Mae Powell - "Contact High"

Photo by Mitch LaGrow

Hailing from the Bay area, Mae Powell has this fantastic ability to transcend genres to create these amazing songs that are impossible to assign a label to. "Contact High" is a brilliant and joyous mix of soul, pop, folk, garage rock, and probably a few more we haven't heard since we haven't listened to the song enough times yet. The song is an absolutely delight, with positive and sunny vibes throughout. It somehow also transcends time by sounding like something that could have come out in 1968 and also completely like 2025. "Contact High" is a fun song that is just begging to be a part of all of your summer activities.

Mae Powell says of her latest single:

"The idea for 'Contact High' came when my stoner elderly neighbor Phil suggested I write a song called contact high, but about good vibes instead of about weed. We laughed at this concept together but it stuck in my mind, and when one of my best friends was going through a tough time I used the idea to write her a song that might help her see what it feels like to be around her radiant energy. With her in mind, the song came easily. We referenced old '60s and '70s recordings for this one, specifically channeling the sonic vibes of Chris Montez’s album Watch What Happens. We listened to songs from it between takes to really try to capture the energy. What ensues is the most upbeat song on the album, with the craziest drums ever by Sam Jones (we really told him to just go wild and he understood the assignment), Garrett Barley on a 12-string electric guitar and ace tone organ, David Parry on the piano, Mayya Feygina on bass, and yours truly on vocals and acoustic guitar. This song was probably the most fun to make and we were all dancing around the studio the whole day." 

You can listen to "Contact High" below. Making Room for the Light is due out August 15 on Colemine Records/Karma Chief Records, and is available for pre-order here. For more on Mae Powell, check out the artist on Instagram.