“It might be the end of the world but like, it’s fine.”
So goes the voice message that proceeds this Maria Kelly song that gives the Mayo singer-songwriter her returning subject and song title.
Maria’s friend Martha was talking at the beginning of last year, when a virus was emerging from Wuhan, and the flippant panic of the tone is one that we can all recognise the innocence of circa January to February 2020.
‘Martha’ is a song informed by the reflective mood that came after Kelly’s return to Ireland from Berlin.
“I wrote the song just after I returned from Berlin and was taking stock of just how much had changed in my life throughout my early 20s. Here I was, having just had this really formative experience, disillusioned and directionless again. Not only that, but I was no longer the version of myself that had left Ireland – and not quite who I wanted to be yet either – just stuck in this floaty, in-between with a version of myself that I wasn’t quite used to yet”
“The voice note Martha sent me felt like the perfect addition to the song, and it also gave me a chance to laugh at the fact that we have very little control over things we try so hard to control. This past year has felt like one big ‘in-between’ that we’re all trying to muddle our way through, so ‘Martha’ is about dealing with change and all that comes with it; regret, nostalgia, uncertainty, fear – but also acceptance and lightheartedness.”
Maria Kelly spent last year recording her debut album, Produced remotely by Matt Harris and ‘Martha’ is out today via VETA Music.
The song is on the Nialler9 New Irish Music playlist on Spotify.
