On The Record No. 1 - FORGE Introduces Molly Mahoney and "My Cousin Cole"
Molly Mahoney has made a difference to FORGE. A client with her pure, unhampered talent is a huge accomplishment. We are just so proud to work with the vocalist, who is both musically and intellectually brilliant. A mezzo-soprano with a talent for the classical, Molly uses her operatic voice to bring jazz classics to life. Her sophomore album is a natural follow-up to her first, but it stands on it's own--and it stands tall. It’s a collaboration in which her vocals meet an arrangement worthy of them. “My Cousin Cole: Pitter, patter… Porter!” is out on June ninth for purchase on Bandcamp.
You can stream two singles on Spotify now. All Of You and In The Still Of The Night are absolute standouts and show her range immediately.
The album will have a tight focus on essential love songs of Cole Porter, who is an actual cousin of Mahoney. Molly is who she is because of her family, immediate and extended alike. While of course, she’s never met the deceased Porter, Molly is moved to know he’s part of her family’s tapestry, and the passion with which she approaches every single track reflects that.
Get to Know Molly through her press, her own words, and her music.
Molly’s Release Show
June 24, 2022 - Chico Women’s Club, Chico CA
Tickets: $25, Available Here
Doors at 7:00, Show at 7:30 PM
Molly will be signing CDs after the show
Publicist’s Picks
Molly in the Press
LA Music Review
“Soulful, classy and truly meaningful! Molly is recreating and retouching Porter’s compositions for the twenty-first century and putting all of herself into getting it right.”
Debbie Burke, Jazz Author’s Blog
“Reimagining the character of Cole Porter’s music became Molly Mary Mahoney’s musical goal in 2022. After all, she is related to the iconic composer. What she nails in her new album My Cousin Cole is the brightness required for his songs as well as the sense of fun and syncopation in her single “All of You.” In the previous album Two for the Road, “Speak Low” has a great bounce and Molly skips through it breezily. She infuses emotion into “September Song” just enough to make the listener feel the longing and also a hint of hope. And that range, so powerful and yet easily attained: “Moment to Moment” unfurls with a natural storyteller’s voice.”
Newsbreak
Molly Mary Mahoney is one of the most talented classical and opera singers in the West Coast. The vintage-style singing from the mezzo-soprano takes one back to the times of Judy Garland and Rosemary Clooney.
A Stunning Performance - SF Chronicle Datebook Review
Broadway World
Breaking The Ice: Rapidfire Getting To Know You
FORGEcollective: Which version of “La Vie En Rose” is your go-to – Edith or Louis?
Molly Mahoney: Edith
FC: Indie or pop?
MM: Pop
FC: Classics or best sellers?
MM: Best Sellers
FC: Kindle or paper books
MM: Paper
FC: Black coffee or tea?
MM: Tea
FC: Chinese or Thai?
MM: Thai
FC: The OC or Gilmore Girls?
MM: (I haven't seen an episode of either one!)
Snapshots of Molly, In Her Own Words
“I grew up on a lake in MN and spent all my free time talking to the ducks, swimming and digging in the dirt. When I was 8 we moved to upstate New York. Our main family activities there were taking care of our land and our animals. We had two horses, two dogs, two cats, a chinchilla and a bunny. We’d get up early and take care of the animals before school or work. Our summers were spent doing big projects like building a new barn, or clearing an acre of forest for more pasture land. All of us live in medium or large cities now (Alameda, Sacramento, Chico…) but I think we all have a longing to move back out to the country.”
“It feels a little surreal sometimes to be back performing. I’ve noticed there is a softer, more tender feeling in the air at rehearsals and performances. Deep gratitude abounds. You can feel people savoring the moments. I’m also finding a new level of self-compassion and awareness as I perform. This reunion with the audience is like a homecoming.
“There is a mutual understanding as I look into other performers’ eyes saying, ‘Yes! We get to do this super cool thing. And I’ve got your back.’”
“I really connect with that side of my family whenever I visit Minnesota. When I was young and we lived close by we would always sing folk songs or silly songs in harmony to entertain ourselves at family gatherings. I know if I lived closer they would all be a much bigger part of my life. As I see my family members age, and especially as I have lost some recently, the urge to connect has become stronger.”
“I was enamored by the dream of having a home in Paris, New York or Hollywood and hosting outrageous parties centered around live music like he did. I connected with the glamor of his life when I was younger, and having watched the movie again recently as well as reading his biographies, I see the hard realities of his life and the pain he lived with, too.”
“I love returning to Chico to visit my parents, and to connect with friends and teachers from school. I have such great memories of making awesome music in choirs and many bands over the years. Chico is also where I met my husband [in] my senior year of undergrad”
“My first cabaret show, Mischief!, that I toured in 2019 was really a culmination of my operatic and musical theater stagework, and my love of big band music.”