This Thursday you’ll want to make your way to Resident in Little Tokyo to see Australian alt pop sensation Gordi before her debut LP drops next week. The record is titled Reservoir, which refers to a space brimming with emotion, where one may wade when mulling over life. If she brings even a fraction of the depth of her forthcoming release to her live show, it will surely be a night to remember. (Grab tickets!)
Gordi is the childhood nickname of Sophie Payten, who has been writing songs for the majority of her life. Her debut EP slowly came together for its release in the US last summer, introducing everyone to her delicate folk pop sound, which in the case of “Can We Work It Out,” was not easy to get out of your head. She spent a lot of time with that EP, touring the world all the while managing to fit in time for her studies. Fast forward to now and she has begun practicing medicine, apparently taking involuntary naps in delivery rooms due to the grueling and rest averse schedule she keeps. In spite of all this, Gordi plans to continue pursuing both for the foreseeable future, explaining:
“Medicine challenges my thinking in a way that music can’t. Music for me is an instinct and something I couldn’t live without, a life without it wouldn’t be a life I would want. It’s still incredibly challenging but it feels very natural for me. I choose to do medicine mainly because of the type of relationship you form with a patient. It’s one of total confidence and trust and I think the idea of having that role in someone’s life makes me passionate about pursuing it.”
This passion seems to be the key to Gordi. Her music is powerful, and filled with soul-baring honesty. When it comes to the instrumentation, Gordi cites labelmate Bon Iver as an influence; like in 22 A Million, bubbles of synths and autotune abound in Reservoir. The opening track “Long Way” seems to skip as you near the end, revving the production for more, leading us to other gems like “Myriad” and “I’m Done,” which features S. Carey on guest vocals. There’s also the multi-faceted single, “Heaven I Know” with elements that rely on soothing repetition; most obvious are the 1-2-3’s that hold the beat throughout, but also, the title of the song is repeated with unique emphasis twenty-seven times. Eventually, those words become etched into your mind, and it’s hard to let go. This is after all what the song is about: fear of losing a close friend, imperceptibly over time.
Altogether, Reservoir lives up to its namesake, allowing us to wallow in our feelings. It’s cathartic. Experience it live this Thursday at Resident; you won’t regret it.
Grab your tickets to the show here.
If you’re looking to pre-order Reservoir, visit her Bandcamp. For more information on Gordi, follow her on Facebook and Twitter.
