Maria Kelly tackles mental health head-on with her brooding new single
Small Talk is an incredibly honest and vulnerable song that channels the dark, brooding musicality of the likes of Daughter effortlessly. It was written during a storm black out in Maria Kelly’s hometown. The song parallels the nature of a storm with feelings of social anxiety. Maria elaborates “I found it so difficult to make eye contact with anyone and I was painfully aware of myself. Halfway through the writing process, I decided to reach out to my Instagram following for inspiration. The amount of messages I received was overwhelming. It made me realise how effective it can be to actually ask about people’s experiences of these issues.”
Alternatively, Dark Places is a very literal look at depression, of not really recognising yourself, distancing yourself from others and convincing yourself that they don’t really care. “Although its lyrical content is quite dismal, writing Dark Places was incredibly therapeutic for me,” explains Maria. “ I think it was important for me to really look at that side of myself and to not shy away from it. By beginning to acknowledge and talk about it, it became a tangible thing that I could attempt to deal with, rather than an overwhelming feeling trapped in my head.”
Growing up in Mayo, Ireland, Maria spent many years developing her sound into a delicate blend of atmospheric-alt-folk. Maria has already played numerous shows in both the UK and Ireland supporting the likes of James Vincent McMorrow, KT Tunstall and Paul Noonan, as well as playing at last year’s Great Escape Festival, Electric Picnic, Ireland’s acclaimed Other Voices Festival and most recently the Imagining Ireland shows in the National Concert Hall and the Barbican. Maria has previously received praise from various online publications including Consequence of Sound, The 405, Wonderland, Mahogany, The Line of Best Fit and Radio X.
Dark Places / Small Talk is out on 27th April 2018 via Veta Records.
Read a special interview regarding the release between Maria and our own Gavin Brown- https://circuitsweet.co.uk/2018/03/gavin-brown-takes-on-maria-kelly-interview-special/
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