Maryjo Talks "Nothing to Lose," Touring with Knox, and Finding Her Authentic Voice
Written by: Keyali Mikaela
Maryjo is having a breakout year, from her powerful single “Don’t Call Me Part 2” to her impressive festival debut at Summerfest. As she gears up for the release of her new single “Nothing to Lose,” the rising pop star opens up about her inspiration, songwriting process, and what’s next for her career. We caught up with Maryjo to dive into her journey so far and what fans can expect in the future.
Next Wave: You have a new single, "Nothing to Lose," about to drop. What's the inspiration behind the song, and what do you hope listeners take from it?
Maryjo: I wrote it about eight months ago when my friends and I were all dealing with weird relationship situations. All the guys sucked, so I decided to pull from everyone's experiences and create a ballad. It’s a bit sad because we all kept picking the wrong guys.
Next Wave: Did your friends contribute to the writing process, or did you just use their stories?
Maryjo: I listened to their stories and then wrote the song. Afterward, I told them I wrote it about our situationships, and they liked it. We all laughed about it.
Next Wave: You recently toured with Alex Warren and Knox. I was at the Denver show where you opened for Knox, and you were amazing. How has touring influenced your music and creative process?
Maryjo: Thank you! Touring helped me see what audiences connect to, especially with lyrics. It’s made me focus more on writing relatable lyrics, not just for myself but for others too. Being on tour was also a huge inspiration for me. I realized I love touring, which is great because it's a big part of the job.
Next Wave: Any plans for a headline tour?
Maryjo: Hopefully soon. We’re looking at college tours right now, but maybe a headline tour in the spring. It’s all in the talking stages.
Next Wave: Are there any cities or venues high on your list to play?
Maryjo: Definitely Boston and Cleveland, my hometown. I also want to return to the cities I played on the Knox and Alex tours to reconnect with the fans there.
Next Wave: You've mentioned finding your authentic voice as an artist. How do you stay true to yourself in an industry that often pushes for a specific image?
Maryjo: I think it's just kind of worked for me not to try and be somebody else. I remember I was so inspired after American Idol with Katy Perry, I thought I wanted to be like a cookie cutter pop star type of thing. And it's just like, my voice doesn't do that, nor do I like to wear super cookie cutter pop kind of things. I’d like to just do my own Mary Jo thing, and then I feel like I can connect to my music more. If I'm looking how I normally do, and I'm singing how I normally do, then it just is more authentic. And I don't have to get in my head about pushing to be someone else or doing something else.
Next Wave: How have you grown as an artist from your debut single to now?
Maryjo: I’ve grown a lot, especially in my writing. I’m digging deeper into my stories now and writing about what I’ve gone through, rather than just thinking about what people might relate to. I’m much more focused on connecting my personal experiences with my music.
Next Wave: Can you tell us more about your songwriting process?
Maryjo: I tend to just sit at my piano. Especially if I'm feeling a certain type of way, or whatever. Then I'll just start writing. I usually start with some chords, and then I'll play with melodies, and then I'll just try to say whatever I want to say and fit it into that. Sometimes if I have an idea that I'm like, I need to write this about like, this just happened with my friend Logan Maggio who produced. Like, don't call me. I was like, Hey, we have to get in the studio, I have something I want to write about. So then two days later we just found the time, went in, recorded it, and I did the same process that I would have just in my room with the piano.
Next Wave: How do you decide whether a song will be a ballad or more upbeat?
Maryjo: I think it depends on my emotions. Usually when I'm writing, if I'm mad at something, it's like, I'm mad, but I have a lot of energy, that would be more of like an upbeat song. But if I'm mad and I want to cry about it, then I know that would be like a ballad.
Next Wave: Do you prefer playing ballads or upbeat songs live?
Maryjo: Don't Call Me part two, I love seeing the slow version of that one, and then I love singing Nothing To Lose at Summerfest. That was definitely my favorite, and honestly probably Traffic. Those are probably my top three to sing.
Next Wave: How was your experience playing at Summerfest?
Credit: Joseph Desantis
Maryjo: Oh my gosh, it was so fun. It was my first festival, so it was cool to see, how the whole thing works, and I got to meet some other artists, like Sadie Jean and Jesse Murph, I met for a little bit, and that was great. Sadie and I have talked on social media before, and we're kind of social media buddies, so it was nice to get to meet her.
Next Wave: Was it intimidating playing to such a large crowd?
Maryjo: Not really. I was nervous because it was my first festival, but the crowd at Summerfest is so fun, so it wasn’t intimidating. Even if I messed up, I knew they’d be fun.
Next Wave: Do you have any other festivals on your bucket list?
Maryjo: Definitely Lollapalooza and Coachella, the main ones everyone dreams of playing.
Next Wave: You’ve been influenced by artists like Julia Michaels and Lewis Capaldi. Are there any other musicians or genres that inspire your work?
Maryjo: Lately, Olivia Rodrigo, especially production-wise, and Sabrina Carpenter for her melodies. She’s nailing it right now.
Next Wave: Do you have a favorite Sabrina Carpenter song at the moment?
Maryjo: Please Please Please, definitely.
Next Wave: If you could give advice to your younger self, what would it be?
Maryjo: Probably just keep working hard, but you know, don't feel pressured to go one way or another, because usually it doesn't work out if you do that.
Next Wave: Where do you see your music evolving in the next few years?
Maryjo: Hopefully, I’ll release an album and go on a big tour. That’s the goal/
Next Wave: Any dream collaborations?
Maryjo: I’d love to work with The Kid LAROI, Justin Bieber, Lewis Capaldi, and Julia Michaels.
You can find Maryjo on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. Stream “Nothing To Lose” here.
