Testimonial from Grimalkin Artist: D'vorah Maya

Testimonial

Nov 7

"After months of searching for queer-run, independent and non-genre-specific record labels online, I stumbled upon Grimalkin and everything changed. I never expected to find a label whose values and ethics - specifically around fostering mutual aid, centering marginalized voices and reimbursing artists fairly - so closely match my own. As a musician who is quite new to releasing her music to the public, I've felt so blessed at the level of patience and words of guidance I've received from Grim Kells as I've learned how to connect with wider audiences and get my voice out there.

I also feel deeply honored to be on the same label as so many incredibly talented and musically adventurous artists. Their work inspires me to keep pushing the limits of possibility within my own, both in sound and in spirit. Because of them, Grimalkin is truly a platform for the queering of music itself."

-D'vorah Maya

Born in central Illinois, raised in the Chicago area and currently based in Portland Oregon, D’vorah Maya developed an obsession with the Beatles around age 8, when she received her first guitar. Thanks to her mother’s impeccable taste in workout music (notably Blondie, Boy George, Fleetwood Mac and Roxy Music), along with constant exposure to Motown and “classic” rock during long car rides, D’vorah’s songwriting foundations became firmly laid at an early age. Later adventures found her exploring dozens of different music genres, further broadening her musical and artistic horizons.

After playing guitar, drums and singing in several punk and hard rock bands in high school, D’vorah briefly studied blues and jazz guitar theory in college while participating in several different recording and performance projects. She soon dropped out (returning twelve years later to obtain a degree in mental health counseling) and gradually taught herself to play bass and keyboards while honing her skills at songwriting and production. You Can’t Erase Us, her first full-length album, is a culmination of these efforts and is written, performed, recorded and mixed entirely by D’vorah. In addition to being a musician, she works full time as a mobile crisis counselor.