It’s one of the most hotly anticipated Irish releases of 2021 and it’s out on Friday 8th October 2021.
We’re talking, of course, about electronic artist and producer Elaine Mai, who has been teasing her debut album ‘Home’ since the very start of this year when she released ‘No Forever (feat. MayKay)’ – a song that went on to become one of the stand out singles of 2021, reaching number 2 in the Irish Radio Breakers Chart and gaining over 3,250 plays on Irish radio alone this year.
Two further singles followed, ‘Still Feel (feat. Ailbhe Reddy)’ and ‘Go Slow (feat. Sinéad White)’, cementing Elaine Mai’s reputation as a seminal Irish artist for 2021.
On Friday 8th October, along with the release of her album, Elaine’s next single, ‘Waiting To Breathe’ will be released. The song features the haunting, distinctive voice of another of Ireland’s great vocalists, Loah, on a track that builds and rings out to herald the arrival of ‘Home’.
The 9-track album will be available as a digital download and on all streaming platforms. Elaine has already showcased with her singles that she can bring the best and brightest women together to produce tracks that have the power to evoke the strongest emotions, and her album will also allow fans to hear just how diverse and innovative a producer she is, as tracks like ‘3am’, ‘Mother’ and ‘Together Again’ punch through as absolute club bangers that arrive just in time, as the country prepares to open its doors post-pandemic.
Elaine Mai says: “All of the tracks on ‘Home’ relate to the theme of belonging. For me, the experience of feeling like you belong somewhere or with someone can happen in so many different ways. You might feel it in your favorite club, or in the company of friends, and every track tells a story about experiencing that feeling. I’m really proud of this piece of work and collaborating with so many brilliant Irish female artists has been an absolute pleasure. I’m really excited for people to hear it and experience it live.”
Indeed, Elaine is an artist whose music is made to be heard live. Emerging from lockdown in September 2021, she played the Mother Summer Block Party at Collins Barracks in Dublin where she was joined on stage by MayKay and Ailbhe Reddy to perform songs from this album and her back catalogue. The crowd’s response was breathtaking. Elaine’s live performance is so outstanding, it’s no wonder that her remix of Chris Isaack’s ‘Wicked Game’ was voted ‘Tune of Electric Picnic 2017’ by The Irish Times.
Though you’ll find traces of artists like Robyn and Shura underneath the surface, an Elaine Mai track stands tall on its own as propulsive rhythms, stirring synth lines, and scene-stealing guest contributors combine to jolt heart and soul. Hope and melancholy steal a march as dance partners on a collision course in line with Elaine’s graceful, adventurous, and soul-baring arrangements.
Since 2014, Elaine has amassed over 3.5 million streams on Spotify, breaking 100,000 listeners on the platform in 2019. 2021 single ‘No Forever’ garnered widespread acclaim and achieved 12 million impressions across Irish radio, hitting #2 in the Irish Radio Breakers chart and peaking at #6 in the Viral 50 Ireland Spotify chart.
The music of Elaine Mai is rich with lived-in experience. ‘Home’ represents a patiently beautiful, immediately rewarding celebration of an artist that has poured their life into an endlessly compelling craft.
On Friday 29th October, Elaine Mai will celebrate the launch of ‘Home’ with a live show at The Workmans Club, Dublin with special guests. Tickets are €12 incl. booking fee available here.
