Mary Ellen uses her debut to bring attention back to the danger of guns and school shootings in her introspective single, ‘He Got A Gun’.
Originally focused on traditional Irish music, the producer and singer-songwriter Aine O’Flaherty has now changed music scenes and with her rebirth as Mary Ellen, she’s created an avenue of experimentation featuring an R&B eclectic sound.
While Mary Ellen is a newbie identity in this world, the knowledge and maturity displayed in her music shows how this side project is one not afraid to speak about taboo or dark subjects, with the goal of piercing listeners’ consciousness and not letting victims keep suffering alone.
Perhaps it was due to worldwide-scale issues taking over the internation spotlight (namely, a pandemic and its still-occuring aftermath) that some of the main public concerns have been less talked about in the past year. With the drastic change of most citizens staying inside their house more often than not, certain events that raised concern stopped being a priority. However, the veil that was placed on top of these social issues has come off once again, and with IRL classes taking place again, it is of utmost importance that we keep the topic of school shootings and its danger on our mouths.
At the same time as she debuts as a singer-songwriter, Mary Ellen shows where her mind and heart are at by taking this chance to remind everyone of the dangers students are at every second spent inside a school building. By talking in both the perspective of a victim and a perpetrator, she aims to bring a new angle to the conversation, and help highlight how perpetrators, regardless of their “hard past” or motives, are never to be sympathized with after the harm they caused.
The social aftermath of school shootings and the perception of the shooters among “outcasts” is one that deeply concerns Mary Ellen. She stated the following:
“I added the lyrics to the bridge last after reading how idolized school shooters are in certain dark parts of the web. I couldn’t believe how many were given a twisted celebrity [status] after the pain they caused. I also couldn’t believe how lonely and insular their beliefs were.”
Planning two more releases during the last leg of 2021, Mary Ellen has assured she’ll be giving listeners around the world more of her
If you enjoyed Mary Ellen’s music and would like to stay updated, be sure to check out and follow her Instagram, Twitter, and Tiktok accounts. To listen to her music, you can head over to her Spotify profile, Soundcloud, and Youtube channel.
You can also support the artist by streaming and sharing her music, which can be found in the following Playlists: Less Than 1,000 Followers, Fresh Singles, Indie Only, Alterindie State Of Mind, Debut Bands (Off The Radar), and Female Rising Stars.
P.S. If you enjoy discovering new artists and fresh new music you should subscribe to Less Than 1,000 Followers and follow the Playlist with all the artists we’ve talked about!
This coverage was created via Musosoup #Sustainablecurator https://www.musosoup.com/sustainable-curator