Photo credit: Jenna Elson
Following her recent global signing to MNRK Music Group, Boorloo/Perth-based singer-songwriter Mariae Cassandra – one of Australia’s most exciting new voices – shares her latest single and video ‘Splinters’. LISTEN HERE // WATCH THE MUSIC VIDEO HERE.
Still only at the beginning of her career, Mariae Cassandra already wields her timeless, heart-on-your-sleeve songwriting with the confidence of a seasoned star. Underneath her soft-glow melodies and honest lyricism lies a genuine passion for connection, translating the ephemeral moments of adolescence into lasting keepsakes. As her first release of the year, ‘Splinters’ blooms as a story of burgeoning self-trust. Free of guilt and insecurity, Mariae finally stands up to the self-sabotaging question weighing on her – “am I really worthy of love at all?” – with a resounding yes.
“By the time I was 16, I was carrying unresolved wounds that made it difficult to move forward,” says Mariae. “After writing the first demo, I disliked it because it felt too real. Two years later, I returned to it with a different perspective. I rewrote parts of the song to reflect who I had become during that time, shaping it into what it is now.” The official music video shakes off the uncertainty – finding herself alone, Mariae is somewhat taken aback by her own strength, as she carves out a path of her own along the way.
It takes a certain kind of artist to craft a debut single like ‘Million Billion Trillion’. Released when she was just 16 years old, the tender ode to friendship introduced Mariae Cassandra as a natural storyteller with remarkable and widespread resonance. Momentum built quickly: taking out triple j Unearthed High in 2024, she went on to tour nationally supporting WAFIA, swiftly followed by her second single ‘Seventeen’. By 2025, Mariae had firmly positioned herself as one to watch after warming up main stages at Laneway Festival, playing shows alongside Kita Alexander, Spacey Jane and The Buoys, and showcasing at BIGSOUND and SXSW Sydney.
Entering 2026, now 18 years old, Mariae Cassandra is well on her way to building a lasting world of her own: tender, nostalgic, and entirely of the moment. Her position as Australia’s next break-out pop act is only cemented further by her captivating live presence, selling out multiple dates across Perth (x2), Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide on her debut national headline tour in January this year. Weeks later, she performed her first international headline show in London, before heading to SXSW Austin in March, marking a major step onto the global stage.
‘Splinters‘ is out now, buy/stream it here.
Stay connected with Mariae Cassandra:
Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | triple j Unearthed
