The Marías

The Marías are an indie pop band led by singer María Zardoya and drummer Josh Conway that mixes elements of dream pop, lounge jazz, and soft Latin rhythms into a cocktail of nightclub cool. Zordoya has a misty, soft voice that gently swoons, which is especially prominent in their Latin inspired pieces. When she is on, their songs almost float, which the rest of the band responds to by playing it loose. She sings mostly in English, and occasionally switches to Spanish. There is some bossa nova in their music, also some reggaeton (Zardoya is originally from Puerto Rico), and a range of other Latin flavors. Their arrangements somewhat recall the '80s sultry jazz feel that was popularized by Sade, as well as some of the retro vibes of the '70s French and Italian movie soundtracks with all their string arrangements.