Song Exploder
The Marías - No One Noticed
· Summarized
Key takeaways
- The song 'No One Noticed' was born out of the COVID-19 pandemic's feelings of loneliness and virtual connection, reflecting personal and collective emotions during that time.
- Collaboration and openness in the creative process, especially with producer Gianluca Buccellati, played a crucial role in shaping the final version of the song.
- Even through uncertainty, personal setbacks, and industry pressures, genuine artistic expression and resilience can lead to unexpected success.
- Leaking music independently can bypass label hesitations and lead to organic growth through social media and streaming platforms.
- The story of the song mirrors the band's journey—facing challenges, breaking up, reuniting, and ultimately thriving through perseverance and authentic connection with their audience.
Summary
The band's origins and early years
The Marías are a Los Angeles-based band formed by María Zardoya, Josh Conway, Jesse Perlman, and Edward James. They started releasing music with their first EPs in 2017 and 2018, culminating in their debut album in 2021. Their early years were marked by the development of their sound and growing recognition.
The making of 'No One Noticed' during COVID-19
During the peak of the pandemic in 2020, María and Josh were confined at their apartment, writing music. María was inspired by a chord progression and melody that resonated deeply with her feelings of loneliness and connection during COVID-19. This song was initially a melancholic, slower piece that was somewhat ignored by their label, which preferred more upbeat tracks. The song’s origins lie in the pandemic's virtual connection themes, with María recording a demo that reflected her emotions during this period.
Revisiting and reworking the song amidst band uncertainties
A year after initially writing the song, María and her collaborators revisited it after personal challenges, including a breakup with Josh. María reached out to Grammy-nominated producer Gianluca Buccellati to help rework the song, leading to a fresh, collaborative production process. This period marked a turning point, as the band was uncertain about its future but found renewed purpose through music and therapy. The song was then developed into a more polished version with emotional lyrical updates.
The recording and production process of 'No One Noticed'
María’s vocals were recorded with an SM7B microphone, and Luca's gentle, thoughtful approach brought out the song’s emotional depth. Jesse Perlman contributed with guitar, using a pedal that added a dreamy, underwater quality, emphasizing the song’s longing theme. The band members’ emotional struggles and their process of translating feelings into music played a crucial role in shaping the song.
Band resilience and the song's evolution into a major hit
Despite uncertainties about the band’s future, including a breakup, the band members went to therapy and rediscovered their shared love and respect for their music and friendship. Initially, the label was hesitant about the song’s release, favoring more upbeat tracks, but María’s decision to leak the song on her platform led to its organic popularity, especially on TikTok. This grassroots success resulted in the song being included on their album 'Submarine' and becoming their biggest track, illustrating their perseverance and authentic artistic vision.
Sponsors
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Show notes
The Marías is a band from Los Angeles, made up of María Zardoya, Josh Conway, Jesse Perlman, and Edward James. They released their first EPs in 2017 and 2018, and their first album in 2021. But then, as you’ll hear, there was a period of a lot of uncertainty around the band’s future. Eventually, their second album, Submarine, came out in 2024, and it was incredibly successful. Stereogum called it one of the best albums of the year, and the band was nominated for a Grammy for Best New Artist. But all of that almost didn’t happen. I talked to María about the making of their hit song “No One Noticed.” The story’s beginning, middle, and end all took place during different eras of the band’s existence. In the middle section, when maybe they weren’t going to even be a band anymore, María enlisted the help of Grammy-nominated producer Gianluca Buccellati. And I spoke to Luca for this episode, as well.
For more, visit songexploder.net/the-marias.
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