Don’t let their diminutive moniker fool you—rising musical trio Tiny Habits is on a massive upswing from their humble dorm room roots, and now’s your chance to hop on the bandwagon before it rolls into the next biggest thing.
If your social media algorithms include anything musical whatsoever, there’s a chance you’ve already seen this trio in your feed. Cinya Khan, Judah Mayowa, and Maya Rae reached viral status in 2022, the same year they began collaborating, thanks to their harmonically rich covers recorded in stairwells or their dorm rooms at Boston’s Berklee College of Music.
Videos by American Songwriter
Anyone who’s heard them knows why The New Yorker touted them as “The Prodigies of Harmonies,” how they managed to score their Lollapalooza debut (this August!) two years after forming, and why artists like Gracie Abrams, Noah Kahan, and Kacey Musgraves, have fallen in love with their inimitable sound. And if you’re one of the lucky few who still has yet to discover them, now’s the perfect time to do so on the heels of their debut album ‘All For Something,’ released May 24 via Mom + Pop.
American Songwriter sat down with Tiny Habits to discuss their musical backgrounds, songwriting process, and the heartwarming marvel of making music with your very best friends.
You all met while studying at Boston’s historic Berklee College of Music. Was writing music your original plan at Berklee? If not, what was?
Maya: We all had pretty different journeys getting to Berklee, as well as the time we spent there. I had been writing a lot of original music prior to Berklee and was excited about pursuing that further. However, I was also focused on singing jazz at the time and loved the world around it.
Cinya: I had no real idea what I wanted. It was the only college I applied to, and for some reason, I felt like it was the right move. I just wanted to sing and write songs. When Tiny Habits started, it felt like the perfect opportunity to do those things without the terror of doing them completely alone.
Judah: I honestly didn’t know what my goal was. I sort of came to Berklee in hopes that I’d figure it out there. I always loved singing and loved music and grew up in a musical environment. Berklee seemed to be calling me.
Describe the feelings you had singing together for the first time. Did you know it was worth forming a band after that first jam session, or was there something else that clued you in later on?
Cinya: To be honest, I was way too terrified to have even felt excited about it. It was my first time really socializing after COVID, so I was quite literally shaking with fear. But after I settled into the moment, I just remember thinking that something was meant to be, and the comfort set in. The more we sang together, the more we didn’t ever want it to end.
How does the songwriting process typically work for the band, and how has Tiny Habits affected your personal songwriting approach, if at all?
Cinya: The process is super different from song to song. I consider their opinions a lot when I’m writing alone, like, ‘I feel like Maya would like this melody’ or ‘Judah would appreciate this chord.’ I find myself getting to pull from their minds as well as my own.
Maya: I have learned so much from Cinya and Judah when it comes to writing. We all have specific writing styles and ways of approaching it, but when we all come together and write, it’s something very special. I look up to them both so much, and every day, I try to be a better musician and songwriter because of them.
Judah: Since forming Tiny Habits with my girls, my skills as a songwriter have improved exponentially. Having two other people to pull from and be inspired by has really changed my process. I think I’m always thinking about my bandmates when I’m writing individually.
Do you have a favorite topic or musical concept to write around?
Maya: I would say heartbreak is a pretty big theme for us. We’ve all experienced a good chunk of that in our lives so far and find it’s a pretty easy and inspiring thing to write about.
Cinya: I’d say heartbreak as well. But these days, I’ve been inspired by the idea of getting older, the passing of time, looking back to the past or the future. I want to challenge myself to write about things that aren’t romantic relationships because life has so many inspiring events to pull from.
Judah: Honestly…trauma. I feel like there’s so much to pull from my own life experience, and writing music is a way to sort of heal from those experiences. I also believe it’s cool to have things that have happened and the healing from them solidified in time through a song.
Your harmonies are so fluid and well-blended. The complex dissonance you achieve seems second nature to all of you. How do you decide where to place these moments in your arrangements?
Judah: This really is the most natural and organic part of our arrangements. Our musical understanding has led us to arrange intuitively when it comes to harmonizing. Just pure fun and ease.
The ease with which you collaborate is apparent in your music. As an audience member, watching the magic you create with your voices is amazing. But what’s your favorite part about being in this band?
Maya: My favorite part about being in the band is that they’re my best friends. Above everything else, we love each other and have a really good time together. The music is really just a bonus!
Cinya: My best friends. We’ve had some insane opportunities to literally see the world, but then looking over and seeing the two of them next to me is a really fulfilling thing. I wouldn’t want to do it alone!
Judah: Probably the feeling of never being alone in an experience and just being able to share it with two people. This career can be so isolating, especially if you’re by yourself, so to be able to have two people experiencing the exact same thing at the same time and being able to lean on them has really made the experiences we’ve had a lot more fulfilling.
Tiny Habits has a full touring schedule to look forward to for the rest of 2024, including their Lollapalooza debut this August and a string of tours supporting Vance Joy, Lake Street Dive, and Sarah McLachlan. You can find all their upcoming performances on their website.
Photo by David Wala/Shutterstock