Life Stories Mary Coughlan

• 1 Family Life 04:46
• 2 Two Breaking into One 03:12
• 3 High Heel Boots 03:28
• 4 Forward Bound 03:04
• 5 Elbow Deep 04:17
• 6 I Dare You to Love Me 03:53
• 7 Little Dance 00:24
• 8 Do It Again 02:29
• 9 Why Do All the Bad Guys Taste so Good 03:47
• 10 Safe and Sound 04:23
• 11 No Jerico 03:04
• 12 Twelve Steps Forward and Ten Steps Back 03:37
• Total Runtime 40:24

Info for Life Stories

One of Ireland’s greatest soulful jazz and blues singers Mary Coughlan will release her highly anticipated album ‘Life Stories’. Mary Coughlan is one of Ireland’s greatest female jazz and blues singers, a true artist who has carved out a highly regarded career and a legion of devoted fans worldwide. Described as ‘Ireland’s Billie Holiday’ Mary has overcome childhood trauma, alcoholism & drug addiction to become a musical force like no other.

The new studio album from Irish jazz, blues and folk singer and actress Mary Coughlan, who has received great acclaim, particularly in her native Ireland where she is considered musical royalty, for her emotional and heartfelt renditions. The new album, ""Life Stories"" was mostly written and recorded by Pete Glenister and Mary at No Name Studio in London in the summer of 2019 and finished in February 2020.

“Life Stories” is one of the best albums I’ve heard this year. It’s a journey from pessimism to optimism with occasional flashbacks and doesn’t ignore the fact that even the most horrific journeys can have their humorous twists and turns. It’s a fine set of musicians creating settings that make these twelve diamonds sparkle." (musicriot.co.uk)

"Her life story gives weight to the truth that the best singers are the ones with the most painful lives." (The Guardian)

"Bitter, seductive, raunchy, contemptuous. Startling songs of lust and disillusion." (MOJO)

Mary Coughlan, vocals

Mary Coughlan
is arguably the greatest female singer to have emerged from Ireland in recent times, the equivalent of Irish vocal royalty. The word 'legend' is not one to be used lightly, but in this case is entirely appropriate. ""Dubbed as Ireland's Billie Holiday, Mary is a jazz and blues singer whose life story gives weight to the truth that the best singers are the ones with the most painful lives"" (The Guardian). Whether you're into folk, blues or jazz, you can't fail to be moved by the emotional depth, expression and power in her voice, forged from an extraordinary life. Mary has carved out a timeless and highly regarded career with a legion of devoted fans worldwide. To hear Mary sing is truly to be at the core of the human heart. Since her first album 'Tired and Emotional' rocketed her to overnight fame in 1985, she has recorded 15 further solo albums, most recently the searing song cycle ' Scars on the Calendar' with Erik Visser. She has sold out some of the UK's most prestigious venues and has toured the US, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and Scandinavia. Throughout 30 years of her quite extraordinary life and recording career, Mary has drawn heavily from her legendary heroes: the grievous, teary outpourings of Billie Holiday (to whom she devoted a double album of her songs), the husky flirtations of Peggy Lee, Van Morrison's soulful wails and the defiant chanteusery of Edith Piaf. All are present and correct in her delivery. Even so, Mary, with her naked honesty makes every song her own; they belong to her and nobody else. There is no hint of manufactured, derivative or homogenised music in Mary's repertoire. This is the real thing, sung from the depths of a woman's heart and soul, a survivor who (to paraphrase Leonard Cohen's famous words) ""was born with the gift of a golden voice"". In June 2020, in recognition of Mary's achievements and immense impact on the culture and arts community in Galway City, the Mayor, Mike Cubbard presented her with a 2020 lifetime achievement award.

This album contains no booklet.