TheCreativeRoutine

Thank you so much. I am overwhelmingly flattered and grateful. I’m elated to know the record is striking some sort of a nerve with people.

Technically, you could say this album has been in the making for four years, as I began to write the material for the record in 2009. The recording process lasted all of five days, which was quick, albeit exhausting.

This is a funny topic. I graduated from Belmont University recently, so I suppose you could say I had ample opportunity to go a more slick, polished route, recording and production-wise. My decision to track to tape was as deliberate as the songwriting itself, and the major reason my engineer/producer Ryan McFadden and I chose to record at Tony Joe White’s home studio in Franklin. He had the analog resources that are not so readily available at your typical Nashville recording studio. It almost felt like I was running away from all the polish for which Music Row has become known. Maybe I was.

Thank you. I do, actually. I write a lot of poetry and short stories, and have been doing so since I can remember. Those were the formats that originally inspired my love affair with words; songwriting didn’t come until later. I think I was halfway through high school before I wrote my first song.

The themes portrayed in my songs are merely concise, linear versions of what I only wish I could convey in everyday conversation. It’s my medium of communication; if I didn’t have it, I would explode or rot or something. I never “try” to write anything anymore. I did that for such a long time and would constantly beat myself up over it when I failed. Ultimately, the result is horrible when I try to say something that I don’t mean. I hate when I listen to artists sing about things I know they don’t care about. If you don’t care, chances are others aren’t going to care either.

Is it all autobiographical?

Whether it is or not, it’s all relevant to the universal human experience.

I have more fun. It’s more diverse. It screams in my hands.

Johnny Cash, Joan Jett, Nirvana, Fleetwood Mac, The Rolling Stones, Tori Amos, Brandi Carlile, St. Vincent, Imogen Heap, and Ryan Adams are just a handful of bands/artists who have influenced me at one point or another. There are a lot more that I’m probably blanking on right now.

I suppose they’re correlated somehow. I wear what makes me feel good. Johnny is one of my heroes, and he’s certainly influenced me in all aspects, musically, fashionably, and otherwise. Fashion isn’t necessarily something that appeals to me, though, at least not in the way that it’s been portrayed in America. I think it can be beautiful and is a really fantastic medium of expression, but consumerism kind of bums me out and ruins the fun a bit.

I’m not actually sure Nashville has influenced my sound a great deal. There are a couple of bands here that I’ve certainly taken cues from in terms of showmanship, but the influences on the music itself come from a myriad of places and span an impossibly wide variety of genres and eras.

I wish I knew! I’m going on a tiny tour in the next couple of weeks here, so that’s a start. Humble beginnings.

Any music videos in the works? I’m dying to see some visuals for “Honey” haha.

Nothing as of right now, but it’s probably safe to say there’ll be a video of some sorts in the near future.

Be sure to visit TORRES’ website to find out info on tours dates, etc. Buy her debut album in digital or vinyl. And don’t forget to follow her on Twitter.

Also keep up with the TORRES tag on Public Garage Sale for more photos from our photo shoot.