Taking musical inspiration from Maggie Reilly’s collaborations with Mike Oldfield, and the fairy-tale atmosphere of early Within Temptation, ‘Call of the Last Wildcat’ is a portrait of the Scottish Wildcat, an untameable British animal on the brink of extinction. To help the wildcats, all money from sales and streams will be donated to Saving Wildcats, a charity that breeds Scottish Wildcats for release back into the wild. 

Download the track from Bandcamp to support Saving Wildcats: https://maaikesiegerist.bandcamp.com/track/call-of-the-last-wildcat-single

LYRICS
Where ancient whales lie fast asleep
Under blankets of green trees
Where water rolls from snowy peaks
Like thousands of years before
A creature moves almost unseen
She waits for the sun to set
Hear the call of the last wildcat

Her green eyes stare patiently
Her fur blends with the bark of trees
This is who she’s born to be
She doesn’t make a sound
She jumps out from her hiding place
Feathers in a trap
It’s the call of the last wildcat

For many moons, she ran alone
Along the slopes of crumbling stone
Fleeing from her mother’s home
A disappearing forest
She’s looking for one like herself
But not a trace, so she cries out
Hear the call of the last wildcat

Where ancient whales lie fast asleep
Under blankets of green trees
Where water rolls from snowy peaks
Like centuries before
It’s been years since she was seen
Or we even found her tracks
But I swear you can sometimes hear
After the sun has set:
The call of the last wildcat

CREDITS
Vocals, acoustic guitar: Maaike Siegerist
Piano: Susanna Downes
Lead guitar: Bas Willemsen
Bass, synth: Jonni Slater
Drums: Ivar de Graaf

Mixed by Jonni Slater
Mastered by Nick Cooke
Written and produced by Maaike Siegerist
Artwork by Maaike

Call of the Last Wildcat

Call Of The Last Wildcat

‘So You Think’ is a laid-back jazz track featuring some serious piano chops, swinging upright bass, and a chihuahua.

I wrote it together with my friend Becci Wallace, an amazingly talented Glaswegian artist.

’So You Think’ is our response to society’s expectations of women. To stay young and beautiful. To leave the technical stuff to the guys. As you may have guessed, we don’t think so!

I hope you’ll enjoy the track as much as we enjoyed writing it! :)

So You Think

A little ode to Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, from my new album Little Dutch Songbook. I've loved their music ever since my elderly guitar teacher taught me to play jazz standards. He'd never heard of Oasis. But he did know classic jazz! With Jonni Slater on keys and a fabulous bass solo by Ron Phelan.

Little Dutch Songbook is available from Bandcamp: https://maaikesiegerist.bandcamp.com/album/little-dutch-songbook

LYRICS
You talk about Bob like he's a god 
We agree to disagree 
He had his day, and Joni was great 
But she's not the one for me  

Put that harmonica in its case 
Unless your name is Stevie 
Call me old-fashioned 
But give me

Ella and Louis 
How they sing together
Swing together now
Ella and Louis 
Let that crackling record play
And I wish they would make them 
Like Ella and Louis these days

Now this is the age computers can sing
They come in pretty packaging
Boys wearing suits, girls in the nude
It's all about the marketing

Even Madonna has perfect pitch
Cher, who can I believe after this?
Call me old-fashioned 
But give me 

Ella and Louis 
How they sing together
Swing together now
Ella and Louis 
Let that crackling record play
And I wish they would make them 
Like Ella and Louis these days

CREDITS
Maaike Siegerist, vocals, guitar 
Ron Phelan, bass
Jonni Slater, keys

Written, mixed and produced by Maaike Siegerist
Mastered by Nick Cooke

Little Dutch Songbook

Ella and Louis

A hazy summer day in the beautiful Chinese city of Hangzhou - romantic 1950s vibes and jazz chords.

