femme mag

Femme got to know upcoming musician Onyda, talking
labels, social conventions, gender, industry
pressures, musical inspiration and future goals.
20-year-old Stoke based Onyda, AKA Shae Maunders, creates
a wall of singer-songwriter smoothness which is both ethereal
and electric, an apt backdrop for instinct lead and honest lyrics.
Drawing upon multiple musical influences, Onyda’s music cannot
be categorised as simply one thing or another - rather an organic
combination of relatable narratives, fitting sampling and
hauntingly soulful vocals, making for the ultimate light-listening
experience. With just two Spotify singles swirling amongst new
music algorithms, Onyda’s lack of released content boasts anticipated
future releases, supported by the likes of BBC Introducing.
How would you
Describe your music?
Hmm, how would I describe
it? I don’t think it’s something
that I’m conscious
of, I would say it tends to
be electronic. I just love so
many different types of
music that I end up making
something that’s just to my
instincts, but I don’t actually
know what that is.
What does it mean to you
to be a woman in music?
Well, I think to be woman in
anything in the world that
we live in is something! It
means something to be noted.
We don’t even get paid
the same as men, so to be
a woman doing anything is,
in a way, is to be a woman
defying every man doing the
same thing.
How do you find being
referred to as a female
artist, would you rather
gender didn’t play
a role and you were
judged purely
musically?
It doesn’t bother me personally,
I think some people
wonder how I identify because
of my shaved head
and I always seem to dress
differently to other people,
but it’s not something I think
about. I don’t really care to