Mayo Indie singer to release new single

Popular Mayo Indie singer Maria Kelly is set to release her new single ‘Slump’ this Thursday, September 5. 

The Westport artist will release the new tune on Veta Records ahead of her performance as an Ireland Music Week showcasing artist at The Workman’s Cellar on Thursday, October 3. 

The new single, ‘Slump’, is a soft acoustic song that acknowledges the difficulties of finding yourself stuck in a rut through a self-deprecating lens. 

“I feel the weight of every word I say- It’s heavy,” commented Ms Kelly.

The artist said the track ‘felt like the right place to begin when thinking about how to roll out this next project’. 

“It captures a starting point—finding myself, once again, at the beginning of a mountain to climb, with no real will to climb it. It began on guitar, but once Matt and I got to the studio, it felt like the lyrics required more humour in the sound. It landed in this funny twee universe that I think pokes fun at that self-deprecating space we can all find ourselves in,” he explained.

‘Slump’ was produced by her creative collaborator Matt Harris (HAVVK, Birthday Problem) and mixed/mastered by Rocky O'Reilly (Start Together, Oppenheimer). 

The single follows the release of ‘Drive’ in May, which was featured in the international trailer for the film ‘Ezra’, starring Bobby Cannavale, Rose Byrne, Whoopi Goldberg, and Robert De Niro. 

‘Drive’ was also included on the RTÉ Radio 1 Recommends List and received praise from the likes of Nialler9, The Thin Air, Chordblossom, GoldenPlec, Hot Press, The Last Mixed Tape, and more. 

This summer has been a whirlwind for the Mayo artist having played live on RTÉ Radio 1 and Galway Bay FM, in addition to performances at the Whelan’s ‘We’ve Only Just Begun Festival’, the Galway International Arts Festival with Ezra Williams, her sold-out ‘Night of New Things’ at Bello Bar, and as the opener for Tom Odell at Live at the Marquee in Cork.

Ms Kelly released her debut album ‘The Sum of the In-Between’ back in 2021, and has been writing and releasing ‘songs for sensitivities’ since.

 Detailing the intricacies of her own mental health journey, the record quickly found its home, amassing millions of Spotify streams, leading to performances alongside Kodaline, Orla Gartland, and James Vincent McMorrow, and sound tracking RTÉ's trailer for the TV adaption of Sally Rooney’s ‘Conversations With Friends’.

In 2023, the Westport woman focused her efforts on growing a grassroots community while she finished her next offering. 

Craving more authentic artist-listener connection, she embarked on a DIY 'Living Room Tour', playing rooms of 40–50 strangers, huddled around the fire, sharing stories, songs, and vulnerabilities. So far, these dates have spanned Ireland, the UK, and the Netherlands.

For more information on Maria Kelly and her new releases, see her website.