CREDITS
Maaike Siegerist, vocals, guitar 
Ron Phelan, upright bass
Susanna Downes, piano
Iain McCurdy, cicadas recording 

Mixed & produced by Maaike Siegerist 
Mastered by Nick Cooke 

LYRICS
Willows rustle on a warm summer’s day
The pagoda fades away in the haze 
A bride poses, a smile on her face 
With lotus flowers on the lake

Tiny dragons on the edge of the roof
At the temple, I burn incense for you
A buddha laughs inside a cave
Near lotus flowers on the lake 

When their petals fall
I will be far away, like the lady in the moon
Part of me remains
Sipping Dragon Well tea this afternoon

Wooden boats leave as the sun slowly sets
Under pink skies, trees become silhouettes 
I say goodbye, to silver waves 
And lotus flowers on the lake

Lotus Flowers on the Lake

I was once on a distant shore
I remember at least that part
Taken by storm, out on a journey
Now I look for a place for the heart
I will find me a place for the heart

With a blanket to keep me warm
I am sure that I will go far
And if it means ever returning
I will look for a place for the heart
I will find me a place for the heart

I am certain I heard you call
And I know just how lost you are
Even asleep, I can still hear you
So I look for a place for the heart
I will find me a place for the heart

You go down to the sea as the tide comes in
You know just what it means as you go under again

Well, I know I’ve been here before
It was under a different star
Travelled the world many times over
Now I look for a place for the heart
Till I find me a place for the heart
I will find me a place for the heart

Music: Maaike Siegerist
Lyrics: Jim Blackmann

A Place for the Heart (Acoustic)

Cosmonaut is a portrait of a solitary spacefarer orbiting the Earth, admiring our planet and the stars from a distance, set against atmospheric jazz chords. Or maybe… the cosmonaut is a metaphor.

Cosmonaut is the first single from Maaike's upcoming EP, Starbound, set for release on 10 June and available for pre-order on Bandcamp. Starbound is a collection of six songs about space, inspired by everything from real-life space exploration to the imagined worlds of vintage sci-fi.

TRACK CREDITS

Vocals, guitar, effects: Maaike Siegerist
Rhodes, bass synth: Jonni Slater

Music, lyrics, mix and production by Maaike Siegerist
Mastered by Nick Cooke

Background photo in the cover art by ESA/Hubble & NASA.

LYRICS

His eyes are wide with wonder
He sees the oceans' blue
From his round window
At a safe altitude
He's floating in between the other satellites
He’s dreaming of the world

Cosmonaut

Venus and the planets rise
Many times a day
They keep him company
As he charts the milky way
The starlight that he sees, is centuries old
He dreams of other worlds

Cosmonaut

Cities shine so brightly
On the dark side of the Earth
But he is much lighter and quickly passes by
From the ground I see him shooting through the sky
I’m dreaming of his world

Cosmonaut

Starbound

Cosmonaut

A critical song about billionaires launching rockets into space while the planet burns. With a fiery guitar solo by Jonni Slater, in the spirit of Mike Oldfield.

Moon and Mars is out on all platforms Friday 15 August 2025. It’s the second single from Maaike's new EP, Starbound - available exclusively on Bandcamp: https://maaikesiegerist.bandcamp.com/album/starbound

CREDITS
Maaike Siegerist, vocals, acoustic guitars
Jonni Slater, keyboards, bass, backing vocals, electric guitar
Lesley McLaren, drums
Ian Bostic, cymbals

Written by Maaike Siegerist 
Mixed and produced by Maaike Siegerist & Jonni Slater 
Mastered by Nick Cooke 

LYRICS
We are curiously small 
I am in the clay in the soles of his shoes  

He is miraculously tall 
His pockets are so deep they fit in people 
Important people  

He dreams a young boy’s dream 
And points up to the stars 
He says we can always start again 
You know our future lies 
Between the moon and Mars 
He’ll build a rocket to take us there  

Oceans crawl out from their shores 
I outrun the storm, but for how long? 
Runways keep his spirits high 
He's got the cash to buy a lonely mountain 
A private mountain 

 He dreams a young boy's dream...  

And when we get there 
Could it ever be enough 
Perhaps all he needed 
Was a little bit more love  

He dreams a young boy's dream...

