'Bath Time' is released on Friday 22nd November via Trapped Animal Records

Enthusiastic Eunuch proudly presents

Maija Sofia 

launching her album 

'Bath Time'

with special guest

Rachael Lavelle

The Sound House

Friday 6^th December

Doors 8pm

Tickets €10 early bird/€12 general.  ‘Bath Time’ preorder bundles available.

Following the success of lo-fi dream pop single ‘Flowers’, Maija Sofia releases her debut album ‘Bath Time’ via Trapped Animal Records & Cargo Records. Sofia took inspiration from story-driven traditional folk ballads and shone them through the lens of a punk DIY ethos. The album name comes from the ritual of daily bathing, a whimsical place where most of the lyrics were written. Tracks on the album shine a light on the voices and stories of women through history, from Edie Sedgwick to Bridget Cleary, and the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church. The album was recorded by Chris Barry at Ailfionn Studio and features performances by Ronan Kealy (Junior Brother) and Niall Murphy (Oh Boland).

Check out ‘Edie Sedgwick’, the unnervingly  beautiful leading track from ‘Bath Time here : https://maijasofia.bandcamp.com/track/edie-sedgwick

‘The Gold Shoes’, opens the album tentatively, it’s an ethereal opening before the melancholic and dark ‘Hail Mary’, which starts soft, but the music grows in power alongside the protagonist, as the harp feeds into it more, building on the haunting sound with the complexity and depth of Thom Yorke. ‘Edie Sedgwick’, named after the muse of Andy Warhol has alt-country elements from lap steel player Niall Murphy (Oh Boland) and cellist Laura McCabe (Molly Sterling). ‘The Wife of Michael Cleary’ is an ode to Bridget Cleary, killed by her husband in 1895. Michael Cleary believed his wife had been abducted by fairies with a changeling left in her place. The male vocal is provided by off kilter alt-folk Junior Brother, with singing in the round building tension.

‘The Glitter’ is disturbingly beautiful, an ode to Jean Rhys, a troubled novelist from the Carribean who came to England aged 16 and dealt with issues of displacement and unbelonging. As is ‘Cobweb’ with Sofia’s rich contralto “I didn’t know I was on my own. I’m only as wise as you.” ‘Morning’ mourns lost relationship and the failure of trying to fix a flawed lover. ‘Elizabeth’ is brighter too, but still poignant. ‘The Trees They Do Grow High’ is sung the point of view of a woman forced into marriage too young, watching her children grow and speaking to them. The album wraps around the listener like a velvet cloak, time is irrelevant, and the pain and segregation of female life has been sharply observed by Sofia.

'Bath Time' is a collection of songs written between Dublin, London and rural Galway, it was recorded slowly over several months by Chris Barry in Ailfionn Studio in Dublin. The guitar and vocals tracks were recorded all in one take and then others we brought in to finish the piece - Niall Murphy from Oh Boland plays lap steel and synths, Christophe Capewell who plays with Lisa O'Neill played fiddle, harp by Meabh McKenna, synths by Clara Tracey, and Cello by Laura McCabe, and some guest vocals by Ronan Kealy (Junior Brother). ‘Bath Time’ will be released on 22nd November 2019 via Trapped Animal Records and Cargo Records.

Praise for Maija Sofia

'An essential new release to get obsessed with' - DIY magazine, 2018

‘A heavenly blend of lo-fi and dream pop. Think Jesus and Mary Chain meets Angel Olsen.’ - Hot Press, 2018

"A real timeless quality is rare in so much of modern music, but the delicate timbre of Maija Sofia's music is impossible to ascribe to particular moment. She doesn't occupy an easily identifiable space - there are few genres which could accurately pinpoint her sound - and the ease with which she weaves grand tales of mythos into short and delicate folk tunes suggests a true finesse. Her subject matter is seldom trivial - abuse, mythological stories, feminism and loss are considered with a confident serenity [...] Fans of Sofia wait with bated breath for the release of her first full-length LP in 2019." - Andrea Cleary, The Irish Times '50 People to Watch in 2019'

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Connect with Maija via Facebook @maijasofiamusic / Instagram @maijasofiamakela / Twitter @maija_sofia

Press contact: jasmine@trappedanimal.com / www.trappedanimal.com

Rachael Lavelle

Hypnotic in her performance, Rachael Lavelle blends elegant piano with innovative electronic sound design, strange and somewhat humorous lyrics with her arresting voice. Following the release of her debut EP Superman in 2015, she has supported or performed with Saint Sister, Jacob Collier, Jack Lukeman, Moxie, Booka Brass Band, Téada Orchestra and Glasshouse Ensemble.

In 2016 she received an M.Phil in Music and Media Technologies from Trinity College Dublin where she studied composition with Dr. Linda Buckley.  As a composer, Rachael has had works performed by RTÉ ConTempo Quartet, Téada Orchestra, Glasshouse Ensemble and Tonnta Vocal Ensemble. She is an active member of the Irish Composers’ Collective, Dulciana Choir for Upper Voices and Glasshouse Ensemble.