Maya Delilah: The Long Way Round 1LP Orange Vinyl

Blue Note, 2025

The Long Way Round, is London-born singer, songwriter, and guitarist Maya Delilah's stunning full-length debut album.  Named a 2025 Spotify “Artist To Watch,” and Fender Next “Class of 2024", this album makes good on that promise by bringing all the elements of her art together — the intimacy, the ability, the inspiration, the depth, the lightness — into one striking work.

While the 12 songs on The Long Way Round are steeped in soul-pop, they also contain rich strains of country and blues, hints of gospel and choral music, and one full serving of unvarnished funk with the flirty track, “Squeeze”.

From soothing, psychedelic send-off “Look at the State of Me Now”, to Western-inflected codependence tribute “Necklace” to the ‘70s soul music inspired “Actress” — Maya proves herself a master of not just an evocative guitar solo, but of capturing life’s biggest contradiction: why everything matters all the time and also why it’s not that deep.

Making the album was a literal journey, from a barn-based studio in Devon, England, to a home studio in Los Angeles, and back to various rooms across London. All with a cast of friends new and old, including producers Peter Miles, Josh Grant, Doug Schadt, Seth Tackaberry, and Aquilo’s Ben Fletcher and Tom Higham, as well as collaborators including Samm Henshaw, Grace Lightman, members of FIZZ, organist Cory Henry, and drummer Aaron Sterling (John Mayer, Taylor Swift).

“My biggest hope is that the album feels nostalgic to someone I’ve never met before,” says Maya.