Moon and Mars

Title track of the new album!
Available now via: http://www.maaikesiegerist.com/

I sailed from a land 
of oily rivers and open bridges 
and I left behind true love 

I see myself 
in clouded water with lotus flowers 
but my pale skin gives me away 

I hear the waves 
Smell the scent of burning wood 
and with the tide of silent farewells, I go 

I was born before the wind 

Come, walk with me 
along the shoreline and watch the water 
as it flows back to the sea 

Whisper my name 
and move into my ancient heart 
until the storm calls out to me 

I hear the waves 
Smell the scent of burning wood 
and with the tide of silent farewells, I go 

I was born before the wind 

Smell the scent of burning wood 
With the tide of silent farewells, I go 

I was born before the wind
credits
released November 11, 2016 
Maaike Siegerist, voice 
Susanna Downes, piano 

Written, recorded and mixed by Maaike Siegerist 
Mastered by Josh Clark of Get Real Audiio

Born Before the Wind

Born Before The Wind

Opening track of the new album Born Before the Wind!
Available at: http://www.maaikesiegerist.com/

LYRICS
One side of the bed is empty
When you push the blanket away
It’s dark when you open the curtains
But you’re in a hurry to start the day
You work out; get into a suit
Turn your time into cash

It’s already late 
when we finally get to talk
And you say you feel

Disconnected – we are living different lives
Disconnected – is our love on the line?
I just want to be reconnected
The clock says it’s well past midnight
When I come home and kick off my heels
Pour myself a glass full of red wine
while I think of you
It tastes bittersweet 

It is too late to ring you 
I’d wake you up
Oh, it makes me feel

Disconnected – we are living different lives
Disconnected – is our love on the line?
I just want to be reconnected

I miss the way you make me feel 
No one makes me laugh that loud
With you, love is such a simple thing
But living far apart, we’ve become

Disconnected – we are living different lives
Disconnected – is our love on the line?
Disconnected – we are living different lives
Disconnected – is our love on the line?
I just want to be reconnected

BAND
Maaike Siegerist, voice & guitar
Will Harris, double bass
Josh Clark, drums
Jonathan Conrad Stabler, cello
Signe Marie Håland, backing vocals
Miranda Martini, backing vocals

Disconnected

As heard on BBC Radio 6
With Fabio Salvi on solo guitar

LYRICS
The river is rising
I am wading through
The river is rising
There’s little we can do 
Cornfields, wooden roofs 
disappear beneath the waves 
You better start climbing 
The river is rising

The river is rising
It swirls against the dam 
The concrete is splitting 
Swept up in this plan
I am but a small man
I’m the fool who pays the bill 
The city is thriving
The river is rising

Why the river turns red
No one can explain
But I can see the gorges bleed 
and I feel their pain

New towers are rising 
But they’re not for me 
Across the horizon
I try to start anew
I cut trees and sow seeds 
It’s the only thing I know 
But life is surprising
The land is sliding

Life is surprising
When the river is rising

BAND
Maaike Siegerist, voice & rhythm guitar
Fabio Salvi, solo guitar
Will Harris, double bass
Josh Clark, drums

Available at: http://www.maaikesiegerist.com/

Yangtze River Blues

LYRICS
Where do sparrows go in the winter
Or were they never here at all?
Silhouettes of trees are holding up the sky
No-one to answer my call

Where do my dreams go now they’ve darkened
Did I chase my heart’s echo?
I look up at the waves of distant silent stars
This is the path I chose

I wish I could have gone with him
Where the sun rises
To mend what I broke
But my hands are empty
And he sleeps alone

Where do lovers go in December
Or were we never here at all?
A bright white light touches all the walls
The silence is digital

Songwriting, guitar and vocals: Maaike Siegerist
Production, keyboards and backing vocals: Jonni Slater

Where Do Sparrows Go?

As heard on BBC Radio 6

LYRICS
Keep love in the dark 
Where only I fear it 
Holding it close 
So I can be near it 
Love is in the thought of me 
Searches for the heart of you 
A cat that chases shadows 
That’s all that it will ever do

Thinking of the moment 
Only I noticed 
Holding my attention 
I believed that you meant it 
Love is in the thought of me 
Never at the heart of you 
A cat that chases shadows 
Is all that I can ever do

Keep it in the dark 

Don’t want to go inside right now 
I watch the leaves as twilight falls 
I see a shooting star 
and know that things will change 

Keep it in the dark 

Don’t tell me the truth 
I don’t want to hear it 
So many ways to talk 
But distance makes us distant 
Everything is in the thought of me 
Everything is in the heart of you 
A cat that chases shadows 
Is all that we will ever do 

CREDITS
Maaike Siegerist, guitar, vocals
Catherine Rudie, vocals
Chris Blanden, bass
Susanna Downes, piano

