Music Matters with Larissa Tormey

Music Matters, by Conor Halpin

Larissa Tormey has been living in Kilbeggan since 2001. The Russian native has made a name for herself in the music circuit as a singer and songwriter and has sung at many events throughout the country. I caught up with Larissa to see how she was keeping throughout the pandemic.

What challenges did you face during the lockdown?

Lockdown did not affect me too much as I do not rely on live singing only. I wrote many songs and I am recording these as a side project during the pandemic.

Is there any particular song or album that you feel that has strengthened your music presence as a musician?

I had a few health scares in my family during the lockdown period, which led me to write a new single called ‘Live Another Day’, and this song is for the Irish music industry Covid-19 fund in hope that I would be able to raise money for musicians who have lost their only income during Covid-19. This song has become successful and has reached the top in the airplay charts in many EU countries.

Is there any new music in the pipeline for fans and followers to look forward to?

I still continue to sing and record country music and my new album is nearly ready. This original project was purely born because of the lockdown period and will show my true essence as a songwriter.

What drew you to the music industry?

I always wanted to be a performing singer-songwriter and was touring Russia from the age of 26 years old for 10 years. When I moved to Ireland, it was only natural to continue to work as a musician but only in a different language.

I started in Ireland as a choir conductor at Tullamore College and then I started to sing at weddings and church ceremonies, as, with my classical music education, that was the easiest thing to do.

As soon as my English was good enough to be able to write songs, I returned to songwriting in Ireland and released my first original album, ‘Perfect As I Am’, in 2014, and since then have released two more albums and an EP, and my third album is on the way.

What advice would have for someone who is setting out on their musical journey?

My advice is to treat music as a source of enjoyment and not as a business – when art becomes hard work it loses its meaning in life.

How do you balance your music with other obligations?

It is very difficult as there are responsibilities and guilty pleasures and it’s always difficult to keep a healthy balance between both of them.

I have a designated day for certain tasks. I am also big into mindfulness and meditation and I try to always have a positive outlook in life.

I do breathing exercises and cycle throughout the countryside as well, and this is all helping me to keep balance in life.