Introducing Interview: Elaine Mai

Following the success of her last EP in 2014, Irish artist Elaine Mai is back with a brand new release.

Having built a reputation for creating atmospheric electronic soundscapes, The Colour Of The Night is filled with deeply personal offerings twinkling with soaring melodies and an emotion-strewn power.

With the new EP out now, we caught up with Elaine to find out more…

Hi Elaine, welcome to Gigslutz! Can you can you introduce yourself to our readers?
Hello! My name is Elaine Mai. I’m an electronic producer/musician/song-writer from Ireland.

What would you say it is that makes you stand out from other artists?
I try not to compare myself to other musicians. My main focus is always on making music and making music that I enjoy and love, which is why I’m so glad I took my time with this EP. I really feel as though I can stand over it now as I think it’s my best work to date.

Your new EP The Colour Of The Night is out now, what is it all about? Are there any ongoing themes running throughout it?
Hope and grief are the main two themes running through this work and each song on the EP is quite individual and has its own a meaning and purpose. This EP is also a snapshot of the last few years for me. ‘Enniscrone’ is dedicated to my cousin, who passed away in 2014 and it’s a celebration of all the amazing times we had as kids in the Sligo seaside town it’s named after. The Colour Of The Night is about grief in its many forms, and the melody and movement in the strings are a musical representation of the journey from sorrow and despair to acceptance and hope.

Your sound is quite experimental and beautifully unique, but who would you say are your main inspirations?
That’s hard to say. I try not to limit myself when listening to music, I’ll try most genres and sounds. The music that I’ve listened to most consistently over the years would be from the likes of Bjork, LCD Soundsystem, Jamie XX, Moby. And I’m also a huge fan of ’90s dance music – I’m sure there are some influences to be heard in my music from there!

Being based in Ireland, how do you find the music scene there?
It’s fantastic! Not only is there a wonderful sense of community here, but I genuinely think some of the best acts out there at the moment are operating in Ireland and that’s really inspring and motivating.

And if you could perform anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
Glastonbury, it’s been on my list for years and it would be a dream come true to play there.

What can listeners expect from your live performances?
I use midi controllers and Ableton push to play and loop live which is so much fun, especially now when I’m playing these new songs. Expect to see me having fun!

As we’re a new music-focussed site, are there any other new/upcoming artists you’d recommend we check out?
I’d highly recommend you check out:
Talos – an Irish band making serious waves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3ZQHVvxXTs
The Blaze – making one of the best music videos I’ve seen in years: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54fea7wuV6s
Hare Squead – another Irish act nailing it at the moment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXVJTRXgCCg

Finally following the release of the EP, what else does 2017 have in store for you?
Hopefully a tour, some new remixes and another project that I’m really excited about later in the Summer.

Huge thanks to Elaine Mai for answering our questions!

The Colour Of The Night, the new EP from Elaine Mai, is out now.