LaGracia present ‘Say’, the first single off their debut EP ‘No One’s Fool’, a collection of four songs written by musical duo Gráinne McCarthy and Kevin Healy, composed by LaGracia.
These heartfelt and soulful songs are an honest insight into episodes from a tumultuous time in the lives of McCarthy and Healy, while ‘Say’, focuses on the themes of unmet expectations and self-realisation.
LaGracia are a popular band on the Dublin and West of Ireland circuit. Hailing from Sligo and Roscommon: with Gráinne on vocals, Kevin and Tom on guitars, and Dublin: Dennis on beats and Gar on bass and production.
Their sound has been described as nostalgic, reminiscent of the 90’s R&B era of En Vogue, TLC and Lauryn Hill, while lead singer-songwriter McCarthy has a voice that evokes classic soul/ R&B singers like Etta James, Dusty Springfield and Roberta Flack. The overall sound is brave, passionate and soulful.
‘Say’ is LaGracia’s first release since their single ‘Don’t You Ever Leave’ in 2015.
It was independently recorded in Temple Lane Studios with Michael Gormley, with additional recording and mixing with Leo Logan in Vibe Studios.
“It is a song about expectations in relationships, the struggle of feeling let down and misunderstood. You ultimately have to rely on yourself,” says McCarthy, an established performer, credited with a number of Irish television appearances, such as The Late Late Show accompanying Lucia Evans and The Waterboys.
“Our song-writing could be described as “emotionally charged”, getting off our chests what we are not brave enough to express directly.”
Influences for the song include Solange, Aaliyah and Janelle Monáe. They wanted to have a throwback feel while still having an original edge. They worked on the arrangements and production with G Frequency, a Hip Hop producer/ scratch DJ, known for his album ‘Let’s Begin’ and opening shows for Grand Master Flash. “Gar’s production really gave the song a level of epic that we couldn’t have achieved without him,” Healy. “We brought Gar into the band as a bass player, we hadn’t realised he was a phenomenal Hip-Hop producer as well.”
