Masumi and The Rise of First Day Back
- Daria Slikker
- 9 minutes ago
- 6 min read
Maggie Masumi is navigating two parallel creative paths, each feeding into the other in subtle but distinct ways. As a solo artist under the name ‘Masumi’, her work leans inward and is shaped by instinct, space, and a growing curiosity for songwriting. Her debut EP ‘Gratitude,’ released in March 2025, marked a first step into that world, built from self-recorded experiments and moments of immediacy. Since then, she’s continued to expand her reach through collaborations, from working with Dead Calm on ‘Grow’ – which has since reached nearly 2 million streams – to more recent releases like ‘she loves him’ with rosevile sucks.
Alongside that, Maggie fronts First Day Back, a project that came together through a series of flyers posted around her college campus in Santa Cruz. What started as a loose attempt to find bandmates has quickly grown into something far more defined. With a debut album, touring experience, and early recognition from outlets like Pitchfork, the band has built a strong foundation, with tracks like ‘Paint’ gaining significant traction online. Made up of Spencer (drums), Luke (bass), Zion (guitar), and Maggie (lead vocals, violin, harmonica), First Day Back channels a more collective, immediate energy that continues to evolve as they head into another run of shows across California.
We spoke to Maggie about her solo work, the rapid growth of First Day Back and where she sees both of her paths evolving to next.
On Her Own
How did music first come into your life and what made you decide to pursue it?
My dad always had music on when I was growing up, whether in the car or at home. He wasn’t a passive listener and really engaged with it. I first got into playing through my school orchestra in third grade. I was lucky to go to a public school with a strong music program, and that’s where I started on violin.
I later picked up guitar, almost in reaction to how rigid the violin felt. I wanted something more casual, just figuring things out by ear. I also learned a bit of harmonica after getting a set for Christmas – I wouldn’t say I properly know how to play, I just feel it out.
I didn’t really start writing my own music until I began First Day Back in March 2024. That’s when composition became a bigger focus for me.
You balance both your solo work and your role as lead vocalist in First Day Back. How do those two outlets differ for you creatively?
I approach both in a similar way when it comes to writing. The main difference is the instrumentation and the feelings that come from that.
My solo work leans more into folk influences. I listen to a lot of ’70s folk like Karen Dalton, Bridget St. John, and Sibylle Baier, as well as more recent artists like Jessica Pratt, especially her guitar work and picking styles.
What was the starting point for your solo EP ‘Gratitude’?
I just reached a point where I had enough songs. But a big part of it was Liam from Dead Calm letting me use his place as a studio while he was away. It gave me space to be loud and experiment.
It was my first time using GarageBand and really hearing how layering works, which was super inspiring. I ended up writing two songs, ‘World’ and ‘Yellow,’ in just a couple of days while I was there. Looking back, I maybe would have refined them more, but they came together very naturally in the moment.
Another track, ‘See,’ came from just jamming on my porch, so that one felt more organic.
You’ve collaborated with artists like Dead Calm and rosevile sucks. What do you enjoy most about working with other musicians compared to working on your own?
I’m really curious about how other people write and what leads them to make certain decisions. Collaborating gives you insight into how other people think, which I find really inspiring.
It also builds a sense of community, which is important. I remember Liam talking about drawing from traditional drumming styles, which made me realise there’s so much music I haven’t explored yet.
In Collaboration
First Day Back came together through flyers on a college campus, which feels very organic. What do you remember about those early days of forming the band?
Before the flyers, I’d already tried jamming with a few people but nothing stuck. Then Spencer and I put up flyers around campus in my first year. Originally he was going to play guitar and I was going to play bass.
We found Zion through the flyers, and Nathan through ones he’d put up himself. Luke was playing in a jazz group around Santa Cruz. I heard he liked bands like Title Fight and Cap n’ Jazz, so I asked him to jam after one of his gigs.
It actually took about a year from putting up the flyers to finally getting everyone together. But when we did, it clicked straight away. Nathan brought in some ideas, we started jamming, and from that first session it felt like something real. We were writing from day one.
The band has already released a debut album, toured, and even received attention from outlets like Pitchfork. How has that early momentum shaped your confidence as a group?
It’s been really rewarding. We never expected any of it. We thought the band might just exist within Santa Cruz and end after college.
We put so much into it purely because we loved it, so having people connect with the music has been really fulfilling.
I will say that the pressure that came with how the album was received made us start to change how we did things internally. At one point, we even tried to shift our writing process, but it didn’t feel right. We realised there was no need to fix something that wasn’t broken. Once we leaned back into how we always did things, everything started to click again.
How did you come up with the band name?
It comes from a Braid song called ‘First Day Back.’ That track really sparked my love for this kind of music and sent me down a whole path of discovering the genre.
You’ve been out on tour, including supporting bands like Algernon Cadwallader. What have you learned about yourselves from playing live together?
I’ve realised how important it is to create a space where people feel free – whether that’s dancing, crying, or just being vulnerable.
Sometimes I even tell the crowd to dance, because it feels like people don’t do that as much anymore. I just want people to fully connect with the music.
With more shows coming up across California, how are you feeling heading into this next run, and what are you most excited to bring to those performances?
I’m really excited. We haven’t toured since December, so it feels like a while. I’m looking forward to seeing new faces and playing with Everyone Asked About You, who I love. We’re also hoping to bring some new songs into the set.
Is there any plan to release those new songs soon?
Not immediately. We want to make another album, but we want everything to be exactly how we intend and not rush into anything.
Our manager said something that stuck with me – you spend twenty-one years of your life writing your first album. It feels true, so we want to get back into that kind of headspace.
Looking ahead, where do you see both your solo project and First Day Back going – do they feel like two separate paths, or something that will continue to evolve alongside each other?
They’re definitely evolving alongside each other, but right now 99% of my focus is on First Day Back.
My solo work will always exist as its own thing, but both projects reflect where I’m at musically at any given time.
Where do you see First Day Back heading to next?
I’d love to tour the US, UK, and Europe. Playing somewhere like The Windmill in Brixton is a big goal.
South America would be amazing too. We’ve had unexpected support there, and the fans seem really passionate. It’s so surprising because the scene is small but the people who are into this music, are really into it and that spans across the world.
Dream-wise, supporting bands like Green Day, Weezer, Jimmy Eat World, or even newer acts like Blink-182 would be incredible.
Listen to First Day Back on Spotify, SoundCloud, and Apple Music and keep up with them via their website and Instagram.
Listen to Masumi on Spotify, and Apple Music.
