The Marías

Led by the enigmatic, bilingual singer and namesake María Zardoya and drummer/producer Josh Conway, the Marías are an indie pop combo known for their smooth cocktail of psych, jazz, Latin, and lounge influences. After establishing themselves the Los Angeles club circuit with a classy, sophisticated sound, they issued a pair of EPs, Superclean, Vols. 1-2, in advance of their Grammy-nominated, Billboard 200-charting full-length debut from 2021, Cinema. Collaborations with Bad Bunny, Tainy, and Young Miko followed over the next two years while they readied their follow-up, 2024′s trippier and lyrically lonelier Submarine. It took them from the lower echelon of the U.S. album chart into the Top 20. The group’s core duo first met at a Laurel Canyon Music Revival event where the Puerto Rican-born Zardoya was performing an acoustic set while Conway, an L.A. native, ran sound. Their initial spark led them to both a creative and romantic partnership around which the rest of the band formed. With the addition of lead guitarist Jesse Perlman, bassist Carter Lee, and keyboardist Edward James, the Marías developed an intricate sound that incorporated breezy bossa nova rhythms, light funk, psych, and dreamy pop which they introduced on 2017′s Superclean, Vol. 1 EP. With accompanying videos steeped in vintage Hollywood glamour, the band quickly earned significant buzz and soon found themselves on tour supporting Albert Hammond, Jr. and playing a Coachella slot. They followed up with their second Superclean volume in September 2018. After releasing a spate of singles, the Marías signed with Atlantic and issued their full-length debut, the Grammy-nominated Cinema, in 2021. It spent a week at number 176 on the Billboard 200. A high-profile feature on Bad Bunny’s chart-topping 2022 album, Un Verano Sin Ti, raised the band’s profile significantly and they spent much of 2023 pursuing further collaborations with artists like Cuco, Eyedress, Tainy, and Young Miko, while simultaneously recording their second album. 2024′s breakup-informed Submarine marked a maturation of the psychedelic indie rock sound of their early EPs with themes of isolation and solitude. Their newly expanded fan base helped Submarine rise to number 17 on the Billboard 200. ~ Timothy Monger