Description
Label Review.
2019 album. Folk.
Our Overview.
Singer and songwriter Maz O’Connor has been described by The Guardian as ‘one of folk’s brightest young talents’. Now based in London, her Irish roots strongly influence her lyrical story-songs, and her pure, clear singing style. Known for her captivating stage presence and her stunning voice, Maz is releasing her new album ‘Chosen Daughter’ to be released in 2019; a collection of darker story songs by an artist just hitting her stride.
After releasing three albums, being nominated for the BBC Radio 2 Folk Award Horizon Award twice, and performing at major festivals including The Cambridge Folk Festival, WOMAD and Glastonbury; Maz has spent three years writing and recording her latest album, ‘Chosen Daughter’, which explores the stories of her foremothers, and will be released in the Autumn of 2019.
Though Maz grew up in the wild Lake District of the Romantic Poets, her grandparents hailed from Ireland, and these roots shine through her music. She spent her teenage years singing in folk clubs, studied literature at Cambridge and has since settled in East London: these diverse influences work together to make Maz’s songwriting something unique.
After the release of her acclaimed album ‘The Longing Kind’ in 2016, Maz has been writing and collaborating extensively, as well as touring the U.K. and Europe, opening for such acts as David Gray, Thomas Dybdahl and Rosanne Cash. She’s been commissioned to write songs for UK Parliament and The Royal Shakespeare Company, and is now working on her own piece of music theatre.
After an intense period of writing throughout 2017 and early 2018, Maz released an EP of cover songs in July entitled 'The Undercover EP', which is a collection of some of her favourite songs by other artists, from Bob Dylan to Louis Armstrong, via Greenday. She toured in support of the EP in June 2018 including appearances at Henley Festival and How the Light Gets In, and a packed show at London's The Islington.
“Maz O’Connor’s ace, apart from her remarkable songwriting talent, is her captivating voice” - Q Magazine (4*
)“There is an inquiring intelligence as well as an emotional sensibility at work here. . . she plays and sings beautifully” - Songlines (5*)
“The perfect mix of youthfulness and gravitas - ****” (The Guardian)