ABOUT MAYA & BEN

When cousins Maya Rae & Benjamin Millman began busking in 2012, they had no idea their sun-kissed outdoor jams and late night songwriting sessions would blossom into the feel good Soul-Pop/R&B duo “maya & ben”. The pair’s musical collaboration emanates pure unadulterated love and joy – inspired by artists such as Jacob Collier, Lawrence and Stevie Wonder their music sounds of sunshine, ocean swims and double scoops.

Over the years, maya & ben have performed to appreciative audiences at venues across British Columbia – from sold out theatres to intimate house concerts, spreading their undeniable love of music wherever they go. The talented pair self-produce and self-pen every track, perfectly capturing the essence of bedroom pop / soulful R&B and showcasing their ability to craft infectious harmonies.

The duo’s debut single, their original Christmas bop “home again”, released on Nov 5th. It has already earned over 25,000 streams in the first two months. The release of this catchy, soul-pop jam coincided with maya & ben’s opening slot for the incredible “Lawrence The Band” on November 13th at the Royale in Boston, MA.
Their second single “Cyanide” will be released on January 19th, 2022.

MAYA RAE

Maya Rae has been singing professionally since the age of twelve. She recorded her first album (“Sapphire Birds”) of jazz and classic pop standards at thirteen, and went on to sing with some of the biggest names in Canadian jazz. It’s understandable that much of what’s been written about Maya has focused  on how much she’s accomplished at such a young age.  

The first half of 2020 saw the release of Maya’s sophomore album (“Can You See Me?”). Confident  and vulnerable, soulful and revealing, the songs on the record are as impressive as you will hear  anywhere. Produced by veteran roots musician and multiple Juno Award winner Steve Dawson, “Can  You See Me?” takes the listener on a journey through the soul of a deeply talented young artist.  Garnering rave reviews from CBC, the album went on to be nominated for two Canadian Folk Music  Awards (Young Performer, New/Emerging Artist).  

This past year, as the world shut down and tours were placed on hold, Maya wasted no time. In  between studying at the prestigious Berklee College of Music, she turned her attention to the feel good musical collaboration with her cousin Benjamin Millman. The talented duo have self-produced and are self-releasing a string of singles emanating pure, unadulterated, love and joy. Their debut single together, the original Christmas bop “home again”, released on Nov 5th. It has already earned over 25,000 streams in the first two months. The release of this catchy, soul-pop jam coincided with maya & ben’s opening slot for the incredible “Lawrence The Band” on November 13th at the Royale in Boston, MA. Their second single together, “Cyanide” will be released on January 19th, 2022.
Maya spent the summer of 2021 in the studio, working on the follow up to her sophomore record.

Benjamin Millman

Benjamin Millman is a passionate musician, DJ, dancer, and performer living in Vancouver, BC. He has been performing and recording in BC since he was a young child. His parents, both accomplished musicians, got him started in Vancouver’s music scene with small shows and events, playing keyboard, drums, and percussion. Since then he’s worked as a producer, session musician, audio engineer, teacher, DJ, vocalist and instrumentalist. 

As a performer, Benjamin has toured BC with The Arts Club Theatre Company’s Circle Game at over 50 venues around the province, and has performed with Perry Ehrlich’s Showstoppers at venues such as the PNE forum stage and Rogers Arena with artists like Eric Church and Barry Manilow. He’s also been a regular act at local venues such as The Railway Stage, The Roxy Cabaret, Frankie’s Jazz Club, and many others. 

Benjamin has been a busker at Granville Island – both individually and with his cousin Maya Rae as a part of the maya & ben duo, the pair are currently in the studio working on their anticipated debut EP. Ben is currently studying Jazz piano at Capilano University, whilst getting to work on his debut solo ep.