Tell Laura we love her
By Colin Newton
August 15, 2006 12:00am


LAST year, Laura Gissara won her way through to the Australian Idol Top 10 and performed in front of 20,000 people at the Sydney Opera House. Not bad, eh? Of course, that was last year.

So, what has Laura, 22, been up to this year?

"Well, after my Australian Idol contract finished in February," Laura says, "I pretty much landed myself a recording deal with an independent label in Melbourne. It's awesome!

"Oh yeah, and I went back to university, as well, to finish off my Bachelor of Music degree.

I'm nearly finished, which I'm really, really excited about." This year's most exciting development for Laura, however, is the impending release of her debut single, Ti Amo (pronounced tea arm-oh).

"Ti Amo (which is Italian for 'I love you') was originally done in 1977 by an Italian artist and was a No.1 hit in Europe for almost a year. It was huge!

"And then there was another version done in the '80s, which also went to No.1, this time in the United States," Laura says.

"So yeah, it is a song that a lot of people know, and a song that I actually grew up with. Mum and Dad used to play it all the time and I always thought to myself, 'Gee, I would love to sing that song one day'.

"Actually, there was a Contender's Choice week on Idol last year and I had planned to perform it then but I got evicted the week before, so I didn't get a chance.

"Not to worry. I am very happy with my recorded versions." Indeed, Laura's debut single features both English and Italian versions of Ti Amo, as well as a club mix, original remix, radio remix and the single's video clip.

"I just wanted to do something different, use a different language, go left of mainstream, with a hot arrangement and a very today sound," Laura says.

"And I really think, fingers crossed, we have done that."

I wonder how she'll go...I haven't heard it on radio yet.