Paddy Hanna releases new single 'Mario Lanza'

The upbeat tempo of the song is belies a more serious context. Paddy explains: "My Father, not too long ago, went through a terrible illness which left him in a coma for two weeks. The emotional strain of this event really beat me down, I repressed it in some ways, particularly in my writing. While struggling to deal with the strain I began listening through some rough demos I had, one of which was a minute-long ditty about Mario Lanza, an American Tenor from the early 20th century. I decided to finish it off and realized very quickly I was channelling my pain through this particular track. Mario Lanza, in essence, became my Dad, and through him I could express all of the emotions I had repressed, which is why the song is tinged with a sorrowful joy.

The song is the follow-up to ‘Bad Boys’, a baroque cut of shimmering, intelligent pop.

2018 will see the release of Hanna’s sophomore album via Strange Brew Records, produced by his new collaborator Daniel Fox. For the new record, Fox has added a whole new orchestral element to the music, with contributions coming from members of Girl Band, Saint Sister, Tandem Felix, Cian Nugent and the Cosmos and the Trinity Orchestra.

Hanna played the HWCH festival and will tour throughout November and December accompanied by a live band featuring Adam Faulkner and Daniel Fox (Girl Band), along with guitarist Paddy Ormond (Jetsetter/Postcard Versions).

Listen to 'Mario Lanza' here and see full tour dates below:

Fri 17th Nov – Levi’s, Ballydehob
Sat 18th Nov – Bello Bar, Dublin
Fri 24th Nov – Connolly’s Of Leap
Sat 2nd Dec – Kasbah, Limerick