A Quiet Spark: Maddy Low’s “To Be Near” Is Tender Bravery in Song

There’s something gently seismic about Maddy Low’s latest single, To Be Near. At just 18, the New Zealand singer-songwriter has delivered a track that feels both timeless and freshly personal like a page from a diary wrapped in soft indie-folk tones and set adrift on a summer breeze.

To Be Near doesn’t shout to be heard, it leans in, invites you close, and lets emotion do the talking. Built on expressive acoustic guitar, subtle strings, and layered harmonies, the song captures the vulnerability of discovering love for the first time, not with glitter or grandeur, but with wide eyes and a brave, open heart. It’s reflective without being moody, sincere without being saccharine, an emotional landscape drawn with brushstrokes of restraint and clarity.

You can hear the years of busking in Maddy’s delivery, unpolished in the best way, grounded in real experience. The folk-pop sensibility she’s honed between Wellington and Auckland glows here, bolstered by the maturity of her songwriting and a production style that knows when to hold back.

For fans of Phoebe Bridgers, Julia Jacklin, or early Joni Mitchell, To Be Near will feel like a familiar friend you haven’t met yet. It’s a quiet but confident step into Maddy Low’s unfolding story and if this is where it starts, we’re more than ready to follow.