Friday, 4th June 2021, saw electronic artist and producer Elaine Mai release her single ‘Still Feel (feat. Ailbhe Reddy)’ – the second to be taken from her debut album, which is due for release later in 2021.
The release of ‘Still Feel’ sees Elaine draw once again from the pool of incredible vocalists we have in Ireland and build on the momentum of ‘No Forever (feat. MayKay)’; a single that took Irish radio by storm, reaching no. 2 in the Irish radio breakers chart, no 31 in the overall radio chart and currently standing on over 11 million radio impacts, having been played 2,500 times on Irish radio since January this year.
Themes of belonging and self-acceptance on ‘Still Feel’ are perfectly complemented by the lyrics and haunting vocals of Ailbhe Reddy, whose own debut album, ‘Personal History’ was released to widespread critical acclaim in 2020, earning her a spot on the Choice Music Prize shortlist along the way. An artist who finds strength in sensitivity and embraces the full power of a moment, Ailbhe has a talent for crafting intensely moving alt-folk tunes.
Elaine Mai says: “Belonging and self-acceptance are the two main themes of this track for me. It’s introspective and hopeful and Ailbhe’s gorgeous vocal adds another layer and narrative to the song. Ailbhe is an artist I really admire and we became closer while playing with Daithí in recent years. Her vocal on his track ‘Submarines’ is the one that hooked me and made me want to work with her one day. I’m so happy that we made it happen and we’re able to share ‘Still Feel’.”
A further expansion of Elaine Mai’s skills as a producer, ‘Still Feel’ manages to blend Reddy’s soft, emotional vocal delivery with the familiar beats and signature sound of Elaine Mai, to give us a track that is both reflective and dance-worthy.
Ailbhe Reddy says: “Elaine and I got to work on a bunch of shows together with Daithí during the summer of 2019 and we kept saying that we should work together on something. Last year she sent me a selection of tracks she was working on for her upcoming album and this one stood out to me immediately. It took me ages to come up with lyrics for it because it was so beautiful on its own with no vocals, so I wanted to make sure anything I did improved on what was already a gorgeous tune. There were some lyrics I had about lying around on a really hot day in my apartment listening to music a friend of mine had sent me and feeling nostalgic about the wild summers we had in our early 20s. The choruses are all about how some songs can pull you back to a time and place as if you never left.”
As we get closer to discovering what her debut album might sound like, Elaine says: “All of the songs from my upcoming album relate to a central theme of home and belonging. This can be interpreted in many different ways, from feeling uplifting and reassuring, to more sad and mournful. I love writing music that can make you feel different things at the same time.”
