Bristol trio Masca lay their souls bare on new single ‘Love Letters’, which is the title track of their forthcoming debut album and is out today via Cold Hard Bangers. Vocalist and guitarist Christina Maynard says “it’s a love letter – along with all the other songs we’ve ever written – to music. It also details our worries and the feeling that we’re running out of time to be able to continue with music.” Ultimately, that’s a position that all-too-many supremely talented musicians end up in – weighing up the risk and reward of putting it all on the line to pursue a career in music as it becomes harder and harder to carve out a living in the sphere.
‘Love Letters’, the album, is set for release 03 April via Cold Hard Bangers. Masca have previously released several other tracks from the record, which display the nuance and diversity within its songwriting. ‘Diggin’’ is an intricately-crafted track about political polarisation, which features stunning guest vocal turns from fellow Bristolians Ellie Godwin of the band PEACH and Aisling Rhiannon of Sans Froid. The driving ‘Elevate’ digs into the pressures of social media and ‘Oxytocin’ is a song for Maynard’s young son (who tours with the band), which was written while she was pregnant with him. ‘Fitting In’ addresses billionaires f*cking up the world, whilst ‘DWIW’ is about working in hospitality on minimum wage.
Masca was born in 2021, in the thick of lockdown. Tina and Jack (Hamilton – drums, vocals), living together in a tiny Bristol flat, suddenly found themselves with nothing but time – and a mortgage they weren’t sure how to cover. With Jack newly self-employed and ineligible for government help, the pair started livestreaming their jam sessions, dropping a PayPal link just to get by. What started as survival quickly turned into something else: the discovery that writing together wasn’t just fun – it was magic.
Momentum gathered quickly once lockdown lifted and the duo became a trio with the addition of Ben Holyoake on bass. A breakout set at 2000trees festival soon followed and, with a new baby in the mix, Masca built a home studio in their garden so rehearsals could roll on while the baby slept.
For Masca, being a band isn’t just about chasing success – it’s about resilience, family, and chasing that moment when melody meets riff, and everything clicks.
SEE MASCA LIVE:
14/05/26 – Cardiff – Fuel Rock Bar
23/05/26 – Bristol – Dot To Dot
28/05/26 – Luton – The Castle
29/05/26 – Brighton – The Hope and Ruin
30/05/26 – Southampton – Heartbreakers
05/06/26 – Sheffield – Sidney and Matilda
06/06/26 – Birmingham – Sunflower Lounge