Rising Galway star’s songs from the head and the heart
Groove Tube with Cian O’Connell
Galway singer-songwriter Maija Sofia released her debut album in November of last year – and almost immediately Bath Time earned unanimous praise in Ireland and the UK, culminating in an RTÉ Choice Music Prize nomination for Album of the Year.
All of that has propelled Maija to the forefront of the country’s singer-songwriter scene and her reputation only seems to grow.
On February 28 and 29, Maija plays the Other Voices Ballina Music Trail alongside a diverse line-up of fellow performers including Alex Gough, God Knows and Anna Mullarkey.
It will be the third time she has taken to the stage at an Other Voices event and it is easy to see why. Because Maija’s music is a nuanced blend of indignant punk and delicate folk – it is best observed by an attentive audience in an intimate venue.
Given the intricacy of her debut LP, Maija’s success hasn’t been a shock to many but herself.
“It’s been a pleasant surprise,” she admits. “I just made it without much expectation. It’s my first album and I was a kind of DIY, underground artist but I’ve just been pleasantly surprised by it taking off and more people have been listening to it and liking it than I expected.
“Some of the songs are from a few years ago and some of them were written very shortly before I started recording so it’s a bit of a mix. I guess the second album will be harder because I won’t have had all that time to work with the songs.”
Much of Bath Time details the struggles of marginalised women in art and history. It is a complex, sensitive topic but Maija approaches it with honesty and emotion.
As a narrative piece, the album is enthralling from start to finish. Each story is given its own space and its own style.
“I’m interested in stories that have been forgotten,” Maija notes. “I guess it’s important for me to have that unique voice and to have a sense of character in all of the songs. I don’t really [write about other people] intentionally.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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