Limerick-born, New-Jersey based roots artist Helen O’Shea has released new single ‘If U Ever’, featuring acclaimed solo-artist James Maddock.
‘If U Ever’, a rendition of the song by the late Sinéad O’Connor, follows six previous single releases from upcoming album Songs in the Key Of O (releasing May 1st). The album spans stunning tribute renditions to heartfelt originals penned by O’Shea with two-time GRAMMY award-winning producer Marc Swersky, including ‘Lost’ - an emotional rendition of the Cranberries’ track, in honour of Dolores O’Riordan - and RTÉ Recommends List added original single ‘Caged Birds’ (feat. Liam Ó’Maonlaí).
Announcing the album last July with a special Jersey-girls cover of Sinéad O’Connor’s ‘Dense Water Deep Down’, O’Shea has since earned strong international support for the forthcoming album from Hot Press, Front View Magazine, Vents Magazine, RTÉ Radio 1, Amazing Radio and more.
Songs in the Key of O features a talented list of collaborators, including Nathan Bishop, Nicole Scorsone, Brielle Brown, Michelle Moore (Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - E Street Choir), Fiona Tyndall, Lauren O'Shea, Liam O’Maonlaí (Hothouse Flowers), James Maddock, The Carlile Family Band and more, with the LP engineered by Jack Daley (Spin Doctors), mixed by Seth Von Paulus (Linda Perry) and mastered by Leon Zervos.
‘If U Ever’ is the final single ahead of the album release. The song, from Sinéad O’Connor’s 2000 album, Faith and Courage, resonated deeply with O’Shea, who chose it as one of three O’Connor originals to feature on the album.
An arguable hidden gem from O’Connor’s catalogue, O’Shea’s rendition highlights her signature ‘AmeriCeltiCana’ approach (Americana with a Celtic twist: Celtic melody with musical stylings that align with the Americana genre), taking inspiration from great Nashville artists such as Hank Williams, Patsy Cline and John Prine.
O’Shea explains how she always heard the song (originally sung solo by O’Connor), as a duet, and she was blessed to be connected with James Maddock (Wood) by her studio drummer Aaron Comess (Spin Doctors). Contributing a soulful, raspy deliverance, Maddock vocals intertwine warmly with O’Shea, capturing the poignant beauty of the song, which centres around O’Connor’s troubled relationship with her mother.
On his collaboration with O’Shea, Maddock stated, “I had a wonderful time recording this classic song with Helen and I’m a huge Sinead fan, so it was a double thrill.”
O’Shea explains that “the story behind ‘Songs In The Key Of O’ is a simple one. It is a love letter to two of my biggest influences in music and in life: Sinéad O’Connor and Dolores O’Riordan”. Helen grew up in Limerick, Ireland and longed to make her life all about the beauty of song. However, her father encouraged her to pursue a medical career, and so the door to a music career was firmly closed behind her. Years later, after Helen's father was tragically killed in a car accident, she immediately felt him guiding her back to singing from beyond the grave.
While Helen was in medical school, she experienced two other unforgettable moments with two of Ireland’s most iconic singers, impacting her to this day. The first was Sinéad O'Connor's unforgettable debut on the Irish Late Late Show, when she exploded on the screen with a crew cut and a tank top scream-singing "Mandinka". Helen, along with most of Ireland's young girls, were transfixed by this new vision of Irish womanhood - gentleness and anger, ferocity and determination - with a beautiful voice.
The second of Helen's impactful experiences during her medical school days was when her brother, Steve, came home with a mixtape that included the song ‘Linger’. The stunning voice of Dolores O'Riordan left a lasting impact on Helen - another Limerick herself. Dolores was living the singing dream that Helen longed for, and with a voice unlike any other.
When Helen was blessed to begin her singing journey much later in life, she carried with her the influences of all the girl singers she loved, but most of all, her two countrywomen, Sinéad and Dolores, with whom culturally she shares so much more with than just a love of song.
ABOUT HELEN O’SHEA
With the heart of a healer and the grace of grit, Ireland-born, New Jersey-based artist Helen O'Shea is trailblazing a path of hope and possibility, sharing her unguarded story so that others may step fully into their power.
Helen’s journey from medicine to motherhood to music embodies resilience, reinvention, and the power of learning to heal. Blending Americana and Celtic influences into her signature sound, which she calls AmeriCeltiCana, her music and message resonate deeply with women and mothers rediscovering themselves later in life.
Through Helen’s metamorphosis, she holds fiercely to her personal mantra, Turning Tides Make Sturdy Souls, reflecting her belief that life’s challenges—both joyful and painful—are what shape us. Embracing transformation takes courage, and through her music, Helen extends a hand, reminding us that we don’t have to take the first step alone.
Before entering the music world, Helen dedicated years to a distinguished medical career as an obstetrician/gynecologist. She attended medical school at the University College Galway (UCG) Ireland, where she met her husband, Paul O’Shea, PhD. She then spent a number of years as an Assistant Professor in Medical Research and Medical School Teaching at the prestigious McGill University in Montreal, Canada, where she became a leader in perinatal research and medical education. She created Healing in Medicine, a groundbreaking course that taught medical students, residents, and physicians how to handle the complexities of caring for vulnerable patients and their families.
