Over the last couple of months, I have covered the new music by one of my favorite Indie artists to emerge over the last several years, Maya J’an. She is a very interesting musician who has had quite a journey so far. She originally gained popularity in the late 2010s under the moniker Maya B. She had many singles do well online, most notably ‘Selenas,’ ‘Getty Woah,’ ‘Dollar to a Diamond,’ and ‘Sink’ with SAINt JHN. The latter of which especially popped off on social media. After this early success in her career, Maya J’an switched her focus to solely writing music. Over the next several years, she did not put out any original music, staying in the background and helping other artists shine. At the beginning of 2026, Maya J’an stepped back into the music world as an artist again when she released the single ‘cul-de-sac.’ This is still one of my favorite singles of the year, as Maya’s songwriting and vocals really shone. She followed up that single with two more, titled ‘pocket knife’ and ‘new june.’ On May 15, Maya J’an released her new EP, called blindfaith county. Since I already did write ups on the first three singles(which you should go read if you haven’t), below I wanted to highlight the other three songs on the EP as well as give some overall thoughts on the project. Please let me know in the comments what you think of Maya J’an and blindfaith county.

NASTY HABIT

‘nasty habit’ is the opening song for the EP. I already generally knew the energy of the project through the singles, but for those who don’t know those singles, ‘nasty habit’ sets the project up well. Sonically, this one sort of reminds me of ‘cul-de-sac.’ It has a similar sonic tone to that one. ‘nasty habit’ has a very ethereal sound. The instrumental starts out very soft and light, and somewhat picks up emphasis as the track progresses. This melody is somber and sweet at the same time. Even though the tone isn’t the most positive, something about it is welcoming. The melody starts out being provided by a bassline, with some stronger synths coming through the further we get into the track. Maya J’an’s vocals on this one are as dainty as the instrumental. She really matches the energy of the instrumental so well. On ‘nasty habit,’ Maya J’an sings about not being able to get over an ex and always wanting to fall back to them. 

ART OF NOT CARING

I would say that ‘art of not caring’ probably stands out the most sonically on this record. It is the one that is the least like the others. For one, this is easily the most upbeat song here. Instead of having a more laid-back tempo, the sound of this one is pretty energetic. This song has a faster beat that could make one want to frolic in a field when it comes on. The melody for this song also has a very vibrant energy. The melody is very complicated. It is mainly provided by a guitar riff, but there are synths that come in and give the song a super bright and vibrant tone. It almost reminds me of the music by Postal Service, which is pretty cool. The melody even gets assistance from some backing vocals provided by Maya J’an. Speaking of vocals, Maya’s vocals throughout the track are great. She really matches the sunny feeling the instrumental has with the way she sings. I especially love the high notes she hits on this track, as they give the song a larger-than-life feeling. On ‘art of not caring,’ Maya J’an sings about getting over someone who does not reciprocate the love she has shown them in the past. 

DEPENDS

Since this EP came out, ‘depends’ is the non-single that has popped off the most so far. It is pretty easy to see why so many people are gravitating towards this track. This song has a sound that feels very familiar, but also stands out for how unique it is today. In other words, ‘depends’ has a nostalgic tone that feels fresh in 2026. This song brings me back to the Pop Rock of the early 2000s. When I hear it, I think of artists like Vanessa Carlton, Sara Bareilles, or even Michelle Branch. The instrumental is pretty simple, but very affected. The guitar riff that drives this one is light and powerful at the same time. This sugary riff is complemented by synths that come in and out, which give the song emphasis. Maya’s vocals sit so nicely on this instrumental. Her soft and breathy tone makes this song feel so calming, even if its lyrical tone is not so nice. On ‘depends,’ Maya J’an sings about trying to get over someone or something that is holding you down. This song has a very relatable sentiment of feeling stuck and trying to push through. 

As I mentioned in the introduction, blindfaith county from Maya J’an was a project I was definitely looking forward fo covering. Not only was I just excited in general about an artist I used to enjoy a ton coming out with new music again, but I was immediately re-captivated by her music once the new singles started dropping. I am very happy to say that this project totally lived up to the hype that I had given it in my head. Maya J’an has also stood out for her approach to music both sonically and lyrically, and that was more true than ever on her new EP. She has always had a knack for going outside the box while staying somewhat adjacent to her peers. This project totally went in a different direction than her solo music in the past, and I have to say, I loved this direction even more. She strayed away from the more Hip Hop adjacent music she was making before and went full Indie Pop on this one. In the song descriptions, I mentioned a few Indie Pop-Rock artists from the early 2000s that this EP made me think of. I think the music here is definitely inspired by artists like Death Cab for Cutie, Postal Service, Michelle Branch, and other Pop Rock artists of that time. Although there are other Indie Pop artists who also feel influenced by those artists, Maya J’an’s approach really stood out. Vocally, Maya J’an has always been awesome, and this was no different on this EP. She has such a great way of providing power at moments that need it, but also singing with a light and delicate tone a lot of the time, which makes her music so approachable. Her range is so nice, and it brings brightness to every track. As cool as the sound of this project is, the songwriting is even better. Maya J’an has always had a way of articulating her emotions in a way that is so relatable, and it is more prevalent than even on blindfaith county. She sings about love, loss, and finding herself in a way that is just so easy to understand and feel as a listener. Overall, blindfaith county is a great EP by an artist who deserves all of the love in the world. If you are into Indie Pop music, you need to listen to this EP.