Maria Kelly

Songs for sensitivities.

Maria Kelly’s world of delicately woven alt-folk is laced with a sincerity that cuts to the bone.

Growing up in the West of Ireland, Maria made a point of writing everything down from a young age; a good day, a bad dream, a conversation to remember, in a bid to understand the world and those within it. Finding comfort in artists like Regina Spektor, Daughter, and Lucy Rose, she soon transferred her own introspections to music, developing a sound that is as delicate as it is disarmingly frank.

In 2020, Maria retreated to a small cottage on the south coast to write her eagerly anticipated debut album ‘The Sum of the In-between’ (2021, Veta Records). The record details Maria’s own mental health journey, but is ultimately one of acceptance and finding the strength to meet yourself where you are, wherever you are. This clearly struck a chord, and the album quickly grew an almost cult-like listenership across the globe.

‘TSOTI’ garnered support from BBC6, BBC Ulster, and RTÉ, hitting ten million radio impacts within its first few weeks. It continued to rally support from the likes of Notion, Clash, and Totally Dublin along the way. It now sits at more than five million streams worldwide, with one track, ‘someone else’ soundtracking the trailer for ‘Conversations With Friends’.

In 2022, Maria created somewhat of an album spin-off - an EP entitled 'Postcards In-between' featuring guest artists Paul Noonan, Ciaran Lavery, Sammy Copley, Sive, and James Vincent McMorrow each reimagining a song from 'TSOTI' universe. Maria ended the era with a sold-out Irish & UK tour, an immersive album-exhibition, and performances alongside Kodaline, Orla Gartland, and Ailbhe Reddy.

Maria is currently finishing her sophomore record, and continuing to play live, mostly in living rooms - but more on that later.

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LIVE

KT Tunstall, James Vincent McMorrow, Villagers, Paul Noonan (Bell X1), Billie Marten, Alice Phoebe Lou, All The Luck In The World, Other Voices, All Together Now, Another Love Story, Sounds From A Safe Harbour, Quiet Lights, Fall Right Into Place

SPOTIFY

The Most Beautiful Songs In The World, Duvet Day, Lost In The Woods, Gentle, Lyric Therapy, Your Coffee Break, Easy, Winter Acoustic

PRESS

"Kelly confidently makes the listener her confidante."
- Clash

"..so-soft-they-could-melt vocals."
- Notion

"...she is able to conjure a swell of overwhelming feeling with little more than just her voice and the resonant constant of an accompanying guitar."
- The Line Of Best Fit

"..open-ended questions about the shapeshifting nature of frailty and ways of making it through"
- The Irish Times