MAY-A Drops Lead Single, ‘Claws’ Off Her Debut Album, ‘Goodbye (If You Call That Gone)

Australian alt-pop firecracker MAY-A is officially stepping into a whole new chapter and she’s making sure everyone feels the impact. After two years of bouncing between Sydney and LA, experimenting with new sounds, working with top-tier collaborators, and basically levelling up her artistry, she’s finally ready to share the outcome: her long-awaited debut album, Goodbye (If You Call That Gone), dropping February 13, 2026.

Today, MAY-A digs her Claws in literally with the release of her biting new single “Claws”, complete with an equally sharp music video. The track arrives hot on the heels of last month’s guitar-heavy queer anthem “(I’m here for the) GIRLS” and the September release of “[REDACTED]”, all teasing the record she’s been quietly building.

Talking about “Claws,” MAY-A doesn’t hold back: “This song is about being underestimated and under-appreciated… feeling betrayed… getting your bite back after feeling wronged.” If you’ve ever needed a revenge song that doubles as a power-up, this one is it.

But the real story here is the album. Across her entire career, MAY-A has been the girl refusing to stay in one lane, flipping between pop, rock, indie and alt, and making it all feel effortlessly cohesive. Goodbye (If You Call That Gone) pushes that even further. The project is packed with heavy-hitting collaborators, including Carlos De La Garza (Paramore), Chris Greatti (Yungblud, Willow), and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Ilan Rubin (Foo Fighters, Nine Inch Nails).

And emotionally? She’s not sugarcoating a thing. The album, she says, mirrors the full, complicated mess of healing, “loss, betrayal, anger, resentment, and… the quiet triumph of moving through what once felt impossible.” It’s about the parts of change people don’t want to talk about, the uncomfortable bits you have to claw your way through before the light finally feels real again.

Writing it wasn’t easy, she admits. There were moments where quitting seemed simpler. But she needed the release, the honesty, the catharsis.
“This record is about finding your way back from someone who once made you feel small.”

If you’ve been following her year, you know she’s been everywhere, opening for Glass Animals on their 2024 Australian tour, performing at Yours & Owls in March, and even being personally invited by Cyndi Lauper to sing Girls Just Want to Have Fun on stage at her sold-out Sydney show. No big deal. Casual. Iconic.

And she’s not slowing down. MAY-A and her band, Chloe Dadd and G on the drums are bringing the new era to the stage, with performances at Rolling Sets in Tweed Heads on November 29 and the Central Coast on December 6. She’s already toured with Wallows, 5 Seconds of Summer, Nessa Barrett, and sold out her first UK headline show at London’s Camden Assembly… so expect the crowds to show up loud.

MAY-A has always been a boundary-pusher, DORK called her “a fresh and exciting alt-pop star on the rise,” NME says she’s “pushing the limits of guitar-pop,” and Harper’s BAZAAR praises her for expanding mindsets. Now, with her debut album finally landing, she’s attempting to completely rewrite the rules.

Listen to MAY-A’s new single, Claws

Presave the album, Goodbye (If you call that Gone)

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Photography by Ruby Boland

Written by Angel Joanne Okonkwo