A3

Some songs arrive from a moment; others emerge from a season of change. For A3, ‘Maybe It’s You’ feels like both.

Born from candid conversations around heartbreak, a renewed appreciation for connection, and a desire to explore a more intimate side to his sound, the track captures an artist allowing themselves to slow down and listen inward.

Marking a new chapter beyond the dancefloor, Maybe It’s You finds beauty in vulnerability, stillness, and uncertainty. We sit down with A3 to talk about creative risk, the places and people that inspire him, and what it means to follow a sound that feels, in their words, as though it has called him.

You’re returning with Maybe It’s You, a track that feels far more intimate than your previous releases. Was there a defining moment that inspired both the song and this new creative direction?

There were really two things happening at once. A very close friend was going through a painful breakup, and I wanted to write something that might give him hope. I had been through heartbreak myself and reached a point where I wondered whether I would ever find love again.

At the same time, I had changed myself artistically. Maturity changes you, but COVID particularly changed my perspective on the importance of deep, intimate relationships. I think all of that naturally found its way into the music.

Did stepping away from the dancefloor feel like a creative risk, or did it feel like the natural next step?

Creatively, it felt completely natural, because this is where my life and emotions were taking me.  I actually think risk is essential to creativity. If I only make music I already know I can make, I’m not really discovering anything. Maybe It’s You was about trusting that instinct and allowing myself to go somewhere new.

Sometimes the biggest creative risk is simply having the courage to follow where you’re being called.

You describe Maybe It’s You as being made for “introspective, sunset moments.” When you’re writing music, do you picture a setting or emotion first, or does the production naturally lead you there?

I was singing Maybe It’s You while overlooking a stunning harbour, it was often early in the morning ot also the evening around sunset time. The light at those hours was extraordinary in the way it moved across the water created this sense of stillness and possibility. Obviously this is an inspiring moment for songwriting.

The song feels deeply honest and romantic. Has becoming more vulnerable in your songwriting changed the way you approach making music?

When I was making dance music, I loved the idea of bringing hundreds or thousands of people together through one shared feeling. There’s something incredibly powerful about that. 

What I’m discovering now is a different type of connection. I can write imagining one person listening alone, perhaps someone who is going through something very personal. It feels almost like having a private conversation with someone I may never met. Or wanting to touch someone in my life going through something, or expressing myself via my music.  

The production feels warm, organic, and cinematic. Were there artists, albums, or genres that influenced this new sound?

Ian Barter, my producer, was incredibly important as well. He understood where I wanted to go and brought his own sensibility to it.  It was amazing working with Ian on this as he too has seen lots and worked with lots, so he was never insisting, always open, and I suppose so was I in exploring myself.

Dance music has evolved dramatically since you first emerged. How has your relationship with the genre changed?

I’ll always love dance music because of what it can do to people collectively. There are few experiences like watching a room full of bodies suddenly become one because of a piece of music.

But I’ve changed, and therefore, my relationship with music evolves.  I wanted to explore a more intimate side of music.  

Maybe It’s You is the first release in a trilogy. Is there an overarching story connecting the three songs?

I see them as connected more by emotional DNA than by a literal narrative.

They come from the same period of my life and from the same desire to make something more intimate, reflective, and emotionally direct. They each explore connection from slightly different places. So rather than three chapters telling one conventional story, I think of them almost as three conversations belonging to the same emotional journey.

How has your definition of success changed since Feel The Light?

Feel The Light will always be incredibly special because it was my first breakout single, plus it was also deeply autobiographical as an artist. It represented a period of self-discovery, of finding my voice and, in many ways, finding myself.

Earlier in a career, success can understandably feel connected to charts, recognition, and reaching as many people as possible. Those things are wonderful, but today my definition is broader.

Success now is having the freedom and courage to keep evolving. It’s making something truthful and having one person say, “That song felt as though it was written for me.”

Outside of music, what inspires you creatively?

Places. People. Relationships. Light. Travel. Moments that interrupt your normal way of seeing things.

I increasingly believe creativity comes from being present enough to notice things. Life gives you material constantly; the challenge is being quiet enough to hear it.

If someone had never heard your music before, would Maybe It’s You be the song you’d introduce yourself with?

Today, 100%! It’s like - maybe this genre is me?  It’s sort of my introduction in a way.  

Finally, as this new era begins, what excites you most about the future?

Not knowing exactly where it leads.

I want to challenge myself, dare myself, take chances, and occasionally make myself uncomfortable creatively. That’s where discovery happens.

Maybe It’s You Video: https://youtu.be/0L9lGpe-jZk?si=EqzKMKN5C94Xi2Fw