Likened to artists like Lana Del Ray and Angel Olsen, emerging Australian alternative country, indie artist Tori Forsyth continues to expand her own sonic territory as she embraces an eclectic range of influences.
Her newest single is the instantly catchy 'All For You', which showcases a rockier version of the Tori Forsyth song book yet maintains her enchanting, velvety vocals as the driving force of her music."Basically, I had written the chorus five years ago, and it was just kind of sitting there for five years. I didn't like the song," admits Tori.
"I'd written the whole song three times over, and I had changed the verses a couple of times.
"I kind of sat with it through COVID and re-wrote the verses again in a way that made a little bit more sense, and then I fell in love with the song in a whole different way. . . Changed the melody a little bit and sent it off to my manager and she loved the song and said 'let's do it'.
"It's kind of like the longest song I've ever written in my life as in it took a long time to write. Usually I'm very 'wham, bam, thank you ma'am' with the writing side of things, I really do not like to procrastinate, at all."
2020 saw Tori release three singles (two of which feature on her forthcoming second album 'Provlépseis' that's due in May: 'Courtney Love' and 'Down Below'), while her 2019 hit 'Be Here' will also feature on 'Provlépseis'.
"This record is definitely very personal," Tori reveals. "Whenever I write, it's difficult for me to not be the centrepiece of the song.
"The way 'Courtney Love' (a song Tori declares is dedicated to those who piss on your back and tell you it's raining) was written was much like most of my songs, on my lounge room floor with an acoustic guitar. The song quickly formed into a sort of disturbed lullaby."
"I'm the type of person that's going to listen to heavy metal in the morning then blues and roots and country in the night." - Tori Forsyth
Remaining true to herself is what drives Tori's creative expression and, while creating this striking 13-track collection, she allowed herself to be guided by the needs of each individual song, freed from genre expectations.
This creative path to traverse different genres can easily be traced back to Tori's own set of eclectic musical influences that range from Stevie Nicks and Miley Cyrus to Nirvana and The Cranberries; so it's a natural step for Tori to embrace guitar-driven rock elements with her newer material.
"I've learned a lot since releasing my first record," Tori says. "I've not just grown but I've grown up.
"My musical tastes have expanded an incredible amount. I'm the type of person that's going to listen to heavy metal in the morning then blues and roots and country in the night. I listen to music all day and it's such a vast spectrum of music.
"I think this record really sums up the fact that I listen to a lot of music – I was actually listening to an interview with Miley Cyrus yesterday with Allison Hagendorf – she's like a Spotify chick over in the States [Allison is Global Head Of Rock for Spotify].
"Miley was talking about genre-bending and how it's more of a feeling and a mood now, and it's so true. People are starting to can the labels and Spotify playlists mostly run on feelings and moods now, and I think that's pretty cool because I don't fit anywhere.
"I have never really fit into one place anyway, and some might think I've really shot myself in the foot by continuing to expand and not fit even more, but I'm not going to change what I love and the way that I try to cram everything into the one thing, because I do.
"I have so many appreciations for different genres and at the end of the day, it's all about the storytelling and the mood and the feelings you get when you listen to it. That's the most important take away. That really just sums up the record I think.
"It's everything that I've experienced in the last couple of years, particularly in the last year, and it's a collection of what I've listened to and I've tried to keep it in line with who I am but also incorporating as much as I possibly can of my love for music."
Tori has again teamed with acclaimed country artist and respected producer Shane Nicholson, who also produced Tori's debut album 2018's 'Dawn Of The Dark' and her 2015 debut EP 'Black Bird'.
"He knows what I'm after when I go in," Forsyth says of Nicholson, "and I kind of give him free rein with production, because I really trust his knowledge of music. . . He's amazing. He's one of my closest friends now.
"I met him very early in the piece when I started music and he's very similar to me in that he'll listen to metal and listen to a bunch of stuff. His musical knowledge is so insane.
"I can literally say to him 'let's do this' and he'll be like 'oh, have you heard of this and this?' and I'm like 'no I haven't, let's have a look at it'. . . He's so smart. I love that.
"I love people who have so much knowledge on music. He's just a freak with that stuff, he gets it.
"It's really perfect – I don't give him references and stuff but he's pretty much got free rein with the record, but it's interesting because with 'All For You' it wasn't just him that produced it, my bass player actually initially produced it and then Shane came onboard as well, to have that continual flow for the record.
"So my bass player [Zachary Miller] was stuck in Canada and we were just kind of jamming to the song and he loved it and was like 'this song is amazing, can I have a crack at it' and I was like 'yeah, for sure, go for it', and it turned into this weird '80s pop song.
"I was listening to a lot of The Cure at the time and a lot of Billy Idol, so I was like 'this is awesome'. Then we got Shane involved as well, and my drummer tracked the drums in this tiny little storage unit so it was a very COVID production, but it turned out really well."
'Provlépseis' will be released 21 May. Pre-order it. Tori Forysth plays the 2021 The Gum Ball (Hunter Valley), which runs 16-18 April.