Words and music: 
Maaike Siegerist & Catherine Rudie

Production: 
Maaike Siegerist

Photo: 
Catherine Rudie

Keep It In The Dark

LYRICS
Barefoot on a concrete ledge
Raindrops falling on my hands
See the nightly city from fifteen stories 
above the ground
It’s a long way down

You wanted me to be the best
But I’m failing every test
I am sorry father
I am not your daughter
I can’t make you proud
It’s a long way down

Nothing can erase the shame
There is only one escape
Throw my head back and breathe in
I have to be brave

Young girl in a white nightgown
Strangely twisted on the ground
She is smeared in red stains
Has a smile on her face
She’s found a way out
It’s a long way down 

CREDITS
Words, music, mix, vocals: Maaike Siegerist
Piano: Susanna Downes

Mastered by Josh Clark of Get Real Audio

ABOUT LONG WAY DOWN
"I visited a Chinese friend when she was studying for her Master’s in Business Management at Nankai University, in the rapidly developing Chinese city Tianjin. She gave me a tour of the campus. The buildings were concrete, brutalist structures and an imposing statue honoured Zhou Enlai, the well-loved Prime Minister who served under Mao. However, my friend also pointed out a tall building, from where she said desperate students jumped to take their own lives. Family expectations are high – success is a matter of honour, and in the case of poorer students, whole families may have saved up to pay for their education. Failing is not an option. This made such an impression on me that I wrote Long Way Down."

Long Way Down

LYRICS
They say there’s a fine line 
between brilliance and insanity 
It’s true for the professor
Her wrinkles are deep
Her make-up is a mess

Her house is a museum
Full of books and artefacts
She’s proud to show you around 
Her stories are grand
Her smile is a fake

She’s lonely, she’s living all alone
She’s lonely, but she won’t let anyone come close

A black cat visits
It isn’t hers, it just drops by 
Just like the men in her life 
They came to her
But none stayed

Her computer screen lights up the night
Words dance around as her ideas flow into the keys 
Smoke from her cigarette spirals up and up
She’s made it - she’s successful - but at what price?

She’s lonely, she’s living all alone
She’s lonely, but she won’t let anyone come close

Her students are afraid - their fate is in her hands
In a fit of rage, she could blow their chances
She will have her way with a smile, with a sneer, or a well-placed lie

She’s lonely, she’s living all alone
She’s lonely, but she won’t let anyone come close
They say there’s a fine line between brilliance and insanity

Words & music: Maaike Siegerist
With Will Harris on double bass
Mastered by Josh Clark at Get Real Audio

The Professor

This track appears on Side 2 of Glastonbury Calling: a double album to support music venues. You can download a copy here: https://glastonburycalling.bandcamp.com/album/now-thats-what-i-call-glastonbury-calling-side-2

The clock sound in this song was kindly provided by www.freesound.org/people/klankbeeld/

LYRICS
My hands follow the witness marks on your skin
We all have our scratches from time
I will hold you as you unwind

We are oldest children, not made to bend
Solid and supposedly wise
Like old oak trees, we stand proud
Our movements synchronised

Yours is the most beautiful sound
I can listen without end
And I’ll learn to be a clockmaker

We’re much more than a sum of parts
Spirits inside mortal machines
If you need spares, I’ll give you mine
You remove my splinters and say

Yours is the most beautiful sound
I can listen without end
And we'll both become clockmakers

Clockmaker

Dutch singer-songwriter Maaike Siegerist relocated to the UK to study music after an inspiring songwriting retreat in Dumfries and Galloway in 2013. Now based in Glasgow, she blends acoustic jazz, folk rock, and electronica, writing vivid, story-driven songs about travel, love, fascinating people, animals, and outer space. Her work has picked up multiple songwriting awards and praise from BBC Radio 6’s Tom Robinson for her “delicate vocal, poised production, gorgeous chord changes.”

She’s also the vocalist for Scottish prog rock band Long Earth and releases haunting and otherworldly music as Dora Lachaise.

“Maaike’s voice is butterflies-inducing.”
– Neil March, Trust the Doc

All music is available from: https://maaikesiegerist.bandcamp.com/
EPK: https://maaikesiegerist.com/epk/

Maaike Siegerist

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