For more than a decade, Mayan Fox has been a name synonymous with bold energy, genre-bending sound, and family roots.
“It started with Maria,” front man Nate Harmon explains. referring to his wife and longtime creative partner.
“We were making music, fell in love, got married, and then pulled in some friends, including Maui Whaanga, who’s now doing amazing things with Roaring Lion, and that became the start of our band Mayan Fox.”
The name itself is a nod to Maria’s heritage, and much like its origin, the band’s sound defies easy categorization.
In a nutshell, you could call it Exotic pop rock.”
Nate says: “We’ve got bouncing melodies, tight harmonies, witty lyrics, it’s a fusion of influences, but when you start listing genres, people’s eyes glaze over. So, yeah… exotic pop rock. That works.”
If you think Mayan Fox writes love songs, think again.
“We love layering meanings into our lyrics,” he says.
There’s one song comparing a love interest to chewing gum, playful on the surface, but it’s really about short-lived relationships you chew up and spit out. Another sounds like it’s about a fiery romance with a fierce woman, but it’s actually about the music industry.”
That knack for storytelling has deep roots in Nate’s own journey.
“I’ve lived in something like 60 different homes across the world, sometimes in cars, sometimes in tents.
Then you’ve got bandmates, including my Fijian- Nicaraguan wife, who all bring their own stories. We’ve got a well of life experience to draw from.”
Ask him about the most unforgettable moment in Mayan Fox’s history, and he explains:
“When our fans raised the money to get us to Canada so we could perform for our young cousin who was dying of cancer, that was everything. Her wish was to see us play.
We made it a couple of weeks before she passed and did an acoustic set by her bedside. That’s the kind of thing you never forget.”
But not all the stories are tinged with sadness. There’s the time they opened for Jet and Powderfinger, “an absolute buzz,” Nate says, or when they toured the Philippines just after Typhoon Haiyan and witnessed a crowd full of resilience and joy.
That energy was on full display at the band’s highly anticipated return to the Beenleigh Tavern, fittingly called the Half Century Party in September.
“I turned 50, our bass player, my cousin and the guy I started playing with when we were 15, also turned 50, and our daughter, who sings with us, just turned 21. ”Nate says.
“So we thought, let’s throw a party and invite the whole community. We haven’t played at Beenleigh Tavern in over a decade, not since we supported Thirsty Merc. It was a massive celebration!
Mayan Fox has evolved from a band touring with babies in prams to one where all three Harmon kids now share the stage.
“The future looks like a fresher, younger face—but with some Gen X flavor,” Nate says
We’ve been quiet on the gig front, but that changes now. Yes there is newmusic coming soon. This is our phoenix-rising moment.
