Mae Oriel chops it up with Zambah.com about her influences, her mixtape and more. Peep the tape below. Still bumpin’ the Ginuwine cover!

Mae Oriel is a Toronto vocalist and songwriter that has a strong passion for 90’s styled R&B. It’s hard not to like her when her music is super catchy and feels like a nostalgiac trip through the golden years of R&B. Even when she’s riding a beats that have hardcore Hip Hop percussions she still finds a way to sweeten them up with powerful melodies that easily remind you of Mary J Blige’s earlier stuff.

Mae recently released her ‘Playback EP’, which possesses a collection of original music and remixed classics. In my opinion it’s a solid debut that she should be proud of and I’m really looking forward to what she comes next with.

Check out the fun conversation that I recently had with her. You can also vote for her song, ‘Toyin’ – RIGHT HERE on this week’s Zambah Charts!

If you could describe your sound in one sentence, what would it be?

Hmm. Electrifyingly refreshing with a dash of cognac.

Just by listening to your mixtape it’s clear to see that you’re a student of the greats that came before you. Who are some of the artists that inspire the direction of your sound?

Oh boy. That’s a long list. But I would definitely say Mary J. Blige, SWV, Total, TLC, and En Vogue. Vocally, my biggest influences growing up were Anita Baker, Chaka Khan and Sarah Vaughan.”

READ FULL INTERVIEW HERE

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