Mary Hits A High Note

Mary Culloty O’Sullivan is a singer/songwriter from Killarney, Ireland.

Until the Covid 19 pandemic hit, Mary had been performing part-time alongside working as a Vocal Coach. A classically trained Soprano, O’Sullivan has studied voice with two of Ireland’s leading Vocal Coaches Dr Veronica Dunne and Robert Beare.

Having performed live across Ireland, O’Sullivan had been about to embark on a U.K Tour when travel restrictions were brought in; and, having performed sold out shows in both Brighton and Birmingham, suddenly everything came to a grinding halt.

Undeterred and not wanting to let down her fans, Mary used technology to stream to thousands of people worldwide, from her kitchen no less! Dressed up in her ‘posh dress’, Mary added a touch of glamour to her varied repertoire which included a selection of Irish Ballads, Musical Highlights and Contemporary tunes.

In March of this year, Mary’s musical journey completely changed when she started writing her own songs! As something she had not previously explored, it has completely changed her career, broadened her horizons and added to her already impressive fanbase. With two self-composed releases to date – ‘Forever and a Day’ and ‘Before You Leave Me’, she has enjoyed extensive radio play and a truly remarkable response from music lovers across the globe.

Mary’s next release will be an EP of Original Christmas Music scheduled for release in November.

2022 is looking to be a massive year, with more original songs released into the world – if you would like to hear more check out Mary Culloty O’ Sullivan Singer on Facebook, Instagram and @MaryCullotyOS on Twitter.

After such a successful career as a voice coach and part-time performer, what made you decide to take the leap to full-time artist in your own right?

‘’It was always in the back of my mind to perform and tour full time. I had just started to tour when Covid 19 came along, and I had to re-think everything performance and tour wise! I started Live Streams and they were hugely successful. People from all over the world ‘tuned in’ and loved the mix of songs. Now I can’t wait to tour in 2022 and see what happens next!’’

What inspired you to start writing your own material and do you find the creative process comes naturally or is it something you need to work hard at?

‘’I had live streamed for St Patrick’s Day last March and I was putting away my guitar. I played a few chords and wondered what they would sound like on the piano. Before I knew it I had written “Christmas Bells “, one of my Songs on my forthcoming EP. I love the process of song writing and get excited to see what I can come up with! I have written in a few genres… Love Songs, Jazz, Church / Meditation and Country and Western. I am very lucky to have Tony O’ Flaherty from Sonas Studios here in Killarney. He brings my songs to life, and I find it very exciting to see the instrumentation, colour and everything coming together’’

What or who are your biggest influences?

‘’I have loads of different influences… I enjoy lots of genres from Mozart to Thrice to Doja Cat!’’

Can you give us a flavour of what we can expect from your upcoming Christmas EP?

‘’My Christmas EP is a mix of a few original songs… Four Christmas and a Love song which I released last June entitled ‘Forever and a Day’. My EP will be released late November and will be available to purchase on Bandcamp and all other streaming platforms Worldwide.’’

You’ve been on tour already this year across the U.K and Ireland – where can we catch you live?

‘’I will be touring in 2022 fingers crossed! Keep an eye on my Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for updates.’’