06 May In Conversation with Mae Thomas
The ‘In Conversation with’ series brings to you the stories of various creative professionals from the music industry and provides a glimpse into their journeys. Today’s conversation features the story of podcast host, and entrepreneur Mae Mariyam Thomas– a leader in the Indian audio and podcasting domain.
India is the second fastest growing country in the world for podcast listening, and leading the podcast and audio space is Mae Mariyam Thomas. Loved by her audiences for her charismatic, relatable and candid persona, she has made her place in the hearts of musicians and listeners alike with her Indie-music podcast ‘Maed in India’- showcasing the best of independent music in India. ‘Maed in India’ has almost 300 episodes to its name and is a trusted destination for music discovery for audiences. For Mae, her affiliation with audio and music began in her early years. “My journey with audio started when I was really young. I was one of those 90s kids and my mom got me a boombox that had a tape deck with blank cassettes so whenever songs would play on the radio, you would press the two buttons and record it. I have a bunch of old cassettes with songs by Boyz II Men, Ace of Base… that’s how my relationship with music and audio began.”
Early years
The 2005 Bombay floods proved to be a turning point for Mae in realising the power of radio. “We were stuck at home with no internet, no electricity, no nothing and the only thing that worked was my mom’s battery-powered radio. We would wind it up and someone somewhere was broadcasting which is when I realised that when the apocalypse hits, I might still have a job! That’s pretty much where radio happened.” Returning to India after completing her tertiary education in journalism from the UK, Mae developed her presence in the radio space. “When I came back to India I worked in the radio space but eventually got a bit jaded and felt creatively stifled. That’s when I left. But audio has been a constant in my life and where I have built my expertise. Audio production is my jam! When I hear someone pitching an idea, I hear it in my head first and I visualise what it will sound like.”
Origins of Maed in India
Marrying her love for audio and music, and inspired by the work of renowned BBC radio presenter John Peel, Mae began ‘Maed in India’ in 2015 after being approached to make a podcast. “Because I had been working in radio for a few years, I realised that there wasn’t any space for new independent artists on the radio. It was very commercial music. That’s where I thought I should create a space where indie musicians get to perform their music live and you also get to understand the origin story of the artists. The whole concept of ‘Maed in India’ centres around music discovery.”
Maed in India was formulated with a deep love and reverence for music at its core. An essential part of the process was to ensure it was recorded and produced well. “The idea was that I wanted to work with really good studios because we were recording live music and that takes a lot in terms of work and investment. The artists were performing music which means they have to have a level of trust in me that I will take care of their art. They are performing a song so that means that it has to be mixed and mastered well. You are building a lot of relationships with musicians so for them to come and say “can I come and perform my song for you?” is a huge deal and must be respected. It’s not just a lot of pressure on me but it’s also my job to make sure that whatever I am creating as a representation of their music is actually going to be good.”
“I work with good engineers, good studios, and editors. A lot of that matters so much because artists rights are really important to us at Maed in India. Asking for their permission, and making sure that they were okay that I am featuring them on the show is all part of making sure we are doing our due diligence. They can be invited to the show but it doesn’t mean that I will take full advantage of them- that’s a little unfair. I think a lot of independent artists are taken advantage of, especially in India, and I wanted to be able to create an archive for listeners to discover music and a safe space for musicians to feel heard while also having fun. I think that was the coming together of Maed in India.”
Podcast production
Tapping into her expertise in podcast production, and the value of the medium, Mae founded her own podcast production company of the same name with its flagship show ‘Maed in India’. “Podcasts allow you to have more nuanced conversations. It’s not just about making a podcast, it’s also about understanding its value as a medium. In podcasting, there is no real restriction- you have the ability to figure out what you want to do in a way that is authentic to you. That is the freedom starting my own company gave me. Being able to pick and choose what projects to work on gave me the ability to have my say in a way that I felt reflected our creativity and expertise. You have a voice. Podcasting gives you a way to say things differently.”
As a presenter, podcaster, and entrepreneur, Mae juggles multiple roles with an ease that can only come from her passion for her work. “I really don’t like the hustle. I enjoy the work that I do, I love meeting people and building things. To do something good takes time, takes energy, takes effort, and takes a singularity of thought and intention. I hate the hurry. I like for things to happen in its own time. The thing that keeps me going is that I love the work I do, I have a wonderful team that I really enjoy working with and if I didn’t enjoy what I am doing I wouldn’t be doing it.”
Stay tuned to Maed in India on Spotify!
Written by Senjuti Maitra
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