Even as a doctor, Helen’s deepest calling was to be a healer—not just of the body, but of the human spirit. She has been a guiding light for many while quietly navigating her own struggles behind the scenes.
Her return to the US in 2011, where she had lived briefly in the 90s, was rough on her children and coincided with their request that she stop working in medicine and stay home with them after school—an idea which surprised Helen, but which she and her husband fully supported. She explains: “Two days into my new life, without my lifelong identity as Dr. Helen McNamara, I began to settle into life as housewife Helen O'Shea, with great difficulty. It was then that my husband said "You've always wanted to sing - this is your chance.”
Helen rediscovered her life-long passion for music, quickly becoming a dynamic force in the independent music scene, collaborating with two-time Grammy winner Marc Swersky (Joe Cocker, Natalie Cole), winning Best Americana Song for “Sturdy Soul” at the Global Music Awards, and earning nominations for the 2024 Josie Awards and the International Singer-Songwriter Award for Best Duo with Alexander Simone for their collaboration on “Holy Mother”.
ABOUT JAMES MADDOCK
A rock and roll lifer, James Maddock has been carving his unique path since the 1980s, when the New York City based, British-born singer/songwriter kicked off his career with a raw, soulful voice; a storyteller's sense of narrative; and the ability to blur the lines between folk, classic pop, and rock.
Since his early days in London, he's ridden the wave of a music industry that's ebbed, flowed, peaked, and crashed. Maddock has stayed afloat throughout the entire ride, enjoying a brush with commercial success during the late 1990s - including a major-label record deal and a Top 5 AAA radio hit. He fronted the Columbia Records band Wood, whose debut album Songs From Stamford Hill featured the hit single ‘Stay You’ which was recognised as BBC Radio 2’s Record of the Week. It also attracted the attention of Bruce Springsteen who expressed his appreciation for the music in a personal letter to James Maddock relocated from England to New York City in 2003.
His album "Sunrise On Avenue C" received the New York Music Award for Best Americana Album in 2009, and over the next twelve years he produced eight more albums spanning styles from live band recordings and energetic rock 'n' roll to introspective singer-songwriter work. In 2025, he recorded a solo acoustic album, "Live at Masterdisk," with Scott Hull at Masterdisk studios. These albums not only earned widespread critical acclaim and significant radio airplay but also ranked among WFUV NYC listeners' top picks. James’s newest album ‘Forever June’ is due for release early in 2026 with the first single ‘Wish You Were Here‘ released in November 2025 and the second ‘Take My Side’ in December 2025.
James has performed regularly with Willie Nile, Aaron Comess (Spin Doctors), David Immergluck (Counting Crows), Brian Mitchell (Levon Helm Band) and SNL drummer Shawn Pelton and has shared the stage with many well-known artists such as Bruce Springsteen, The Waterboys, Pete Seeger, Levon Helm and many others.
As a songwriter, James had three songs co-written with Mike Scott on the Waterboys album Modern Blues (which appeared in the Top 50 on the UK Albums Chart) and a co-write with Gary Barlow (“Actress”) on Barlow’s album (2X Platinum). Many of Jame’s songs have been featured on TV series such as Dawsons Creek, NBC’s Parenthood, ABC Family’s Switched at Birth and FX’s Louie amongst others.
After opening for Counting Crows in the US in 2024, Maddock was invited to join them again on an exhilarating 25 show European tour in September - November 2025, joined on stage by David Immergluck (Counting Crows) as the duo ‘Jimmy and Immy’. Enthusiastically received by audiences throughout the tour, this has further cemented Maddock’s reputation as a dynamic and highly regarded live performer.
Maddock continues to be a constant live presence in the U.S. and will be touring again in Europe over the summer in 2026.
ALBUM RUNNING ORDER
1. "Caged Birds" - ORIGINAL - Featuring Liam O'Maonlaí - watch video HERE
2. "Rock And Roll Angel" - ORIGINAL - Featuring Barry Murphy - watch video HERE
3. "Chaos" - ORIGINAL - watch video HERE
4. "Dense Water Deeper Down" - COVER (Sinéad O’Connor) - Featuring Brielle Brown, Sharon Lasher, Fiona Tyndall, Jo Wymer - watch video HERE
5. "Dreaming My Dreams" - COVER (Dolores O’Riordan)
6. "If U Ever" - COVER (Sinéad O’Connor) - Featuring James Maddock
7. "Saving Grace" - COVER (Dolores O’Riordan)
8. "Last Day Of Our Acquaintance" - COVER (Sinéad O’Connor) - Featuring Brad Butcher - watch video HERE
9. "Lost" - COVER (Dolores O’Riordan)
10. "Unbecoming (KO Version)" - ORIGINAL - Featuring Fiona Tyndall
11. "Shine" - ORIGINAL - Featuring Michelle Moore
12. "There Will Be Days" - ORIGINAL - Featuring Caroline Carlile and The Carlile Family Band