There’s a big thick line that separates the good from the great in the indie pop scene.

Some musicians spend their whole lives clawing at it, hoping to break through into something memorable and special. Aaron Maine managed to do this with his project Porches. The secret? A blend of uniqueness and authentic New York grit that other indie acts would give a left hand for. Here we talk to him about his songwriting, performing and upcoming album, Shirt.

You have a new album Shirt coming soon. Are you excited about where you are musically with these new songs?

I am excited with how Shirt came out. It was quite a journey to make it. I feel like I stuck to the plot even though I was scared. It was terrifying to start rolling it out. The response has been great. 

Are you putting a lot of effort into your concerts or are you one of those musos who just wants to hangout in the studio? 

In the past I would have said I prefer to be in the studio recording stuff but during Covid when I couldn’t play live music I realised then how crucial that is to me as a part of this cycle. Being a total hermit in solitude is all well and good but without the release playing and being around with others humans gives you, the cycle feels incomplete. So I love them both. 

You've collaborated quite a bit musically. How do you find that experience compared to just doing it on your own?

It’s amazing. It’s so nice to have another brain, body, and voice in the room. I think I would tend to be alone and be with my thoughts usually, so when someone comes by and I get to play them songs and hear their reaction I think that’s really valuable. I’ve been trying to open up my process a bit more, sharing my stuff in the earlier stages. Music can be incredibly social, there’s no reason why I need to be a cave dweller doing it all on my own.

Is there someone who would be your dream to collaborate with?

I wanna make music with Lana Del Rey. 

Oh yeah. Love her. 

Putting that one out into the universe. 

Do you have a ritual that you do that helps you get into the writing zone? 

I like to write early. I like to get up and drink coffee, write in my journal for thirty minutes, you know, just stream-of-consciousness stuff. Then be writing by ten, when it’s still a little fuzzy out with the whole day ahead of me. That’s typically my ritual and to me, the epitome of a perfect day. Not too many interactions before, voice feeling fresh. 

Are you someone who habitually writes music or just when it comes to you? 

The meat of the songs are usually born in the moment. It could be a couple lines or one sentence that I want to say that informs the rest of the song. I like to just sing and then just loop the part that needs lyrics. It has to feel a certain way coming out of my mouth. The lyrics could be brilliant and catchy but if it doesn’t sound right coming out of my mouth then it will always feel wrong to me. A lot of it is just singing and singing until the song makes itself known. Usually in lots of different parts. 

Is it harder for you to start or finish a song? 

Finishing is hard. I could write ten songs in a day if I had to. I’m trying to think of what the hardest part of songwriting is for me. There’s gotta be this very specific arc of inspiration that you can’t just invest.

Totally. 

You know? You just have to be there and it comes to you. So maybe the hardest part is just waiting for that to happen. Or for that not to happen. 

Yeah on that, are you someone that tries to push through and grind or do you walk away and come back? 

No, unfortunately I am someone that likes to beat the shit out a song and make everything worse for five hours and then go home and be like ‘why didn’t I just leave when I knew it wasn’t going well?’ But sometimes it works. If I show up and I’m there for seven hours, at least if inspiration comes and knocks on my door I’ll be there to receive it. 

As you keep gaining more of an audience, are you feeling much pressure/anxiety or are you enjoying it?

I enjoy every minute of any audience that I gain. I don’t feel much pressure because luckily all I have to do is make music which is my favourite thing to do. Obviously I want people to like it and enjoy the shows but that’s only part of it. It’s a big part of my life as a person, doing music everyday. 

Obviously you see yourself continuing to do music forever right? Or are there other projects that you can imagine doing going forward?

Gosh, I don’t really know. I think it would be cool to have another job. I don’t even know what it would be. Oh you know what? I’ve thought about getting my barber license. I cut my hair and cut my friends' hair, I think it would be nice to have my own shop one day. That sounds kinda nice.

Preorder Shirt here.