Imelda May

Imelda May is an Irish musician and singer-songwriter from Dublin, Ireland. Born in 1974 and raised in The Liberties area of Dublin, she begins performing at sixteen with local bands and musicians before forming her own band in 2002.

Early work and band releases

May’s early recordings include No Turning Back, released in 2003 as her debut studio album. She later relocates to London with her husband and guitarist Darrel Higham after that release. Her work with Blue Harlem includes No Turning Back, followed by Swing Street and Talk to Me.

Solo career

Her first solo release is Love Tattoo, issued in 2009 after an appearance on Later... with Jools Holland. The album Mayhem follows in 2010 and earns a nomination for the Choice Music Prize. At the Meteor Awards in 2009, she wins Best Female Artist of the Year.

Style and musicianship

May works across blues, jazz, rock and rockabilly, and is closely associated with rockabilly revival and neo-rockabilly. She is known mainly as a vocalist, but also plays the bodhrán, guitar and tambourine. Her singing is linked with comparisons to jazz singers such as Billie Holiday, and she also performs her own material and covers. Her musical background includes exposure to Irish traditional music and Elvis Presley, and she falls in love with rockabilly at the age of nine.

Collaborations and performance

She shares the stage with a wide range of artists, including Alison Moyet, Dionne Warwick, Bryan Ferry, Anastacia, The Supremes, Sister Sledge, Scissor Sisters, Matt Bianco, Elvis Costello, Jools Holland, Elton John and Jeff Beck.

Labels

Her recordings appear on Ambassador Records.