Don’t let the gingham fool you — Jordan Maye’s music will get you out of your rocking chair.
The debut album The Creation of Jordan Maye from the Georgia-raised, Berklee College-trained musician delves into themes of grief, growth, joy and self-actualization with the energy and confidence of stadium rock.
Maye has been writing and playing in rock bands since she was in middle school, and you can tell that the genre is a familiar stomping ground. Her voice leads the charge on The Creation, flanked by electric guitar, keys, percussion from kick drums to bongos, a background chorus and, at times, strings. Together, the ensemble sounds clean, coordinated, and ready to entertain despite the accompanying heart-wrenching lyrics, like a well-rehearsed dance number in a musical.
Maye began wondering if she was trans in middle school. Her musical journey became entwined with self-exploration, and her transition in 2023 crystallized the name Jordan Maye as both a stage name and a chosen identity. While the themes of songs on The Creation capture moments in Maye’s personal life largely outside of the transition process, they are all components that shaped the human being she is today.
And that person is a rock-and-roll sensation, with all the flair and charm of the biggest acts — but the expressive power chords aren’t just for show. Maye’s simple but genre-savvy songwriting, filled with genuine emotion, demonstrates that the trans experience belongs everywhere, even in the halls of hard rock.
“Deranged” kicks off The Creation like a swift kick to a horse’s sides — right away, it’s off and running. One can picture a spotlight illuminating Maye and her piano on stage in front of a crowded theater, her full-bodied voice filling the space with surrealist imagery. Contorted guitar riffs set the tone, which builds suddenly into a gut-thumping thrum, adding momentum to Maye’s vocal melodies.
“Tuesday” quickly brings the listener back down to earth. It is an elegy on piano, the first instrument Maye ever learned to play, to a friend who passed away very suddenly. The song’s slow, literal storytelling, evocative of a Billy Joel ballad, later evolves into a Dire Straits-like riff on “Hush”, the first time the album hints at Maye’s Georgia roots. “Hush,” which describes a low moment in a bar before the night begins, watching the world go by during a winter of lonely grief, is separated from “Tuesday” by two other songs: “Walking on Water” and “Tarot.”
What begins as an upbeat defiance of nature on “Walking” during a cheerful excursion on a frozen river becomes an icy numbness on “Hush,” one of Maye’s well-orchestrated thematic throughlines that reflects her deep knowledge of the genre.
Heartbreak, dysphoria, loss and connection can all play equal roles on the stage of Maye’s music, and just like her hero David Bowie, one message resonates loud and clear through Creation: “Oh no, love, you’re not alone / No matter what or who you’ve been […] I’ve had my share, I’ll help you with the pain.”
Jordan Maye — Official, Instagram
You can be a part of independent music journalism when you sign up for our Patreon or weekly free newsletter!