I stumbled upon Maisie Peters via TikTok earlier this year. Since then, I have been fortunate enough to see her perform in London twice — on 19th June and 25th July— and most recently in Birmingham on 29th October.
London, 19th June 2023: The Anticipation
This was shortly before “The Good Witch” album release, and we were hungry for a first listen. The set list was a balanced blend of older tracks, sneak singles for the new album, and even one unreleased gem. Maisie announced, “Tonight will feature stories, talking, and songs – new and old.”
She spoke about “this feeling of desperate nostalgia, where you’re just obsessed with the idea of going back in time… Of wanting to have something back or being somewhere that just doesn’t exist anymore… This is really an album that explores the depths of that, and then how you leave that, and who you become once you’ve left”
Lost the breakup
Armed with her guitar, Maisie brought the intimacy of her lyrics to life. Her voice filled the venue as she sang:
So, I’m feeling and I’m dealing
With the heart you broke
While you do press-ups and repress us
And take off her clothes, oh
I’m hurting but I’m certain it’s still true
I’m the best thing that almost happened to you
I know I’m obsessed and
Right now, I might be a mess but
One day, you’re gonna wake up
And, oh shit, you lost the breakup
Introducing “Cate’s Brother” (released in 2022), she said, “Some of you are out here, thinking rhyming “front door” with “front door” isn’t genius, and that’s where you’re wrong.”
Wendy
She said, “I have another album out on Friday, which is crazy behaviour. I’m really proud of it. I actually think it’s really good, which is convenient. It talks about love, heartbreak, power, and gender.” She gave us a sneak preview of one song that was not yet released, ‘Wendy,’, telling us it is based on the story of Peter Pan. She said it explores life’s potential paths and the wisdom to choose wisely. It delves into the risks of living a life that’s not truly ours, while emphasising the importance of self-forgiveness when we stray off course.
You could take me to Neverland, baby
We could live off of magic and maybes
I could love you and wait till you’re ready
But what about my wings? What about Wendy?
Maisie took so many moments to engage with the audience. “Are any of you going to Glastonbury?” she asks, eyes scanning the crowd. “Girl in the white, are you going? Do you want a witch mission? What’s your name? Kirsty?”
Maisie offers her a broomstick.”This broomstick. If I give it to you, will you come to my show at Glastonbury? Will you pass it back to me?”
Kirsty accepts the broomstick and the mission.
(Cut to Glastonbury, Pyramid Stage, the epicentre of the music world. True to her word, Kirsty is there in the crowd, broomstick in hand. The exchange is complete as she passes it back to Maisie on stage, sealing their pact.)
Since that day, the broomstick has found its place in every one of Maisie’s concerts. Its presence is a reminder of promises kept.
London, 25th July 2023: Post-Album Euphoria
Fast forward to the second London concert, and the energy had shifted. “The Good Witch” had been released two days ago, debuting at number 1 on the UK Albums Chart, and our familiarity with the new songs added an electric charge to the evening.
She asked us to keep our phones down and to try to minimise photos and videos – just be in the moment. She informed us the performance would be brief and not include every track from “The Good Witch”. Inviting the audience to “boo” on a three-count, she then humorously cautioned that we had forfeited our right to grumble if she omitted our favourite song.
The Good Witch
When you press play on “The Good Witch,” the first thing that graces your ears is its title track. This song sets the tone for the entire album and invites listeners into Maisie Peters’ universe.
Still King’s Cross and pullin’ heartbreak out of hats
Still argue like my mother and suppress stuff like my dad
Still miss you, but I know now it’ll pass
Found some other muses, I give ’em all my best
I light another candle, and I chant under my breath
That I will try forgiveness, but I will not forget
This nod to King’s Cross Station in London points us toward Joe Rubel’s studio, where both ‘You Signed Up For This’ and ‘The Good Witch’ were produced.
One of the most captivating moments in the song occurs at the end when Maisie says, “You wanna hear from all the people in my heart?”. In the recorded version, she then plays a sample chant from her concert in Webster Hall, New York.
When she played this for us live, we all knew when to pitch in and chant, and after the song, she complimented us on knowing what to do without even being asked.
Want You Back
Track 5 delves deeply into the themes of love, loss, and lingering desire. She told us that this was the most personal song on her album, as this song confronts the harsh reality of the breakup, acknowledging that it might have been a veiled blessing.
From the crowd, someone exclaimed, “It’s beautiful. Stunning lyricism.”
Maisie’s response was succinct: “You. Are. Promoted.”
Found yourself a lover; I bet she doesn’t sing
But baby, when you touch her, I bet she doesn’t flinch
She’ll have you every summer when I only had you half of the spring
You left like an assassin; maybe that’s for the best
‘Cause if you told me what would happen, I think I would’ve begged
So you gotta be a coward, and I salvaged a little self-respect
The Band and I
Maisie told us that her favourite track is “The Band and I,”, and I was lucky to be there the very first time she played it live. This song gives us a backstage pass to her life on tour. She said “I wrote this song about the magic of music, and about nights like this”.
My drummer fell for a girl in a cookie shop
He said he’d make a move and then he went with, “Excuse me?”
