Singer with Offaly connections to launch new album

Singer/songwriter  Larissa Tormey is set to release her 5th studio album next month. The multi-talented, genre-crossing artist from Kilbeggan will reveal the eponymously titled  Larissa with a listening-party launch night at the Bewley's Cafe Theatre in Dublin on September 8th. 

That evening will also feature an exclusive 'live' acoustic  performance of a selection of songs from her new long-player, with Larissa being joined by musicians Kevin Whyms on guitar and by Padraig Kilbride on piano. Describing this collection - which was mastered by Nick Burchall of Audio Animals in London - as  "the ultimate me", Larissa is excited about sharing more of her original material. 

"Both as a musician and as a music-lover, my heart goes in so many different directions, and always has done. As people know, country music has become a huge part of my life since making Ireland my home, but I also adore pop, and I love gospel, and the freedom of jazz and the emotional depth of the blues. And I am a trained classical singer, of course. So this album, more than any other record of mine, shows or hints at almost all of those sides of me. That's why - when we were trying to think about what we should call it - it suddenly became clear that because it was literally more me than me than anything else I've done before, it should just be called after me too...'LARISSA'...nice and simple!" 

Preceding the album's official release on all platforms on September 9th, Larissa will share one of the record's stand-out moments, a song called  Dolce Far Niente on August 26th. An idea born in Italy, and brought to life through a United States and Norwegian collaboration,  Dolce Far Niente  is the perfect illustration of what is a unique international aspect to Larissa's music. 

"I got this idea while on holiday in Italy",  she recalls,  describing the moment the idea for the song first came to her.  "I was sitting at the table staring at the beautiful sea when a gentleman next to me who was also admiring the view and enjoying the sense of peace told me that in Italy they call this state of mind, 'Dolce Far Niente', which means 'sweet nothing to do.' Straight away the artist in me fell in love with this idea, and even the sound of those words. As I sat there, it got  me thinking about how much we all miss this in our busy lives, so I decided to write a song about it."

Some time after  this Larissa was  interviewing the Norwegian  producer Frolin for her online show,  My Music and My Story. Frolin,  who writes and produces instrumental meditative music,  told  Larissa that he regularly writes songs with two writers from the United States, Randy Morrison and Lindsay Siddal, and he invited Larissa to join their team.

"I shared my idea with them",  recounted Larissa, "and this beautiful song was born a few months afterwards."  For this album, Larissa and her producer Kevin Whyms recorded a new version of the song, one arranged to better fit the overall 'feel' of this set of songs. 

A limited number of tickets are available to the public for next month's album launch listening-party, with those lucky enough to find themselves planning their trip to Dublin also getting their hands on a signed copy of Larissa's new album at the same time. Tickets can be purchased from Larissa's official website -  www.larissatormey.com  - or by  going to  www.eventbrite.ie  and searching 'Larissa Tormey'. 

The album launch – listening party for  Larissa, the brand new long-player from Larissa Tormey, takes place in Bewley's Cafe Theatre on Grafton Street in Dublin on September 8th at 6pm (tickets are available now from  www.larissatormey.com  and/or  www.eventbrite.ie).  Larissa will be available on all platforms from September 9th, and is available to pre-add/ pre-order now.  A  brand new single – Dolce Far Niente- will precede the album on August 26th.