MARIS knows the thrill of hesitation. The Montana-bred pop musician’s latest single, “Give Me A Sign” featuring Caroline Kingsbury, which premieres today on PAPER, captures that split-second of uncertainty before making a move.
“It’s about the nerves that come with making the first move,” MARIS says. “I wanted to capture that cocktail of desperate emotion.” Growing up in Montana, she knew the risk of misreading a moment. Now, that same uncertainty lingers in adulthood, just with a different backdrop. “Give Me A Sign” distills that tension into a song that’s both anxious and electric, designed to get stuck in your head.
With a DIY lyric video and an upcoming tour with Maude Latour, MARIS is stepping into a new era — bolder, sharper, and still dancing around the edge of impulse. “I’m so grateful to be a queer woman making art like this,” she says. “And I’m so proud of what we made.”
Watch the premiere of “Give Me A Sign” below, and read on for our full conversation with MARIS.
What was the inspiration behind the song?
Growing up in Montana, I had some intimate experiences with other girls pretty early on in my life. But ones that were always filled with caution and nervousness about being caught, or even worse, making a move on a straight girl who will tell everyone and ruin your social life. And now, in my adulthood, those same feelings of nervousness to make the first move ooze out when I have a crush on a girl. The layered emotions of rejection mixed with isolation congregate to create a cocktail of desperate emotion that I wanted to capture in song.
How did you translate the song into the video?
I was really inspired by the view of someone in someone else’s sunglasses, and I started to search on Pinterest for different inspiration pics. We ended up making the lyric video super scrappy, and I made the shot list with clip art.
What are some challenges or highlights from creating the music video?
Well, the biggest challenge is the money and the costs. I don't come from money, but I've always been a hustler so I always make it work somehow. It just happens. The highlights are working with Vile Sanchez, Peter Pavlakis, Charlie Hong and Chris Wronka, who all contributed to this video. It's so heartwarming to think of all the people who work hard to realize my visions.
How do you hope fans feel when they see the video and hear your track?
I hope they feel like they wanna shake some ass and embrace their yearning. Whatever way it manifests.
What are you working on and excited to share with fans next?
We’ve got more music and visuals on the way, and a really killer live show that I’m so proud of to tour over the next year. Catch me opening for Maude Latour this spring for a sneak peek.
Any additional news or highlights you'd like to share with PAPER readers?
I’m just so grateful I get to make queer art, and that the community before me laid the groundwork and blazed so many trails that enable me to express my experience wholeheartedly and honestly. I’m so grateful to be a queer woman, and I’m so grateful to Caroline for lending her voice and her power to me for this tune. I’m so proud of what we made. Thank you for watching.
Photography: Smiles Meyer
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