Meet Maisie Peters

Lifestyle Tue May 30 2023 by Annabelle Taurua

At a glance, Maisie is your typical and most trusty gal pal, ready to exchange stories over a coffee or two - but behind her exterior normalcy lies a girl who has also dominated London’s Wembley stage, not one, not two, but five times, all whilst accompanying the most loved man in music, Ed Sheeran. Before domineering our very own Eden Park stage for her last show in New Zealand, we were lucky enough to chat with Maisie on all things music, dream collaborations, and her very favourite topic, books.

Welcome to New Zealand! How does it feel to be here? Sorry about the weather…

Thank you - I’m so excited to be here! It’s still warmer here than where I’m from, I’m used to the rain [laughs].

You started your musical career at 15, how has that been for you navigating the music world and the teenage world?

It's definitely had its highs and lows - I'm so lucky that I've gotten to do something that I love since I was so young and for so long. I've loved making music since I was 12 so to get to do it and make music for people that really care about it and are so excited to be part of it, it's just amazing.

What has been the craziest milestone for you in your career thus far?

Playing Wembley with Ed in the UK was crazy. We played it five times, which is a lot of times to play at Wembley Stadium! I also played at a venue in New York called Hammerstein Ballroom in front of 3000 people, and it was my show which was really crazy. That's a long way away from me to play a show like that - it was such a moment.

Who or what inspires you on a daily basis?

Lots of things inspire me! In terms of my songwriting, my own life is really inspiring to me. I really want to chronicle the experiences I've had in the last year and write them down - I really like keeping a record of how I felt and where I've been and who I've been with. I'm also really inspired by other music and by books. I read a lot.

You’re on tour with the one and only Ed Sheeran right now. What is it like being on tour with him and his team?

It's amazing. He’s just like a brother to me. He's so generous and so kind. The way he conducts himself and the way he performs every night is so inspiring and I’ve learnt so much just from watching him. Ed's crew and my crew and my band are all just like one big family. We love that whenever we're somewhere like Auckland or somewhere a little bit small you just see everyone you know, all the time. It’s like being back at home.

What's one thing you’ve noticed about NZ since you’ve been here?

I love the people here and I really love the energy. I think there are a lot of kindred spirits between the Kiwis and the Brits. It's beautiful as well - we went to Piha beach and I just thought this is exactly the type of place I like. The energy is very peaceful.

If you could collab with anyone (alive or dead) who would it be and why?

I would collaborate with Dolly Parton. She's an amazing songwriter and performer. I love the way that she has held herself and forged a career in the past X amount of years; it’s so inspiring. I think there's a lot of mystery around her and I think it’s really cool to have been in the public eye for so long and still retain so much mystery.

We can’t wait to see where your tours take you next… where would be your dream tour destination?

I'd love to go to South America, specifically Brazil. It's so far from anywhere I've been. But also I would have said before this interview that I'd love to go to Tokyo, and now we're going to Tokyo to play so I'm achieving one of my dream destinations.

What are 3 things you take with you on tour when you’re away from home?

Honestly, my answer is going to be so boring, but a portable charger because - practicality [laughs]. I also take a lot of books. I'm joking that I have a portable library because I've got like six books in my suitcase right now and it's only the beginning of the tour. Thirdly, we've also just gotten some angel cards and we've started bringing them everywhere we go, so maybe the angel cards as well.

It could be your thing to pick up books in different countries!

That's such a romantic idea and then you realise you have to carry them everywhere [laughs].

Can you give us a little inside scoop on what's to come in 2023 for you and your music?

I've got another album coming out this year, which is going to be so fun, I'm so proud of it - that's going to be incredible. It'll be a whole new world of experiences and shows and tours and performances and all sorts of things. I'm so excited.

Tea or coffee?