Meet The Marias members, the real people behind the band everyone's streaming
The Marías members include María Zardoya, Josh Conway, Edward James, Jesse Perlman, and Gabe Steiner. From María Zardoya’s haunting vocals to Josh Conway’s textured production and Gabe Steiner’s trumpet lines, their blend reflects each player’s influence. While their albums speak volumes, their real-life stories add depth to the music’s emotional pull.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- María Zardoya co-founded The Marías and remains its lead vocalist after ending her relationship with Josh Conway.
- Josh Conway continues as drummer and producer.
- María launched a solo project in 2025 called Melt, marking her first release as Not for Radio.
- The band name honours María Zardoya, whose bilingual Puerto Rican identity shapes their musical style.
Meet The Marías members
The Marías members form a close-knit group whose sound blends Latin soul, psychedelia, jazz, and indie pop. Since forming in Los Angeles in 2016, they have gained attention not only for their genre-blurring music but also for their visual style and chemistry onstage. Here is a quick look at the artists behind the name.
1. María Zardoya
Source: Getty Images
- Full name: María Zardoya
- Date of birth: 17 April 1997
- Place of birth: Puerto Rico
- Age: 28 years old (as of November 2025)
- Role: Lead vocalist, lyricist, and co-founder of The Marías
María Zardoya leads The Marías as the band’s vocalist, lyricist, and creative visionary. She co-founded the group in Los Angeles in 2016 with drummer and producer Josh Conway, shaping the band’s bilingual sound, which blends English and Spanish through dream pop, jazz, and Latin soul influences.
Under her direction, the band released Superclean Vol. I and Vol. II, followed by the acclaimed albums CINEMA (2021) and Submarine (2024).
The lead vocalist once explained during an Atwood Magazine that film inspired their early songwriting approach, saying,
The reason Josh and I started writing music together was because of cinema… We’d imagine worlds in our minds based on the synopses — the colours in the scene, the lighting, the actors, the set design, and of course, the music.
In 2025, the American vocalist ventured into a solo project titled Not for Radio and released her debut album, Melt. Discussing this creative chapter, Zardoya shared on Instagram,
My intention with this project was to make music for the love of experimenting, far from home, fully in the moment, open to whatever stream of consciousness unfolded around us.
Zardoya revealed that after a long-term relationship with Conway ended, she embraced being single and independent.
2. Josh Conway
Source: UGC
- Full name: Joshua David Conway
- Date of birth: April 12, 1994
- Place of birth: Los Angeles, California, USA
- Age: 31 years old (as of November 2025)
- Role: Drummer, producer, co-vocalist, and co-founder
Josh Conway co-founded The Marías with María Zardoya in 2016 and has remained the band’s rhythmic core ever since. The American drummer handles drums, percussion, and production, and adds backing vocals and synthesiser parts.
His background in piano and film scoring, along with his taste for R&B, jazz, and indie rock, shaped The Marías’ genre-blending sound.
Although Josh and María ended their romantic relationship, they continue to collaborate closely.
During an interview with Grammy, the drummer said:
Music has been important to me my entire life. That's something that I kind of realised over the last couple of years…I'll do whatever it takes to continue making music and making music with people that I love, especially. It's special to be doing this with all my best friends.
3. Edward James
- Full name: Edward James
- Date of birth: April 1995
- Place of birth: Los Angeles, California, USA
- Age: 30 years old (as of November 2025)
- Role: Keyboardist and synthesiser player
Edward James has been the keyboardist and synth player for The Marías since the band’s formation. A close friend of Josh Conway and Jesse Perlman, Edward brought formal music training and creative depth to the group.
During an interview with Con Safos Magazine, he said:
My dad wanted to switch phone carriers… and part of the package deal was a little Yamaha keyboard… I got a free keyboard, and that's when I started.
Edward has co-written many tracks, blending his melodies seamlessly with the band’s smooth rhythm and production style. Speaking about his love for collaboration during the aforementioned Grammy interview, Edward shared:
I’ve always wanted to be in a band… I love the concept of a group of people who are one for all and all for one, and who get to experience everything together.
Throughout 2024 to 2025, he has performed in major festivals and headline tours, often switching between keyboards and guitar.
4. Jesse Perlman
Source: UGC
- Full name: Jesse Perlman
- Place of birth: Los Angeles, California, USA
- Role: Guitarist
Jesse Perlman serves as the guitarist for The Marías. He is known for his smooth, reverb-rich tones and subtle backing vocals. The prominent guitarist joined his close friends María Zardoya and Josh Conway in 2016, completing the band’s core lineup.
Jesse Perlman’s expressive guitar work has become central to the group’s sound, often described as hypnotic and soulful. The guitarist co-wrote several tracks on CINEMA and Submarine.
5. Gabe Steiner
Source: UGC
- Full name: Gabe Steiner
- Place of birth: Los Angeles, California, USA
- Role: Trumpet player
Gabe Steiner plays trumpet for The Marías and occasionally contributes as a multi-instrumentalist. Outside live performances, Gabe works as a producer and writer based in Los Angeles. Within The Marías, however, his main focus remains the horn section.
Gabe’s solos include Hush and Cariño. He also records trumpet, flugelhorn, and occasionally organ parts for the band’s studio projects.
Did The Marías break up with Josh?
María Zardoya and Josh Conway ended their romantic relationship in 2022. However, they continue to work together professionally in The Marías.
Are The Marías dating?
As of 2025, the band members are not dating each other. María and Josh were previously in a relationship, but have since split.
Why are they called The Marías?
The band is named after lead singer María Zardoya. Her presence and creative vision shaped the group's identity.
What is the ethnicity of The Marías singers?
Lead vocalist María Zardoya is Hispanic, and her Latin heritage strongly influences the band’s bilingual and soulful style. Josh Conway, Edward James, Gabe Steiner, and Jesse Perlman are white and all hail from Los Angeles, with Edward is said to be of Jewish roots.
Source: Getty Images
Who was Mariah's ex?
María Zardoya’s former partner is Josh Conway, the drummer, producer, and co-founder of The Marías. The two met while collaborating on music in Los Angeles and later formed the band in 2016. Though their romantic relationship ended in 2022, they continue working together professionally.
What is María Zardoya’s age?
The Marías' lead vocalist is 28 years old as of November 2025. The American singer was born on 17 April 1997.
The Marías members have maintained a clear identity in the indie music scene through focused collaboration and defined roles. Although Zardoya and Conway ended their relationship, the group remains creatively unified and fully active in 2025.
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Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
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