Tag: Tori Forsyth

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Tori Forsyth Keeps Superb Singles Coming With “Nothing At All”

Tori Forsyth proves she’s a force to be reckoned with through the release of her brand new track “Nothing At All.” It’s a beautiful piano-driven ballad with powerful lyrics that really shine through the simple orchestration. Tori has a gorgeous haunting, husky voice, but her songwriting prowess is really something special.

“’Nothing At All’ is a song about grappling with your mind but still clinging onto hope,” Tori explained. “I wrote this whilst in Tamworth during festival season from my caravan home. We’d been on the road for a month and it was an incredibly hot day. I remember being super agitated and uncomfortable for more reasons than the heat. I was listening to a lot of Lana del Rey at the time.”

“Nothing At All” comes from Tori’s sophomore album Provlépseis, which drops on May 21. It’s the fifth track we’ve heard from this album, but something tells me there are still plenty of surprises in store.

Image used with permission from Island Records Australia

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Tori Forsyth Impresses With Brooding New Single, “Courtney Love”

After all the excitement of Christmas, I’m ready to wind down a little before the New Years’ festivities kick off. If you’re seeking out mellow sounds right now, Tori Forsyth’s new track “Courtney Love” is just what the doctor ordered. I love the way Tori combines gentle, acoustic folk sounds with dark, brooding lyrics befitting the grunge princess the song namechecks.

“The way ‘Courtney Love’ was written was much like most of my songs, on my lounge room floor with an acoustic guitar,” Tori explained. “The song quickly formed into a sort of disturbed lullaby.“

Tori created the single’s music video with director Emily Avila, who felt an instant kinship with the Newcastle artist.

“I instantly connected with Tori’s vision for the ‘Courtney Love’ clip – with such an intimate setting and raw, unguarded emotion, we just needed to give it all time and space to fill the screen,” Emily explained. “I love the meditative quality of a one-take performance video. Tori’s heart is there, all laid out in real-time, an unassuming moment that gets inside your head.”

This is stellar stuff from one of Australia’s most impressive up-and-coming artists.

Image used with permission from Island Records Australia; credit: She Is Aphrodite

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Tori Forsyth Covers Lil Peep’s “Falling Down”

I’m sure we can all agree, 2020 has been a crazy year. I’ve gotten to the point where nothing really surprises me anymore. So when I heard Hunter Valley country-rock act Tori Forsyth had covered Lil Peep and XXXTENTACION’s track “Falling Down,” I didn’t ask myself why. I asked myself why not?

Tori was inspired to cover the track after watching the documentary, “Everybody’s Everything.”

“After watching the documentary about the life of Lil Peep his story left me incredibly moved but also incredibly sad. Some of the greatest minds can burden the bodies they inhabit,” she admitted. “We’ve seen the story, it’s much too common and my heart goes out to his family and loved ones. Some of my most favourite artists have taken the same path. Have written the story of the all too overwhelming mind to try to ease that pain through substance. Mental illness is such a confronting and all too real reality for so many artists. A topic that hurts and cuts deep. I’m a huge advocate for talking and normalising this conversation, hopefully so much so that by the time I have a daughter or a son, mental health is just another thing we get checked on regularly like a casual dentist looks over.”

Strangely this cover feels really natural, but she certainly had her reservations about taking this song on.

“Recording a Lil Peep song is something completely out of my comfort zone but as Covid19 would have it, this is a theme of the year. Myself Zach (Miller, her bandmate and producer) and Reece (Baines, drummer) all contributed from corners of the country and globe to bring this to life. My first engineering experience was done in my bedroom closet and a lot of makeshift swaps. Lil Peep’s ethos was to always be creating and making and collaborating. We live in a world of high demands and forget that making music is fun, because it moves, because it evokes something. This is the only way I create music. Full Stop. This whole story moved me and in turn pushed us to create something that moved us as a team. I hope you like it and remember that there’s always help and someone to talk to no matter where you are mentally.”

I’ve always believed that there’s no point delivering a cover that’s a carbon copy of the original. You need to bring something new to the game, or what’s the point? I wasn’t familiar with the Lil Peep track, but going back to it after hearing Tori’s grungy take made me appreciate her work even more. This is a total, spectacular reinvention.

Image used with permission from Island Records Australia

Posted on by Lauren Katulka

Ray LaMontagne @ State Theatre – 24 April 2019

I first saw Ray LaMontagne live in 2005. Around a year had passed after the release of his breakthrough debut album Trouble, and the Gaelic Club was packed to the rafters with people keen to hear this American troubadour in person. His set was understated, something I expected knowing how painfully shy he was. But beautiful, so beautiful that I didn’t miss the banter musicians ordinarily deliver because I felt he spoke to us through his music.

It took him 14 years to make the return journey to us. He’s released so many albums since then. The venues have been upgraded. The State Theatre is a much more refined joint. If he had a support act back then I can’t remember them, but I have a feeling Tori Forsyth will be etched into my mind. She has one of those voices that just grabs you and doesn’t let go. I wasn’t familiar with her material but I was instantly captivated, so glad I’d followed a friend’s advice and arrived early enough for her performance. She’s a performer not too dissimilar to Ray really, with a voice wise beyond her years, an old soul and style to her Americana tunes that makes them accessible on the first listen. The obvious appreciation she had for our beautiful theatre earned her a few brownie points too.

Ray wasn’t alone with his acoustic guitar this time. Wilco’s bassist John Stirratt joined him, bringing another dimension to the music. Like a modern-day Simon and Garfunkel they gently strummed and harmonised, creating some of the most beautiful folk music you’re likely to hear. I must admit, I lost touch with Ray’s new recordings somewhere along the way, but it was a real treat to hear so many new songs with such a respectful crowd. However, the songs from Trouble were real highlights for me. I even had to brush away a tear during “Burn.” He’s probably lost count of the number of times he’s sung it since 2004, but all the pain that fuelled its creation still felt so raw. And the title track, the jubilant chorus, was so stirring.

Someone who was unfamiliar with Ray might have felt disappointed by his quiet demeanour. He managed little more than a mumbled “Thank you Sydney” between songs. But knowing how shy he is, I can forgive a lack of showmanship. I was even surprised when returned to the stage for a lengthy encore. Even if performing is a little difficult for him, clearly he wanted to show us how much he appreciated our support.

Seeing Ray live wasn’t like your typical concert experience. It was without witty banter, without theatrics we were left to focus on arguably what matters most: the music. And it was flawless.