Singer Molly Mary Mahoney To Release Sophomore Album, MY COUSIN COLE: PITTER, PATTER...PORTER!

Cabaret, classical, and crossover singer Molly Mary Mahoney's sophomore album will be out this Spring. It is a tribute to her distant cousin Cole Porter. The first single, "All of You," debuted on Valentine's Day 2022 as a digital download that is for sale on her website. She also plans to release a few singles to major streaming platforms in the coming months.

COVID was one impetus for the album, titled "My Cousin Cole: Pitter, patter... Porter!" With no performance opportunities during the worst of the coronavirus, Molly began to plan and dream up her return to the stage, as well as her next full-length release. She dove into the album, noting, "I found out several years ago that my distant cousin is Cole Porter and always had it in the back of my mind that I wanted to highlight his music some day."

Molly is also excited for her approaching tour: "This album and upcoming tour mean so much to me and are the natural progression for me artistically. I love being able to craft a show and offer it in a way that feels authentic." Molly is a true crossover artist. She is proud of the eclectic style of her first tour, adding, "My first cabaret show Mischief! that toured in 2019 was really a culmination of my operatic and musical theater stage work, and my love of big band music." The tour and album will continue to build on that foundation.

Molly reminisces, "There was always music around the house growing up. My parents are both singers, and my dad plays guitar and piano. We'd often sing in three part harmony. Sometimes my brothers would even join in." Later, the family would even form their own big band, which Molly performed with throughout high school and college.

Her talents stood out to her family, and by the age of ten she caught the attention of a big band leader in a very public way. Molly stated, "My mom sang with a big band in New York and was trying to get the band leader to hear me sing. He was quite reluctant since I was only 10 years old, but then one night at a performance he called me up on stage."

It was a defining and critical moment to Molly's career that she remembers fondly, recalling, "I sang 'All of Me' with a 19-piece big band and it was amazing! He hired me on the spot and I was a regular with them."

Molly points out that she's always been a fan of Porter, but the deep dive she did after learning of their genetic connection really inspired her: "When I started reading his biographies and researching his canon of music more, I was overcome with how prolific he was! I knew I needed to narrow my focus a little." In accordance with the time of year, she chose to narrow her focus to love songs.

Molly is recreating and retouching Porter's compositions for the twenty-first century, and putting all of herself into getting it right. Her pianist and arranger, Joshua Hegg, elaborates, "The compositions themselves are rife with emotional meaning."

What really brings it into this century is Molly's personal connection to Porter. It inspires her to know she has such talent in her blood, and this knowledge has moved the album's conception and creation. Joshua sums it up, saying, "Now, with the benefit of nearly 100 years since Porter put pen to paper, we are highlighting new aspects heard with a modern ear."

To purchase Molly's music, click here. To visit her website, click here.

Photo Credits: Via Molly's website

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