Growing up in a charming beach town on Lake Erie, American Canadian singer-songwriter Heidi Maria was enamored by her mother’s singing and guitar playing from an early age. She was Canadian recording/touring artist Maria, of The Peaches. Luckily, one Christmas morning there was a little Harmony guitar under the tree. The rest is history!
Heidi Maria’s EP “I’m Done Playing The Game” recorded at the Sound Kitchen Studios in Franklin, Tennessee with legendary Nashville guitarist Fred Newell and audio engineer David John Biondolillo, encompasses a spectrum of sweet harmonies, heartfelt lyrics, and dynamic emotions. Heidi has performed at venues ranging from intimate rooms and clubs such as the Free Times Café and the Mohawk Place to the Allentown Art Festival and also guested at the MIC NYS Music Industry Conference and an engagement at the Burchfield Penney Art Center.
Heidi has appeared in print ads for Nationwide Insurance and Hillrom and in commercials for Monroe Muffler, Queen City Escape Room, Blue Cross, and Blue Shield. Heidi has been a brand ambassador for Fiji Water, Blue Chair Bay Rum, and Casa Noble Tequila. One of her favorite yearly events to work on is a charity golf tournament for ESCO benefiting Golisano Children’s Hospital. She has done fashion shows for Lord & Taylor and Von Maur and the 2018 Goldwell and KMS fall hair shows. Currently, you can catch her jogging in the NYCM Insurance commercial popping up on Hulu. She is currently releasing a series of acoustic music videos on her YouTube channel titled “The Tunnel Sessions”.
Thank you for agreeing to catch up with Occhi Magazine. For readers unfamiliar with you and your background, what drew you to a career in the arts?
I appreciate you having me. Definitely, my mom drew me to a career in the arts. When I was little, I wanted to be just like my mom. She sang professionally in Canada before I was born. I used to sit on her bed and watch her sing and play guitar and I would sing along with her. Listening to her and singing along with her would move my soul. That is one of my favorite childhood memories. She writes a lot of songs still to this day and would always sing them for me. She never got tired of my asking her to play one song or another over and over again. I wanted to be just like her as a kid. She taught me to play guitar. She also influenced a lot of my musical style and tastes, what genres I liked, and the records I would buy. I am also a fan of several of the musicians that were on the same label as she was in Canada, Periwinkle Records.
What were your early influences and how did they impact your career?
Another early influence was my first time in the studio. My mom was recording at Orchard Studios in Ontario and she had written this song for me to sing with her, “Mommy My Dolly Talks”. It’s a sweet song about a little girl who runs to her mom to tell her that her dolly is talking to her, nodding to the imagination and the innocence of children. Then comes my favorite line that brings tears to my eyes – “The years go by much quicker than we care to see, before you know it children they’ll no longer be” When I think about my son and how Maria must have viewed me. It was a wonderful experience for a kid who wanted to grow up to be a musician. To be in a studio recording tracks for the first time surrounded by some of Canada’s best musicians, like Mickey Andrews and Wendell Ferguson. Hearing that beautiful music fills my headphones, my mind, and my heart. I’ll never forget that feeling. I was also so intrigued watching Mickey, Wendell and the other musicians work and watching the engineer at the board.
Here is a link to the song but if you’re a parent you may need a tissue like me: https://youtu.be/6rfjLoyIUh4
Which three traits define you?
Steadfast, studious, and sweet
Please tell us about your latest project
I have a project that I have been working on since the COVID-19 shutdown called the “Tunnel Sessions”. It’s a series of acoustic music videos that I release one at a time and tell the viewer a little something about the song. Just some fun facts or history about it. The videos are shot inside a tunnel that has a lot of natural reverb. As a kid, I used to run through the tunnel and sing. I always loved how my footprints and voice would echo throughout it. Here is a link to my YouTube channel where I post the “Tunnel Sessions”
https://www.youtube.com/@heidimariapeach/videos.
What other projects are in the pipeline?
I have been writing new material. One of the songs is for my little one. It’s not finished yet but will definitely make it onto my next record when it’s complete.
Where can our readers find out more about you?
On my website, www.meetheidimaria.com. There are links on my site to my social media pages where you can go to see my current posts and links to stream or purchase my music. My website also has my commercials or music videos posted.
You can also go directly to my Facebook page at: https://en-gb.facebook.com/people/Heidi-Maria/100057554148021/ or my Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/heidimariapeach/.
My “Tunnel Sessions” series and other videos are posted on my YouTube Channel
Heidi Maria main photo credit: Rich Borosky for Big Beat Creative Studios
The Tunnel Sessions photo Credit: Dominic Luongo
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