Irish Women in Harmony for Safe Ireland: Elaine Mai

Culture
23 Jun 20

Elaine Mai talks Dolores O'Riordans legacy and the enthusiasm behind Irish Women in Harmony's cover of 'Dreams'.

Elaine Mai began her journey as a performer in 2011, but she's no stranger to collaboration. In fact, she has remixed tracks from two of the other musicians on the Irish Women in Harmony 'Dreams' cover (Loah's 'Nothing', and Pillow Queens' 'Gay Girls'). She moves effortlessly between sparse production and rich, layered electronica.

Somewhat surprisingly – given her electronic sensibilities – Mai started playing guitar as a teen. "Ever since I started playing, I’ve always looked up to Dolores," she recalls. "She was so talented and effortlessly cool while always being herself. Her songs were the soundtrack to me growing up and she forged a path for Irish women in music. I think so many of us have been shaped by her influence. Seeing her global success made it feel possible.

The marked success of the 'Dreams' cover – it's already received over one million views on YouTube – is directly down to the hard work and efforts of the women behind the single. "RuthAnne’s enthusiasm was infectious, so I knew right from the start that this was going to be something special," says Mai. "The Irish music industry is largely male-dominated, and often women in music here can be sidelined, or do not receive the same coverage and recognition as their male counterparts. So, it felt right for us to come together to create something, and use that energy to raise awareness and funds for Safe Ireland.

"For women and children experiencing domestic violence, home is often the least safe place for them to be. The COVID-19 pandemic has left this at-risk group in an even more vulnerable position and funding has been impacted. It’s more important than ever to support charities like Safe Ireland so they can continue to protect
women and children in crisis.

What is the one message she hopes people will take away from this project?

"That individuals do have the power to drive change and make a difference. Listen to and support female artists, request them on the radio, buy their music and merch. And if you don’t have any female artists on your playlists, change that today."