After conquering TikTok, the American trio Tiny Habits is now defending its first record on a North American tour. The band will be at the Montreal International Jazz Festival on June 30.
A meeting worthy of a sitcoma bond worthy of a love song and a journey worthy of a fabulous novel: this is how we could sum up Tiny Habits in a few words.
But that would be to forget its main attribute: the voices. Voices so sublime that they are charming the whole world. Tiny Habits is still in its infancy, but thanks to social networks, we know its name (and its voices) everywhere.
So much so that the trio took part in singer Lizzie Macalpine’s Tiny Desk session, opened for Gracie Abrams, just released a six-song EP, Tiny Things, and these days begins his own tour. “None of this seems to be true,” said Judah Mayowa, seated to the left of his acolytes, Maya Rae and Cinya Khan, during a videoconference interview. “We can’t quite believe that we’re going to play in these venues, that it’s going to be our own concerts. »
We still have the impression that there will be no one at our shows!
Maya Rae
And yet, there is no doubt that their sweet pop-folk has already touched many hearts. There is something very comforting, easy to approach and gentle in their refined style, focused on harmonies, their great strength. Each wrote their own songs on the disc, which the others appropriated. Tiny Habits sings with one voice.
When asked how they would describe their sound, everyone does their bit to get a picture that’s as wacky as it is accurate. “It’s like you’re wearing a soft onesie, sitting by the fire,” Cinya said. “And there’s a disco ball on the ceiling,” Judah adds. As well as hot cookies. “Oh and your favorite animals surround you,” Maya continues. ” Yes ! Furry friends. A rabbit or two, probably,” Judah adds again.
Everyone burst out laughing. Something in the energy they give off allows you to immediately understand how tightly woven the trio is. They haven’t been friends for so long, about two years. But to see them, seated against each other on an armchair, dressed in the same sweater, and to hear them talk about each other, we suspect that beyond the bond created by the music, their friendship is deep.
Chance encounter
When Judah, Maya and Cinya first met in a dorm room at Berklee University in Boston, they sang together for hours. It was in the spring of 2021. Cinya had posted on Instagram a story in which she asked Berklee students how to operate the dorm’s malfunctioning toilet roll holder. Maya wrote back, and the two women met. She had already planned a meeting with Judah, also a student at the time, to sing together and ended up inviting Cinya to join them.
Once they found each other, they never let go. Their voices intertwine and complement each other in a way they describe as “magical”. And as long as they spend their time singing together, they created a group: Tiny Habits.
“I played music with a lot of people,” says Maya, who is originally from Vancouver. But with these two, the first time I sang with them, I was like, “Oh my God, they’re amazing!” I’m a fan of them as a vocalist. And by dint of singing together, we were able to be more and more creative, we have so much fun. It’s hard to explain, but every time we sing together, I get this feeling of comfort. »
Her friends stick to her a little more, Judah hugs her. Cinya adds: “There is also the fact that the experience in a music school can be very competitive. But with them, it’s for fun. We collaborate, we like to do that together. »
What TikTok allows
Once Tiny Habits formed, the trio recorded and shared their videos where they cover popular songs. Unexpectedly, it receives many positive comments.
Today, his most popular cover videos on TikTok are 4.4 million respectively (Landslide by Fleetwood Mac, which can also be found on his EP), 1.3 million (Somebody Else of The 1975) and 1.2 million (Bloom from Paper Kites) likes.
This rise, which took place very quickly (as often on social networks), raised some pressure. “It can feel like you have to publish because you know there are people waiting – which in itself is wonderful,” says Cinya.
But we are perfectionists, so we film 3000 versions of the same video before we are satisfied!
Maya Rae
The trio, although in their twenties, has a very rich musical experience. Cinya and Judah have already graduated from Berklee, while Maya is finishing her degree.
All three have a passion, but also a predestination for music. When they recount their childhood memories, everyone remembers having listened to music forever. Judah’s mother, aunts and uncles are musicians. He thought for a while about a career in basketball, but his passion for music largely won out. Maya started in jazz singing. She performed in jazz clubs, sang in the streets with her cousin, studied music in high school. “I wasn’t planning on going to school next if it wasn’t Berklee,” she smiles. As for Cinya, she remembers that there was always music playing in the background at home when she was a child. “It became my way of expressing myself,” she says simply.
As talented as they are determined, the three companions pursue this dream born so long ago. They hadn’t planned it, but rather than living it alone, they now share this life with their closest friends. “I couldn’t do it without them,” Judah says, as Cinya and Maya pull themselves together in a hug again. I have two people with me who are going through the same thing that I can rely on. It makes it all so much easier, so much better. »