’s fine. It’s fine because Astley-Brown has managed to do what few before him have: make a remarkable record, and nobody can ever take that away from him—given the fact that Rebirth. Relive. Repeat. bettered his first—and also outstanding—record [Maebe]; the odds are that he’s not a one-trick pony.
No, by the looks of things, no matter what form or under what moniker, it appears that Michael Astley-Brown is just getting started, “At the end of the day, Rebirth. Relive. Repeat. means a lot to me. Making this statement was such a key motivator, as I’m always striving to get better. Perhaps how I go about it and what motivates me isn’t always the healthiest for me, but the intent of getting better is always there.”
He concludes, “I’ve dealt with a lot of my insecurities, which is huge because confidence is something I’ve always struggled with, along with social anxiety, so being able to make an album like this has changed some of that for me. I now feel like I’ve always been on the right track. I’ve always wanted my music to sound like nothing else, and that instinct has served me well throughout my life. The imposter syndrome has lessened, but it’s still there. But I’m okay with that because it’s got me to a point where I can connect with an audience. I’ll never stop doing this; it means a lot to me. And so, I’m thankful for everyone listening.”
Photo by Olly Curtis
Hello, It’s Been a While: Michael Astley-Brown’s Maebe Strikes a Chord with Rebirth. Relieve. Repeat. article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2023
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