Hailing from the small town of Tulla in County Clare, Ireland, Torpey is a rising singer-songwriter making an impact in the indie folk pop sphere. Music was a constant presence growing up; his mother, Kate Purcell, is a member of the Grammy-nominated Celtic group Cherish The Ladies, so it’s no surprise that Torpey began learning piano at the age of five. As he got older, he picked up the guitar and began interpreting his favourite pop tracks by ear, gradually shaping a musical identity based on heartfelt storytelling and melodic intuition.
His early influences ranged from Oasis and Arctic Monkeys to Bon Iver and Bob Dylan, a wide set of musical inspiration which informs the texture of his sound today, a blend of folk’s grounded lyricism with the memorable, feel-good hooks of rock and pop. Torpey first arrived on the scene in 2023 with debut single “This Old Road,” which was quickly followed by “World Of Her Own,” further proving his instinct for crafting accessible yet meaningful songs.
Fast forward to 2025 and Torpey is gaining serious momentum, his third single “Only The Good Die Young” marked a breakout moment, clocking thousands of spins on Spotify and landing a premiere on Dan Hegarty’s alternative show on RTE 2FM. The track’s poignant energy struck a chord with listeners, earning over 50 radio plays across Irish stations like Today FM, 98FM, Clare FM and Dublin City FM. It also caught the attention of Irish media outlets including Hot Press and RTE Entertainment, confirming his status as one of the country’s most promising new singer-songwriters.
Now, Torpey continues to build on that output with his latest single titled “Why Won’t The World Stop Turning?” Drawing inspiration from the melancholic hues of Bon Iver and the atmospheric earnestness of R.E.M, this latest effort marks a shift in tone from his previous release. It’s a reflection on grief and the surreal experience of feeling profound personal loss while the world around you continues as normal. With a lyrical focus on escapism and the relentlessness of time, the track captures the strange dissonance between internal turmoil and outward normalcy.
The song also serves as the second single from his upcoming EP, a project that aims to showcase the range and engaging sound of his musical journey so far. Opened by the lilting sway of soft acoustic guitar strums and the delicate jangle of lead notes, Torpey’s emotive vocals glide in to spin elegant melodies carrying poignant lyricism above. Flowing with the gentle pulse of bass notes, the arrangement gradually builds with the steady rhythm of shaker and intricate flickers of lead guitar notes, resulting in a charming and truly moving listening experience.
Capped by Torpey’s compelling vocal performance and rising with the shuffle of drums to craft a subtly anthemic finale, “Why Won’t The World Stop Turning” delivers a heartfelt and memorable sound that’s impossible not to love. With his upcoming debut EP on the horizon, we can’t wait to see what this talented singer-songwriter has in store for the rest of 2025 and beyond.
Commenting on the new single, he shares, “I wrote “Why Won’t The World Stop Turning? after my grandfather died, noticing how people were going about their day, oblivious to what I felt should be world-changing. It is a song about escapism and how life relentlessly carries on, no matter how much you feel as though you need a break.”
Listen to Why Won’t The World Stop Turning? below
More from Music
JK LAB releases “Bare Aura” featuring KXNE
Coming out of Villach in Austria, JK LAB is a producer whose musical vision has been influenced by a passion …
Frannie B drops new single “Echo”
Based in Oxford, Frannie B has been making an impact in the UK music scene with a pop-focused sound that …
Brand new single from Nick Norton-Smith
London-based composer and multi-instrumentalist Nick Norton-Smith has built a decorated career across an unusually diverse musical landscape, moving between film, …











