Get To Know: Ava Maybee

May 13, 2025 Ben Pagani

Ava Maybee is a budding artist with a career’s worth of artistic experience. The Los Angeles-based musician will share the Orange Drive EP on Friday, May 16. It’s Ava Maybee’s debut extended record.

Ava Maybee’s artistry didn’t appear out of thin air. She’s been around music her whole life, her dad is Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith and she was a star contestant on American Idol in 2022. The Orange Drive EP is a culmination of her work so far.

Now, ahead of her first major release, Ava Maybee is opening up about touring, her songwriting methods and overcoming nerves at this stage in her career. Scroll down to read the full interview. Pre-save a copy of the Orange Drive EP here. Tickets for all of Ava Maybee’s upcoming live performances can be found at this link.

Ava Maybee EP Art Orange Drive EP — Ava Maybee | ‘Orange Drive’ EP Cover Art

Get To Know: Ava Maybee

Beyond The Stage: Your debut EP Orange Drive is about to drop. That’s a major career milestone. How are you feeling about its release?

Ava Maybee: I am feeling extremely excited and nervous for the EP to drop! I’m really proud of the work and a huge weight will be lifted off my chest when it is out in the world soon. I hope people love it as much as I do.

BTS: What’s your recording process like? Do you write lyrics or music first?

Ava Maybee: Everytime I make a song with [co-songwriters] Alex [Agresti] and Jake [Nuffer], we start the process as a 10 minute warm up, to take some of the pressure off. Alex learned this exercise from the singer from Wilco [Jeff Tweedy]. Music comes first, melodies, and then lyrics.

BTS: Your career has progressed mightily within this decade. You went from American Idol to now having an extended release. How do you see yourself and your artistry right now?

Ava Maybee: I’m still at the very beginning of my career and once this EP is out, I am excited to tour it as much as I can. I finally feel confident as to where I have landed sonically, so I’m excited to explore and push the confines of indie-pop.

BTS: You are touring a bit in 2025. What should fans look forward to seeing in your live shows this year?

Ava Maybee: The Gold Star Sticker Tour is my first ever headline tour so I am very excited. I hope the fans come out and they should look forward to my candidness. I just want everyone to feel safe and supported and dance without a care in the world. I want the show to be an escape for people.

BTS: And what will you do to pass the time traveling from town to town?

Ava Maybee: It will be a combination of scrolling on TikTok, reading 3 books at once, editing and posting footage from the show before, or annoying my bandmates in the van. Probably a combination of all of those.

BTS: If your fans had to know one thing about you, what would it be?

Ava Maybee: I have an insane obsession with pickles and the Disney princess movie Princess and the Frog.

BTS: What else might we expect from you in the near future?

Ava Maybee: I’m super excited for The Gold Star Sticker Tour and for all of the festival dates as well. I’m playing BottleRock, Summerfest, and Warped Tour. I hope to see some familiar faces at all of them!

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Ben Pagani

Music Projects Manager at Beyond The Stage Magazine

Ben is a music journalist living and working in Chicago. They joined Beyond The Stage as an intern and have stayed on the staff for several years. Now serving on the editorial board, Ben is proud to be BTS' Music Projects Manager, coordinating coverage between international record labels and our staff. Ben has interviewed, photographed and written about bands from across the world. Ben has lived all over the United States working in television and media. They are an Emmy Award-winning writer. Ben can be found spinning records as 'DJ Wearing Sunglasses' in clubs and basements across the US.