By Bella Savignano | September 7, 2022
Maiya Toren and Lucas Saur (also of Melt) make up the dreamy, celestial, shoegaze-adjacent pop dyad, Cherin. The duo is fresh on the scene, with only a handful of singles out, but they’re already carving out their space in the New York City indie cadre. Their most recent release, “Frostbitten,” is the first single off their upcoming debut EP, release date TBA, and it rocks. Described by the band as a “rambling love song,” and a tune for a “main character driving through their hometown,” Frostbitten is a spacey, dynamic rock ballad with cavernous guitar and pared-down drums. It ebbs and flows, alternating between delicate verses that allow Maiya’s siren cry to take full effect and electric choruses that, in the end, swell into a blazing guitar riff followed by one final release of Maiya’s fervent vocal power. On June 23rd, the band played a killer show at indie stronghold Chelsea Music Hall, and here at the groovement, we’re patiently awaiting their next gig announcement.
Cherin graciously answered a couple of questions for the groovement:
What was your first concert?
Lucas: Megadeth.
Maiya: Young the Giant.
Where are you from?
New York!
How did you first get started?
We collaborated on theater-based projects, with Maiya directing and Lucas composing. During the first lockdown, we played lots of covers and that naturally led into writing original music.
How did you meet?
A friend’s backyard college party 🙂
How would you describe your music – either by genre or general vibe?
Dreamy indie rock or pop or folk haha. We love ethereal, spacey, emotional shit.
Who/what do you draw inspiration from?
It changes song to song! But in general Big Thief, The Japanese House, and the Cocteau Twins are some groups that we’re always listening to for ideas.
Who do you hope to inspire?
Anyone feeling like their music or art needs to fit into a box to be recognized or successful – we want people to find freedom in not caring about what genres they’re associated with. If you’re anxious about releasing your music because you feel like it won’t resonate, release it anyway! Your ideas are special and exciting because they’re your own – your audience will follow.
What’s your dream venue to perform at?
Lucas: Red Rocks in Colorado 🙂
Maiya: Ditto, but also Le Botanique in Belgium because it’s in a botanical garden!
Describe your ideal night out in NYC/describe your most memorable night out in NY?
The night of our last gig at Heaven Can Wait is one that sticks in our mind – a lot of people came through for us, and we just felt this giant sense of a really special community around us.
Connect with Cherin on Instagram, Spotify, YouTube and their website.