Came a boy and left a man, gotta give it to the band
Greatest one in Oregon
Maisie’s Drummer, Jack Geary, is the focus of this line. This moment unfolded during her March 2022 tour leg. We sang this line loud and clear, and he sheepishly ducked his head in acknowledgement.
Snowstorm in the middle of Texas
Called my mother in a Denny’s and lied
Told her I’d been eating, then, told her you were just a friend
Told her I was homesick, I hadn’t thought of home twice
Fast forward to another tour stop. A memory from March 21, 2022, when a record 3 inches of snow blanketed Amarillo, Texas. Maisie and her crew were pinned down by the weather, relegated to an arcade bar. Once the skies cleared, a TikTok snowball fight immortalised the day. She also told us that her mother wasn’t very happy at all when she heard these lyrics.
It was magic, babe, pure and strong
It was the last man standing for the Eagles song
It was a far-flung wish when we were young
Now we’re living the dream and I hope we never wake up
The “last man standing” is her guitarist, Joel Peat from Nottingham, who was previously a member of the band Lawson. We suspect the line “the Eagles song” might be a nod to “The Boys of Summer”.
Discussing her keyboardist, Tina Hizon, Maisie stated, “Tina is actually the most talented and smart and most interesting person in the world”. In addition to her vocal prowess, Tina is also a multi-instrumentalist skilled in keyboards, violin, and guitar. She has performed with Dua Lipa, The Pet Shop Boys, Ed Sheeran, Paul Draper, Becky Hill, Jacob Banks, and Clean Bandit.
When we asked her about the ‘witchiest’ line in the album, Maisie picked “The universe is shiftin’ and it’s all for me.” This line encapsulates the core message the whole album—life is ever-changing, and sometimes, those shifts can align to set you free.
Birmingham, 29th October 2023: The Autumnal Spell
The Birmingham concert had a different vibe altogether. The two previous gigs were stripped-back performances, but this one was pure rock. A woman in the front row caught Maisie’s eye with a sign proclaiming, “you were my lesbian awakening.” Maisie read it aloud, blew a kiss, and gratefully responded, “thank you so much.” She added, “This next song doesn’t have much to do with lesbian awakening, but that’s something I’ll look into for the next album”.
Coming of Age
I’m quarrying new ground and I’m burning all your CDs
Baby, I am the Iliad, of course you couldn’t read me
So I’ll leave you behind, but that don’t mean it’s easy
By likening herself to The Iliad, Maisie is saying, loud and clear, she is not one to be easily deciphered. Let’s not forget that The Iliad is a chronicle of calamities, a long tale of woe and warfare. Maisie might also very well be pointing to the disastrous elements of her relationship. It’s an intellectual burn, cloaked in poetic elegance.
Yoko
She sang us her favourite new song – released 3 days ago as part of the Deluxe Version of “The Good Witch”. We had all been listening to these songs on repeat for the past 72 hours and wistfully sang along.
But, man, you know, Yoko never broke up that band
You misunderstood The Beatles
Guess that’s being twenty-two
You misunderstood a lot of things
But, yeah, I guess me too
Later that night, she posted this photo with the caption:
people!!!! knowing!!!the!!!! lyrics!!!! already!!!!! 😭🫶
John Hughes Movie
As the show neared its end, Maisie Peters had something poignant to say about “John Hughes Movie,” a song that has, in her words, “started a lot of things” for her.
“This song brought me to a lot of places. It took me around the world and back home again. I feel like a lot of people here remember who they were when they found this song. I’ve been singing it for six years now, and I still love singing it. So if you know it, sing it with me too.”
This song captures the naivety and vulnerability that often accompanies youthful romance. Conceived when she was just seventeen, Maisie has matured alongside this anthem of self-love.
‘Cause this ain’t no John Hughes movie where the girl gets the guy
You look right through me every time you walk by
I keep waiting for the heartbreak music that’s never gonna come
‘Cause if you don’t want me
Then you’re not the one
There It Goes
When Maisie Peters recommends belting out this song in October, you take note. She told us that this is a song about closure, healing, and taking the right steps in the right direction.
The song starts:
I’m back in London, I’m running down Columbia Road
They’re selling sunflowers cheap
I’m reading novels, I’m dating, but just dating for sport
I’m getting coffees for free
Columbia Road is a flower market in her home town. In a later verse, she sings, “Sunflowers in the kitchen, a heartbreak in remission”.
On TikTok, Maisie shared her current reading list with us: ‘The Parable of the Sower’ and ‘Luster’. ‘The Parable of the Sower’ by Octavia Butler contemplates a future ravaged by social and environmental crises, where community and empathy become cornerstones for survival. ‘Luster’ by Raven Leilani narrates the complicated life of a young woman navigating identity. Both books are now both on my “To Read” list.
A new home, a swan dive a blank page, a rewrite
A black cat in the streetlights, an open door
The comedown of closure, the girls and I do yoga
I wake up and it’s October, the loss is yours
Imagine being amid 2,000 voices collectively proclaiming, “I wake up and it’s October.” Pure magic.
Near the end of this song, she asks us all to conjure an image of someone or something we wish to let go of. Then she encouraged us to repeatedly chant the song’s eponymous line, “There it goes,” in unison. As the words reverberated, it felt as if the very things we aimed to shed were dissipating into the ether, leaving us lighter and perhaps a bit more free.
I am proud to be one of Maise’s Daisies.