A rare blend of eloquent lyrical craft and explorative, experimental musicianship, the musical world of Maija Sofia spans delicate folk, lustrous experimental pop and a deep devotion to mystery.

Born in Galway, Ireland, Maija’s childhood was spent in various places around the wildest, rural most remote parts of the county. As a teenager, she began experimenting with words and sound recording in her bedroom, moved by curiosity and the possibilities of creating new sound spaces to dwell in. Later, these experiments began to take the shape of quietly unusual songs, detangling the weirdness, joy and bewilderment of existing. Her music alchemises both the intimate and the overwhelming into strikingly unique stories, taking influence from antiquity, films, books and curious historical oddities to write at a slant about her own lived experience.

Movement is key to Maija’s process, and many songs have been written while on the road or while occupying temporary spaces. Living nomadically between various places - from the west coast of Ireland to the hot dusty streets of Athens, Greece - and writing mostly at night, Maija’s lyrics channel nocturnal moments of late-night revelation, like a story shared through whispers over dying candlelight.

In 2019 her critically acclaimed debut LP, Bath Time, arrived via Trapped Animal Records. Recorded in Dublin with close friend and collaborator Chris Barry, the album explored the shadowed histories of sidelined women throughout history and mythology, and took on an unexpected life of its own; garnering international praise, a dedicated cult following and a nomination for the RTÉ Choice Music Prize. She followed it up in 2022 with a single ‘O Theremin’ about being haunted by the man who invented both the first mass-produced electronic instrument and the first audio surveillance device. Now performing and collaborating with a full band, her songs grow more expansive, evolving and experimenting constantly. She is a recipient of the Arts Council’s Next Generation Award, has had her music performed by the RTE Concert Orchestra and has been commissioned to write new music by the National Concert Hall, Sirius Arts Centre, Solas Nua, Dublin Digital Radio and Cork Midsummer Festival. As well as songs, she writes poetry which has been published by The Stinging Fly, Banshee and elsewhere. Her second album will be released in 2023.