“…Kelly’s art is an immersive experience, imbued with honesty and enthused with youthful exuberance. We love it.”– Wonderland
“…a glorious concoction full of ear-pleasing tones and immense emotion….”
– The Line Of Best Fit
“…silky smooth vocals that spin widely relatable tales.” – Consequence of Sound
Following the release of her stunning debut EP, The Things I Should, Irish artist Maria Kelly returns with another poignant yet profound new single, Hollow, out now via Veta Records. It is available to stream on Spotify now.
The single premiered on Earmilk and is also available to stream via Maria’s Soundcloud page.
The single deals with the disappointment that comes with never quite getting through to someone. Maria explains “It came about when I had to be brutally honest with myself about the state of a relationship. It’s so easy to trick yourself into thinking that everything is fine, but this song represents that moment you snap, get angry and want to confront the problem.” Hollow opens with Kelly’s signature delicate vocal, entwined with a subtle whisper track, creating a powerful sense of secrecy and sorrow. Combined with Kelly’s intricate guitar plucking, earnest songwriting abilities and a captivating string arrangement, Hollow is once again a prime example of Kelly’s unique ability to create beautifully melancholic indie-folk.
This release is the first of Maria’s that she has arranged herself; “I never had the confidence before, as I had convinced myself that I just wasn’t very good at arrangement. But after giving myself the chance, being patient and with the incredible strings and electric coming from Matt Harris (HAWK), I’m really proud of how this track turned out and I hope others like it as much as I do.”
Growing up in Mayo, Ireland, Maria spent many years developing her sound into a delicate blend of atmospheric-alt-folk. First taking influence from the story-telling elements of Irish-trad, as well as artists like Regina Spektor and Lisa Hannigan, her music aims to share deeply personal, humanising and heartbreaking experiences. Maria has already played numerous shows in both the UK and Ireland supporting the likes of James Vincent McMorrow, KT Tunstall and Billie Marten, as well as playing at this year’s Great Escape Festival and Electric Picnic. 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.
Maria Kelly recently won the honour of playing at Ireland’s acclaimed Other Voices music festival in Dingle. You can also catch Maria live at the following dates, with tickets available here:
16th November – Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge
17th November – Róisín Dubh, Galway
19th November – Servant Jazz Quarters, London
20th November – Sofar Sounds, London
23th November – Spirit Store, Dundalk
24th November – Upstairs Dolans, Limerick
25th November – Connollys of Leap, Cork
26th November – Debarras Folk Club, Clonakilty
2nd December – Other Voices – Dingle, Kerry
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