2014–2019: Formation and early years Prior to the formation of the band, Harry Wilkinson and Matt Buonaccorsi were childhood friends and both attended
The Manchester College. Together with guitarist Liam Laurence and a drummer, the group formed Maruja in 2014. The band's name was inspired by a store sign that Wilkinson saw during a family holiday in
Spain. The band released their self-titled debut EP in 2016. It was followed by the
Explicit Trickery EP in 2017. Between 2017 and 2018, saxophonist Joe Carroll joined the band and the original drummer was replaced by Jacob Hayes. On 17 March 2023, the band released
Knocknarea, their fourth EP and first under the new line-up. Three of the EP's tracks—"Blind Spot", "The Tinker" and "Thunder"—were released as singles prior to its release.
2024–present: ''Connla's Well, The Vault'' and label signing Maruja announced their fifth EP ''Connla's Well
on 25 March 2024, which was released on 26 April 2024. Our Culture Mag'' ranked the EP number 4 on its year-end list of the 25 best EPs of 2024. On 30 August 2024, the band released
The Vault exclusively to
YouTube and
Bandcamp, comprising a collection of six
jam sessions recorded between 2021 and 2023. In late 2024, the band signed to
Music for Nations. Their first single under the label, "Break the Tension", was released on 3 October 2024. On 9 May 2025, the band announced their debut album,
Pain to Power, which was released on 12 September of that year by Music for Nations. == Musical style and influences ==