Laurence is now a resident of Chicago, where he has lived since 1992. He comes from the little village of Lack in County Fermanagh, an area steeped in the traditional arts of music, singing and storytelling. Not surprisingly, Laurence's first musical influences came from within his own family. His father Sean Nugent has been the leader of the Pride of Erin Ceili Band, one of the top dance bands in Irish music. Band practices would be held regularly in the Nugent house and Larry grew up listening to some of the finest musicians in the land. Like many young musicians of his generation, Laurence entered many of the regional and national competitions held under the auspices of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann and took a first prize in the junior competitions three times in the late 80's and the senior All Ireland Championships in 1994 and 1995.

Since arriving in the United States, Nugent has become a familiar figure at Irish festivals and concerts in the Eastern and Midwestern United States. Laurence's style of playing is very traditional and also very versatile. To his dance music he brings a lot of exuberant ornamentation and rhythmic and melodic variation which adorn elegant melodic lines, particularly in reels. By contrast his interpretations of slow airs are soulful and moving.