By Robert Duguay

As it has for decades, Boston has produced a number of bands whose reach extends well beyond the city they call home. Among those of recent vintage is Tiny Habits, a folk-pop trio of vocalists and multi-instrumentalists, comprising Cinya Khan, Maya Rae, and Judah Mayowa.

Over the past several years, the group has steadily built up considerable popular momentum, which is evident on its sophomore full-length disc, Keepers, released today via Mom + Pop Music. The album pairs rhythmic, emphatic arrangements with lyrics that dip into introspection, sometimes even drawing on existential uncertainty. Representative tracks include the early singles: “Anything He Was,” “Right in Front of Me,” and “Belt Loop.”

I spoke with Khan, Rae, and Mayowa about the band’s beginnings, the creative process behind Keepers, and what they hope listeners will take from the record.

Tiny Habits. Photo: AJ Incammicia

The Arts Fuse: Before starting Tiny Habits in 2022, you all met at the Berklee College of Music during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2021. At the time you were living in the same dorm and doing covers of various songs in each other’s rooms. Looking back, what was it like to collaborate with each other when the outside world has turned into mess and you were isolated in one building?

Cinya Khan: It was wild, but also very cosmic in a way due to us all being in the right place at the right time.

Maya Rae: It felt like it was sort of fate that put us there; at the time, we could only hang out with people in our own dorm building. We all happened to be in the same building, which turned out to be kismet. We all could sing together and hang out together during that time. We were really just friends and we all happened to enjoy singing together as well, which was a plus.

Judah Mayowa: The world was a very different place back then too. We weren’t socializing with anyone so by the time we started hanging out with each other we were all kind of scared because we had not talked to people for a long time. We didn’t know that it was going to lead to us singing with our best friends forever — and here we are.

AF: Do you feel that the bonding at that time served as  catalyst for what you’re doing. That the isolation was as sort of a silver lining?

Rae: 100%, totally.

Mayowa: We’re still making music together and creating things together. I don’t think that’ll ever change.

Khan: It’s a constant bonding, a forever bonding.

Mayowa: It’s everlasting.

AF: When it comes to creating things together, you have a new album coming out called Keepers. In making it, did you do anything differently than you did for your debut full-length, All For Something, which came out in 2024?

Mayowa: It was very, very different from what we’ve done in the past. We worked with all of our best friends in the world, including Maya’s cousin Benjamin Millman, who is the best producer ever. It was a lot more fun than doing the earlier recording  — I feel like there was a lot more energy. We had never done anything this energetic, loud, and belty before. There were a lot of nights we were really tired after having screamed during the day and singing really loud. We became more honest with each other and we got a little more comfortable with each other in terms of contributing out ideas. It was just a whole lot of fun.

The cover art for the Tiny Habits album Keepers.

Rae: This time around we had a better idea of what we wanted this project to look like. We didn’t have everything figured out, but in terms of the way we were approaching the making of this album, we knew we wanted to be more creatively involved. Going in with that mindset made it more enjoyable for all of us. In the first one we had only an x amount of songs written, and  along with that pressure we were dealing with the time crunch to get it out. It felt like we had less freedom to express ourselves as we wanted to. This time around, we wanted to change that up.

AF: Last year, you three got to tour with James Taylor, who is an absolute legend in the singer-songwriter world, while doing a bunch of shows with him in Phoenix, San Diego, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Toronto, and other locations. Taylor also jumped in on your set during the Newport Folk Festival last month. What was the experience like connecting with him, going on tour with him, and sharing the stage with him?

Mayowa: It was so amazing. We’ve never been on a tour that was so luxurious before, and that was amazing. It made us somewhat spoiled because now everything else isn’t up to the standard. He is the kindest person ever. He has so much experience under his belt, and he gave us so many wise words and lessons throughout the months we got to share with him. It was just the most beautiful experience, everyone he works with is so kind, and we got to see so many new places that we had never been to before. James paved the way for folk music, so opening up for him was a great experience with a cherry on top. He’s the cream of the crop, as they say, so it was very special.

AF: When artists release a record, they are inevitably concerned that it connect with their fan base. What would be the ideal reaction to Keepers when it comes out?

Khan: I hope our fans have fun. There’s a lot of opportunities to dance, there’s a lot of songs that are very high energy, which is really new for us. I also hope they resonate with a lot of the themes on the album, because we have expanded our emotional territory. Our projects before have been really focused on heartbreak, love, and relationships, but we’ve sort of ventured out farther this time. There’s more for people to bite into, I guess.

Rae: I hope people can feel a little more connected to the music than they have been before while feeling a little closer to us. A lot of our writing was previously about a specific theme, but I think now we’ve expanded what we’ve been writing about so we’re letting the listeners a little more into our personal lives. I hope that they feel that, in a sense, we’re humanizing ourselves. We’re not just people on the internet, we’re also real humans with difficult lives. I hope they can hear that.

Mayowa: I hope that the people who hear this album find comfort in it, not just in a cozy way, but in a fun way. Whether they’re dancing, having people over or needing a little cry, or taking a little walk, I hope that people will make use of this album in their everyday lives. It will be to ours — because I’m gonna listen to this music when it’s out.

Rob Duguay is an arts & entertainment journalist based in Providence who is originally from Shelton, CT. Outside of The Arts Fuse, he has also written for DigBoston, Aquarian Weekly, Providence Journal, Newport Daily News, Worcester Magazine, New Noise Magazine, Manchester Ink Link, and numerous other publications. While covering mostly music, he has also written about film, TV, comedy, theater, visual art, food, drink, sports, and cannabis.