Choice Music Prize-nominated artist and producer Elaine Mai joins forces with Soda Blonde’s Faye O’Rourke in Aim, a single with a powerful narrative on generational trauma and its lingering effects. A dynamic and empowering dance track taken from Mai’s forthcoming album For Us, the song’s transformational energy leaves a lasting impact and gives us a glimpse into her second LP.
Mai will play a headline show in the Button Factory on 25th October, with tickets on sale now from Eventbrite, HERE.
Mai has captivated audiences with her dynamic blend of electronic artistry and production since 2012, garnering over 5.6 million streams on Spotify. Her career is punctuated by notable collaborations and remixes, having worked as a producer with artists such as Pillow Queens, Daithí, Loah, and MuRli. Her remix of Loah’s Nothing reached number one in the Irish Radio Airplay Charts for independent songs and amassed over 1.1m streams on Spotify, highlighting her prowess in reimagining and elevating existing tracks.
The track features vocals from fellow Choice Music Prize nominee Faye O’Rourke of Soda Blonde, whose 2023 sophomore album Dream Big ranked No.1 in the Irish Independent’s Best Irish Albums of 2023. An unflinching commentary on cycles of pain and healing, Mai and O’Rourke candidly explore vulnerability, the weight of inherited wounds and confronting complex emotions in Aim.
On the creative synergy developed between them during the collaboration, Mai says: “Working with Faye on this was class. Her voice carries so much weight, and she elevated the song in a way that feels both raw and effortless.”
O’Rourke shares how elements of the single came together quite organically, noting how the mechanics of the dance genre help to reflect the song’s core theme: “When Elaine sent me the track, the melody and lyrics came instantly. I don’t typically write dance music, but something about the way that beautiful theme unfolded, evolving and expanding, pulled something subconscious to the surface. Without overthinking it—or thinking at all, really—I found myself singing about generational trauma—how it lingers, how it’s passed down. The way dance music builds and transforms, with themes repeating and shifting in new ways, felt like a perfect parallel to that idea. So much of what we do is instinctive, and Elaine has this incredible ability to evoke emotion, unlocking feelings that might have otherwise stayed buried”
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