Heading: Rebuilding Career, Character, and Community, Jonah Marais Opens Up About Better Days Ahead
Shot at Palladium Times Square, NYC
Although Jonah Marais’ run with Why Don’t We will always be close to heart, he’s ready to reclaim the spotlight on his own terms. In conversation with Pleaser, Marais shares his story so far, stitched together by lessons of fame, identity, and vulnerability. Awaiting the release of his next EP, he’s eager to open up about the experiences that shaped it, especially to his fans who have supported him every step of the way.
PHOTOS BY OLIVE JOLLEY
Lounging in the dressing room of Palladium Times Square,¹ nostalgia taps the shoulder of Jonah Marais. It’s been almost 7 years since he last roamed under the venue’s regal chandeliers. In 2018, his former band, Why Don’t We, played on this stage to a packed house to close out “The Invitation Tour”.
In the years following those Palladium Times Square shows, Why Don’t We released 2 full-length albums, sent multiple singles to the Billboard charts, and even conspired a massive tour featuring arena shows. At their peak, Marais, alongside Corbyn Besson, Daniel Seavey, Jack Avery, and Zach Herron, waivered steps away from world domination.
However, even with their great ambitions, they were never able to make that last leap. In 2021, Marais and his bandmates began a long legal journey confronting the abuse they suffered at the hands of their former management. Why Don’t We’s official hiatus announcement was posted to their Instagram in July of 2022. The trial would not commence until February 2025, which ultimately declared Why Don’t We’s hiatus indefinite.
Marais’ face falls solemn as he thinks back on the years that followed the hiatus. He recalls, “I was going through an identity crisis. I felt that my self validation and my identity came from the band and the success of the band, and always being this person that helped a lot of people.”
Why Don’t We was the life he knew, and more importantly, the life he loved. Having that snatched from him so abruptly, Marais succumbed to habits he’s not proud of. “I hit my low. I was just living in the studio that I was recording at, I had like a little mattress and [was] drinking a lot. I was depressed, not wanting to get out of bed, and not reaching out to anybody.”
The studio served as both a shield and a solace. Marais pushed himself further into isolation, staking out behind the glass of the recording booth. But it was also the first time in a long time in which Marais had freedom to write and create authentically. He found inspiration in experimentation with new skills and sounds. He was free from expectations of devising “the next big thing”.
“[Looking back to the earlier days of the band,] there was no creative process. It was ‘here's what you say, here's what you wear, here's what you do. You have to be stars’…I decided I just want to be real at this point. I don’t want to be this bigger than life figure.”
In order to be real in his work, Marais had to first be real with himself. He was the only one who could lift himself out of his lowest. In his words, “vulnerability is the key to connection”. Rebuilding connections started with a trip home to reset his headspace. Next, sobriety. The last step to better days was opening up to his fans.
The Jonah Marais Mixtape, Marais’ first solo EP, released in June 2024. Putting the project out was about more than filling a discography. It marked a new chapter for Marais– one that felt true to himself and his loyal community of fans.
A smile lights up his face as he describes reconnecting to that community. He says, “I meet so many people that are like, ‘you are the reason that's kept me going all this time’ but that's such a two way street. The fans have helped me through so much and have saved me in a lot of ways”
The taste of momentum upon releasing The Jonah Marais Mixtape rejuvenated his spirit. He channeled that energy into a slew of new projects: a music video for “High School Propaganda”, a return to interview appearances, and a run of shows across the states– fittingly coined “The Young & Optimistic Tour”.
In the present day conversation at Palladium Times Square, Jonah Marais (just Jonah Marais) is ready to take center stage. He’s become someone his younger self would look up to. Flourishing in the freedom of being an independent artist, he’s honest, vulnerable, and confident in his identity and capabilities.
Moreover, he’s aware of what he deserves. “My main mission statement since I first started is, I just want to affect as many people in a positive way as I possibly can. I think that's always kind of remained the same, but there's a comma that I added to that, and it's ‘I want to be happy too’”.
That second clause is a theme we can expect to see come alive on More Than Enough, Marias’ upcoming EP that releases May 16th. He can’t contain his excitement as he introduces the subject, waving open his hands at its mention. He grasps for a strong enough adjective to describe his overwhelming pride for the project.
More Than Enough paints the highs and lows of the last few years through expressive melodies. The title track, “More Than Enough”, serves as a testament to Marais’ evolving perspective on fame and self worth. “Better Now” reminds listeners of the power of connection to pull someone out of a hard place, a lesson Marais is more than qualified to share.
The stories on More Than Enough aren’t all heavy in introspection. Songs like “Ramona” are lighthearted reminders of the love that exists in our everyday interactions. It’s connections like these that remind Marais why he’s starting his days excited, a feeling he hopes listeners can relate to.
He tells us, “Ramona is actually the name of my producer Ryan Lewis’ daughter. We would make little videos for her. She loves going to sleep to the sounds and stuff that Ryan, Jason [Koenig], and I [are coming up with].One time he picked up a guitar and started just singing her name. It was a cute moment and I thought, that could be a song, we should try that. The song evolved from these fun little games back and forth.”
If The Jonah Marais Mixtape was Marais turning a new leaf, More Than Enough is him planting a whole tree. Marais’ roots feel solid now. There’s no watchful eye of a higher up. No standards of what his sound should be. No image he’s supposed to sell.
More Than Enough will be brought to life on his own terms. Known to extend meet-and-greets far past the allotted time, Marais wants to ensure that the EP resonates with fans as much as it has with himself. It’s his way of expressing gratitude for their support that never waivered, even when he felt like he lost everything.
In preparation of the May 16th release, he’s got one last root to dig. “I’m flying back to LA and meeting my dad there. We’re gonna pack up my car and drive to Nashville. I’m moving. I had this realization there’s so much other stuff outside of the bubble of LA. In Nashville I feel like I’m home. I’m just following a good feeling”.
¹ The venue was known as The PlayStation Theatre at the time of Why Don’t We’s 2018 shows. It reopened as Palladium Times Square in 2020.
