Over lunch in Williamsburg, María Zardoya—the lead singer and namesake of the indie-pop band The Marías—is as warm and bubbly as her music. We slide into a small booth and start chatting like old friends catching up after a whirlwind year, which it truly has been for Zardoya.
Here’s a recap: In 2024, The Marías released their second studio album, Submarine, just after Zardoya and the band’s drummer, Josh Conway, ended their long-term relationship. The breakup left fans—and Zardoya herself—wondering if the band would continue.
The Marías are indeed still together, but from that uncertainty emerged Zardoya’s new solo project, Not for Radio, along with an album titled Melt, out today. Not for Radio marks a creative reset born from heartbreak and a bit of an identity crisis. “After the breakup, I had so many questions,” Zardoya says. “Who am I as an individual after a seven-year relationship? Who am I without that context? That led me to ask who I am musically without it, too.”
To explore these questions, she teamed up with songwriter Sam Evian. “I told Sam I was going through a lot and had so much I wanted to express. I wrote a song, and he sent me a track he’d been working on,” she explains. She also brought in Luca Buccellati, who had collaborated with her on The Marías’ song “No One Noticed.” That initial experiment eventually became “Not the Only One,” the sixth track on Melt, though it would be nearly a year before it found its place on an album.
In February, Zardoya, Evian, and Buccellati spent three weeks writing and recording in upstate New York—an unexpected setting for the San Juan-born artist. “I wanted to record somewhere completely out of my comfort zone and away from LA,” she says. “As a Puerto Rican island girl, the polar opposite was upstate New York in the dead of winter.” Between sessions, they took long walks in the woods and ate farm-fresh duck eggs.
The sound of Melt has a soft gothic feel that may be familiar to fans of The Marías, known for their lush, layered, and hypnotic production, but it’s slower and moodier. “The Marías are very much a band, but from day one, Josh and I wrote all the music together. So what you hear is a blend of both our styles,” Zardoya notes. “With my solo project, I wanted it to feel like music you’d listen to in nature under a tree, or on a train gazing out the window.” (If a song ever strayed from that vibe, she’d say it wasn’t “vampire enough”!)
The album’s tone draws inspiration from the wintry stillness of the New York woods as well as Evian and Buccellati’s love of The Lord of the Rings—which, yes, they got Zardoya into as well. “Sam, Luca, and I worked so seamlessly because we share similar musical instincts and are inspired by the same things,” she says. “On a song called ‘Back to You,’ it felt like the stars were aligning—the melody came out of nowhere. We were each in our own creative zones, and before we knew it, we had a complete song.” Interestingly, they later discovered that the planets had literally been aligned that night.
A week before the album’s release, Zardoya hosted an elaborate listening party for fans at Blithewold Garden on Bard College’s campus in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. “I deeply care about attention to detail in world-building,” she tells me. “I wanted people to experience the album with all their senses.”
After a quick Metro-North ride to Poughkeepsie, I step into the gothic garden of her dreams—like a party co-hosted by Mary Shelley and Emerald Fennell. Candelabras flicker beside towering arrangements of deep calla lilies, with stacks of shortbread cookies nearby.Towering six-inch sandwiches and vegetable bouquets set the scene. As a final touch, guests—each given a CD player loaded with the new album—pose for tintype photos and press wildflowers into keepsakes. The entire experience seamlessly reflects the world of Melt: textured, whimsical, romantic, and surreal, aligning perfectly with Zardoya’s vision for her bold new chapter. “I’m just excited for people to get to know me in a different way,” she says with a smile.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about María Zardoyas latest project designed to be clear concise and helpful for listeners at all levels
General Beginner Questions
Q1 What is the name of María Zardoyas latest project
A Her primary musical project is the band The Marías
Q2 What does it mean for the music to be rich and atmospheric
A It means the sound feels full immersive and creates a strong mood or vibe often using layered instruments smooth vocals and reverb to make you feel like youre inside the song
Q3 What is the touch of darkness people mention in her music
A It refers to the subtle moody or slightly melancholic undertones in her lyrics and sound even when the music itself is smooth and dreamy Its not scary but more introspective and sultry
Q4 Why is her sound considered completely unique to her
A She blends languages genres and her distinct whispery vocal style in a way that no other artist does creating a signature sound
Q5 What are some good songs to start with if Im new to her music
A Great starting points are Cariño Hush Over the Moon and Ruthless These tracks perfectly showcase her rich atmospheric and slightly dark style
Deeper Advanced Questions
Q6 How does she technically create that atmospheric sound in her production
A Through production techniques like heavy use of reverb and delay on vocals and guitars layered harmonies warm analogstyle synths and a laidback often triphop influenced drum groove
Q7 What are the common lyrical themes in her work
A She often explores themes of desire complicated love nostalgia intimacy and personal introspection which contributes to the projects darkness
Q8 I love this sound What other artists or genres is it similar to
A While unique you might enjoy the dreamy qualities of Men I Trust the bilingual style of Bomba Estéreo the retro vibe of Crumb or the sultry mood of Lana Del Reys more psychedelic