“‘Ordinary Woman’ opens softly with sincere vocals over guitar strings, the tune builds into uptempo percussion and trumpet melodies.” – Hot Press
“Cormac Looby’s ‘Angel, Baby’ is an exploration of life’s complexities. The track is a soul-stirring narrative woven from threads of nostalgia, candid reflections, and bittersweet melodies.” – Curious For Music
Cormac Looby is a singer-songwriter from Co. Tipperary. He draws inspiration from a range of artists including Mick Flannery, Bell X1, Phoebe Bridgers and Sam Fender. Cormac combines elements of folk, pop, and rock; with introspective and honest song-writing.
Cormac’s debut single ‘I Don’t Need Your Love’ was released in 2020, independently amassing over 20,000 streams and featuring on BBC Introducing and RTÉ Radio 1 Recommends. This was followed up by his second single ‘Feel Good’ that same year. 2022 heralded the release of Cormac’s debut EP, ‘Things We Don’t Control’, recorded with a full live band at the Black Gate Studio, Galway. The singles taken from it, ‘Patriot’ and ‘Hard-wiring’ also featured on RTÉ Recommends and BBC Introducing respectively.
In support of the EP, Cormac and his band toured extensively, playing venues such as Fiddler’s Elbow London, Róisín Dubh Galway and two sold-out shows Upstairs at Dublin’s iconic venue, Whelan’s. They concluded the year with a headline gig in the Workman’s Cellar, Dublin and a hometown show in Cahir, Co. Tipperary.
In the intervening period, there have been two more singles; ‘Lobsters’ and ‘I Don’t Want To Let You Down’. In February 2023, Cormac was chosen as a nominee for the Irish Music Month ‘Local Hero’ with Radio Nova for the latter of these singles. That same year, he played the renowned Ruby Sessions in Dublin, sharing the stage with Bombay Bicycle Club, as well as supporting folk musicians David Keenan and Maria Kelly.
December 2023 saw his biggest headline show to date in the main room at the Workman’s Club. Cormac and band returned there during summer and also made an appearance at Mountshannon Arts, Forest Fest and ‘When Next We Meet’ this summer.
He has shared the stage with two of Ireland’s finest folk acts, Ye Vegabonds and Susan O’Neill.
2024 will see the release of his debut album; ‘A Perpetual State of Irony’. Consisting of ten brand-new tracks, Cormac and his live band have teamed up once more with the Black Gate Studio in his most ambitious and exciting project to date.
The first single off that album, ‘Angel Baby’ released in early May and picked up success with RTE Radio 1, Hot Press, Beat 102103, Pure Mzine, Unhappier, Corks Red FM, The Beat, Curious For Music, LMFM, RTE 2XM and many more, his most recent single ‘Ordinary Woman’ released in the summer and has almost 10,000 streams and picked up support with Pure Mzine, RTE Radio 1, Hot Press, Indie Revolution and many more making Cormac a hot one to watch.
“Losing You” is a song that explores the fear that surrounds potentially letting certain people go from your life, heavily influenced by The National and Sam Fender.
The song was written after returning to Ireland from seeing The National perform abroad. It captures the difficult realisation that, one day, moving away might mean saying goodbye to certain people for good.
The track was recorded at Black Mountain Studios, Dundalk and at the Clinic, Dublin. It was mixed and produced by Liam King from the Black Gate Studio, Galway and mastered by Pete Maher Mastering (U2, The Killers, Damien Rice).