Q&A: Mariae Cassandra’s New Era is About Feeling Everything — No Walls, No Filters
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY KIMBERLY KAPELA ☆
Photo Credit: Jenna Elson
NO MORE WALLS — With the release of her debut EP Everything in my Backpocket, Mariae Cassandra wants listeners to release the need to put up a wall between themselves and their emotions. “Let yourself feel and fall fully so you can get back even stronger,” she says to Luna.
That sentiment defines everything Mariae is doing right now. Freshly 18, her music is growing up alongside her, becoming louder, braver and more emotionally open than ever before. Everything in my Backpocket is an evolution from her earlier releases, trading softer pop moments for fuzzy guitars, punchy drums and an alt-pop sound with a pop-rock edge.
That openness is reflected in how the project came together. Everything in my Backpocket became a true friends-and-family affair, with Mariae’s dad on drums, her uncles on guitar and bass, and close friends filling out lead and rhythm parts. Still, before any of that support surrounded her, the songs were born in isolation.
“My dad on drums, my uncles on guitar and bass, and my two friends on lead and rhythm guitar all poured their passion into it,” Mariae says. “But before any of them were part of it, it was just me in my bedroom, feeling like the world was crashing down. I had no one I truly trusted, and even though I wanted someone to confide in, I couldn’t bring myself to open up.”
“Everything In My Backpocket is kind of like finding your old jeans, reaching into each pocket, and pulling out random little memories you forgot were there,” she says. “It’s hectic, it’s messy, and somehow it makes sense without really trying to. These songs are all pieces of me, from when I was 15 up until this February, and it feels like I’m letting you dig through my backpocket too.”
The EP’s focus track, “The City,” is a pop-rock coming-of-age anthem about first love and how it can completely reshape the world around you.
“I wrote ‘The City’ after I found myself experiencing something completely new — my first real crush,” she explains. “It was the kind of feeling that progressively reshaped the way I saw everything around me. This person somehow made my city, a place I used to dread going out in, feel like somewhere I always wanted to be… The song is about how emotions can transform you. It captures that moment of realising how someone can make familiar places feel entirely new, and how love can make even the most normal spaces feel enticing.”
To celebrate Everything in my Backpocket, Mariae Cassandra is taking that message on the road, embarking on her first national Australian headline tour in January, with a debut London headline show.
LUNA: Thank you for talking to Luna. Our readers would love to get to know you and your music more. For any readers who aren’t familiar with you yet, what inspires your artistic style and sound?
MARIAE: There’s many things that inspire my artistic style and sound! If we’re talking artists, I love me some good Spacey Jane, Lizzy McAlpine, Beabadoobee, Clairo, NIKI, the 1975, LANY and if we’re talking in general, then my very own experiences. I love to match my emotions with my sound or make it fun and hide the deep emotions with fun sounds.
LUNA: What kind of atmosphere or emotional space do you aim to create for your listeners?
MARIAE: The atmosphere I am aiming to produce for my listeners is like I’ve read their journals and now they’re reading mine. Yes, I take a lot of inspo from my own experiences, but I love learning and hearing about other people’s experiences too. I want it to feel nostalgic and heart warming, but also like a safe space where they can say whatever they want.
LUNA: Are there particular moods or themes you find yourself gravitating towards when writing and performing? How do you channel these into your music?
MARIAE: Unfortunately I love to be in a heavier emotional state when writing. For example, writing “Theodore” and “Better” was easy because I was experiencing that kind of pain in real time. Sometimes I can write a ‘happier’ sounding song, but I just love being able to express the feelings that’s not easy to say.
LUNA: You just released your debut EP Everything In My Backpocket and a huge congratulations is in order! What is the inspiration behind the project and what themes and emotions do you explore?
MARIAE: The inspiration behind the project is hard to explain because each song was written in different timelines and not all in one sitting. I wrote “Better” when I was 15, and the most recently written one, “Love Vomit” was when I was 17. I wanted it to feel like I was going through an old pair of jeans that was stuffed in the back of my closet and I found old receipts or memories in its backpockets.
LUNA: Everything In My Backpocket feels like a snapshot of growing up in real time. Now that you’ve just turned 18, how does it feel to release such a personal body of work that spans such a formative period of your life?
MARIAE: First of all, it’s absolutely crazy to me that I am now a legal adult and not just a kid trying to be understood by the rest of the world. It feels like a perfect release because I’ve been holding on to most of these songs, and these feelings, for so many years and now, it’s not just my project — but all of ours.
LUNA: I would love to touch more on the creative process behind Everything In My Backpocket. The recording process became a deeply familial experience, with your dad, uncles and close friends contributing. How was your experience working with your family and did it change the way you viewed the songs?
MARIAE: Although I won’t be able to experience it again, with everyone in the previous band going through their own journeys, it was an experience I’ll treasure forever and I’m so proud of it. I’m very glad I was able to work with talented people and learn so much about myself during that.
LUNA: What is your favorite song off Everything In My Backpocket and why do you love this song? Is there a certain element, lyric or message that you gravitate towards the most?
MARIAE: This one is a hard question. I think my favorite changes every now and then but I think “Better” is definitely the most slept-on song. Just because I was able to experience all those emotions, and was actually able to write them down to a very good song. I love the production. I love the intensity. The message about watching a loved one lose themselves to something and then blaming yourself for not doing better? Like, who hurt you?
LUNA: You’ll be celebrating the EP with an Australian headline tour in January 2026, along with your debut London show. What are you looking forward to the most about these shows?
MARIAE: The fans. I absolutely adore fan interactions and as someone who loves to talk a lot, I find that it’s so lovely getting to know someone through music.
LUNA: How do you hope listeners — especially your femme audience — can connect with or find power in this new era of music from you? What emotions or messages do you want to leave with them?
MARIAE: The message I want to leave my listeners is to literally live with passion, faith and love. With those three values you can’t do anything wrong. And with this new era I hope you don’t feel like you always need to put up a wall between yourself and your emotions. Let yourself feel and fall fully so you can get back even stronger.
LUNA: What is fueling your fire right now that’s pushing you into this next chapter in your career?
MARIAE: God.
LUNA: How are you feeling in this current era of your career and what does the upcoming year look like that you would like to share with Luna?
MARIAE: Honestly, I think this is the first year of my life where I am literally just going with the flow. Growing up, I’ve always been having big goals and having high expectations upon myself but right now I am just excited for the current day and preparing for the next. I do hope I’m able to meet more people, and play bigger shows or even in different countries.
