Track of the Day: Maria Kelly - 'good enough'

Irish singer-songwriter Maria Kelly has shared 'good enough', the next single from her highly anticipated debut album - due for release later this year.

The follow-up to 2021's 'eight hours' and 'Martha' sees Kelly continuing the open, courageous lyrical style that has earned her fans the world over.

‘good enough’ is a song that shows Maria at her most vulnerable - yet with a spark that she has identified as a ‘turning point’ that she experienced during her therapy sessions.

“I’ve been going to therapy on and off for years, and ‘good enough’ is a track that came from a lot of learning,” Maria opens up. “For me, the song is a turning point - a moment of looking at the painful parts of my life and giving myself permission to feel them – not ignore, or escape, or distract, but to really feel them.

“The main emotion is anger; anger for what was handed to me, frustration for the way that I’m wired – but there’s an undercurrent of understanding too. If I now know where these things came from, and how much they truly weigh, it’s up to me whether or not I want to continue to carry them with me for the rest of my life.”

Though introspective, Maria’s new record is inherently one that is designed to provoke not just thought and emotion - but also action. Her underlying message to the listener that ‘you deserve the right help and you deserve support’ comes through her music like a good friend who wants you to be well - but knows that gentle encouragement is the best method of persuasion.

Kelly’s world of delicately woven alt-folk is laced with a sincerity that cuts to the bone. Finding comfort in the confessional styles of 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.

The rising act is signed to VETA Music along with friends such as HAVVK, Sive, St. Bishop and DYVR. A number of critically acclaimed releases have been accompanied by shows across Europe playing with and supporting the likes of Villagers, James Vincent McMorrow, KT Tunstall, and Paul Noonan (Bell X1) and All The Luck In The World. Maria's heart-wrenching live performances and fascinating vocals earned her acclaim, boosting radio play and high streaming numbers.

With the world at a standstill, 2020 saw Maria retreating to a small cottage on the south coast of Ireland. During this quiet in-between, Maria has found space to write and record her eagerly anticipated debut album – a blank canvas and an open sea with which to take stock and reflect on her 20s so far.

Revisit Kelly's Hot Press Lockdown Sessions' Y&E Series performance here.

Listen to the beautiful 'good enough' below: