MAYA COOK FOLLOWS UP RECENT SINGLE, “BLUEBERRY STAINS” WITH
“CIGARETTES AND SALT”, OUT TODAY VIA AAKULUK MUSIC
LISTEN / SHARE “CIGARETTES AND SALT” HERE
BUY / STREAM “CIGARETTES AND SALT” HERE
BUY / STREAM SALT HERE
Photo Credit : Kelly Tatham // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES
Recently, Maya Cook shared the new single “Blueberry Stains”, her first new single since the release of her debut record Salt (2025) on Aakuluk Music. Today, the multidisciplinary artist is sharing another new track, “Cigarettes And Salt”, a song she wrote after “I lost someone I loved, but a deeply complicated love,” says Cook.
“I had this moment last summer where I was out on the land, and it was so incredibly beautiful. I was filled with so much joy and peace, and yet it also brought such deep sorrow. This track sits in that place, where the pain and beauty of living meet full circle. It comes from deeply wishing for a sense of peace for those I love, especially those who struggle to find it."
LISTEN / SHARE “CIGARETTES AND SALT” HERE
BUY / STREAM “CIGARETTES AND SALT” HERE
Single Art // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES
MORE ABOUT MAYA COOK + SALT
Maya Cook’s journey into music was paved by her path as a multidisciplinary artist. As a circus performer with Artcirq, the renowned performing arts collective in Igloolik, Nunavut, Maya has spent years expressing herself with dynamic acrobatics and sharply crafted storytelling.
Raised in the Gulf Islands of the Salish Sea, Maya hails from Mennonite-Anglo-Celtic ancestry and lives in both Vancouver, BC and Igloolik, Nunavut. Maya’s artist identity is shaped by these worlds, their influence in her music both spontaneous and transformative. “Creating art, both circus and music, has been a profound way of exploring how all of my pieces are woven together, within myself and in my relationships with the land and people around me”.
Her debut album salt, recorded at Aakuluk Music Studios in Iqaluit, Nunavut, is a testament to her artistry in a different medium. Writing with "a spare, economical grace" (Richard Flohil), and the "versatility and range of a seasoned artist" (Cups N Cakes Network), Maya’s songwriting swings between pulsing energy and dreamy reflections. You will hear rhythms to move your body and a voice to quiet your mind.
WATCH / SHARE “BLUEBERRY STAINS” HERE
BUY / STREAM “BLUEBERRY STAINS” HERE
salt brings together Maya’s reflective nature and her curious spirit, offering listeners a vivid sonic landscape inspired by a life in coastal BC and steeped in the Arctic’s contrasts—its beauty and challenges, warmth and cold. The album’s eight tracks each reveal a piece of her world and her heart. Themes of healing, introspection, connection, and community, run through the record. Songs like ”Metal In My Bones” channel the quiet contemplation of rainy Vancouver nights, while tracks like ”Silarjuaq” pulse with raw energy and defiance, fueled by the beauty and vibrance of the tundra. Maya’s voice, rich and emotive, soft and silky, guides listeners through her world, in dynamic conversation with rich and rhythmic instrumentation and the melodies of fiddle and saxophone.
For Maya, salt is more than an album; it’s an exploration of the balance in-between: in-between hurt and healing, strength and softness… it’s the spaces between our bodies and where sky and ocean meet.
salt was produced by Jace Lasek, the renowned producer behind acclaimed albums by Aasiva, Terry Uyarak, and The Jerry Cans. Lasek’s expertise shines through, seamlessly blending Maya’s unique voice and artistic vision with rich, atmospheric production. His ability to bring out the depth and texture in northern artists’ music makes salt a stunning addition to the legacy of projects he’s helped shape, further amplifying the soundscape of the Arctic.
Recorded under the crisp fall skies in Iqaluit, salt is a love letter to the North, to the Salish Sea, and to all the water in-between that connects them. It is an invitation to share in Maya’s vision of resilience and beauty, to close your eyes, and to feel the rhythm of the tides under your skin.