“Society has this obsession with productivity, like our worth is tied to how much we can get done… It creates this pressure that if you’re not always doing something, you’re falling behind.” This quote is at the heart of “Lazy,” the latest single from Maver, an Australian artist known for his unique blend of alternative pop and indie-dance elements. Teaming up with Sydney artist jnr., Maver channels the fatigue and frustration that many feel in today’s relentless hustle culture. Their collaboration was born out of shared experiences and a mutual understanding of the mental toll that constant productivity demands can take.
The two artists first connected during an online writing camp amid the Covid lockdowns, and their creative partnership has since flourished. Now, with both of them residing in Sydney, they’ve been able to bring their ideas to life in person, leading leading to a more engaging creative process. “Lazy” is a product of this collaborative energy, a track that came together quickly, reflecting the ease and flow that often accompanies authentic collaboration.
In our interview, Maver talks about the pressures of modern-day productivity, the importance of finding balance, and how embracing rest can lead to true creative inspiration.
photography: press
Your new single feels like an ode for the overworked. Can you share more about how your personal experiences with burnout?
Burnout is like hitting a wall you didn’t see coming. It creeps up on me way too sneakily when I’m doing too much at once, thinking I can do more. Lazy came out of a time when I felt like I was running on empty, but it also came from realising that rest is essential, not just for creativity, but for everything. I figured out the hard way you can’t create from a place of exhaustion, or at least it’s incredibly difficult and shouldn’t be forced. There have been times in the past when I didn’t realise I was burnt out until my body shut down and had to stay in bed. This song was my way of acknowledging that it’s okay to slow down and recharge.
How do you personally manage the tension between artistic creation and rest?
This is a tricky question as I still am finding the right balance but I feel like I’m close. Recently I’ve found that if I am struggling with something I’m working on or feel like I’m pushing to get that spark going, I take breaks distracting myself. I’ve realised that taking these breaks to do something else or distract my brain often leads to more ideas coming together naturally. I’m quite an anxious person and can get stuck in my head, especially when it comes to things I care about (like music). Taking these little breaks here and there helps with both my anxiety and creative blocks.
“Society has this obsession with productivity like our worth is tied to how much we can get done… It creates this pressure that if you’re not always doing something, you’re falling behind.”
You’ve described ‘Lazy’ as a world free from the social repercussions of taking a break. How do you think society’s expectation of constant productivity contributes to the mental strain experienced by people across all professions, not just artists and creatives?
I feel that society has this obsession with productivity like our worth is tied to how much we can get done. I find it’s not healthy because it pushes people to their limits, making them feel guilty for taking time off or just slowing down. This isn’t just a problem for artists, it’s something everyone I know deals with. Whether you’re in an office job, a student, or anything else, that constant pressure to keep grinding can be overwhelming. I am so glad many more people are taking mental health more seriously but this constant push to be productive 24/7 is unsustainable and it wears people down. It creates this pressure that if you’re not always doing something, you’re falling behind. That mindset is damaging because it ignores the fact that we need downtime to function well.
I also love the message that the single reminds us to live more in the moment. Was there a moment yesterday that just felt wonderful to you?
Yeah, actually! Yesterday, I took some time in the afternoon to just sit outside on my back steps, and throw a stick for my housemates dog and that was so nice. I didn’t check my phone or think about what I needed to do next. I had that feeling that everything was going right and I hadn’t had that in a very long time. It was such a small thing, but it felt really refreshing to just be present in that moment without any distractions.
“The most important thing in life? To me, I’d say it’s finding balance… understanding that it’s okay to take it slow sometimes.”
The track “Lazy” was completed almost in a day, which is quite fast! (smiles) How did it feel to see the song come together so quickly?
It was surreal! (laughs) Lazy just flowed so naturally. I think the speed at which it came together was a reflection of how much the theme resonated with both jnr. and I. We were both in that headspace of needing a break, and the song just kind of wrote itself. Seeing it come together so quickly was honestly really satisfying—it felt like we’d captured something real and raw without overthinking it. There’s something special about conjuring something out of nothing especially when you feel like it’s out of your control and just works.
Collaboration can often bring out new ideas and perspectives. How did working together with jnr. on “Lazy” challenge or change your usual creative process?
Working with jnr. is always a blast because we have this unspoken understanding, especially when it comes to themes surrounding mental health. I always like to try something new whenever I start a new song. The synth solo just after the middle of the song was so much fun to make. We each took turns making a melody on my Moog Grandmother synth and we swapped between one of us twisting knobs and the other one played the melody. This was a new way to make a solo for me. Usually, it’s just one person coming up with a solo melody and then building it on top, not both at the same time on the same instrument! I can be a maximalist at times and working on this song with jnr. really allowed me to do the opposite to let the track breathe. I now take that into my new sessions and have been trying to emulate ‘less is more’ a lot more since Lazy.
The most important thing in life?
To me, I’d say it’s finding balance. I think it’s really important to when to push yourself and when to pull back, understanding that it’s okay to take it slow sometimes. A big part of this balance for me falls into mental health as if you tip the scale towards more work and rest, your mental health will suffer. We often hear about enjoying the process, but I truly believe that focusing more on this balance can lead to long-term happiness. Taking time to appreciate each step, rather than rushing through, makes a big difference in how fulfilled you feel in the end.
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