If you haven’t introduced yourself to the soulful electro-folk music of startling singer-songwriter Gordi – aka Sophie Payten – yet, then prepare to be dazzled.
Combining Payten's haunting vocal range with mesmerising production values, her stunning debut album, Reservoir, was all the more remarkable given she was holding down a gig as a junior doctor at the time. No mean feat while squishing in international touring and appearing at major music festivals alongside the likes of Bon Iver, Alex Somers, Julien Baker and the Tallest Man On Earth.
She dropped the day job at the start of the year to focus on her music, and the sometime Melbourne resident also relocated to Sydney, with touring plans to promote new album Our Two Skins put on hold or the time being.
Lucky for us, though, we still get to see her do her thing live. Payten will play a launch gig for Our Two Skins on Saturday, July 25 at 9pm, from the Sydney Opera House as part of the From Our House to Yours digital platform. She'll be performing alongside her four-piece band from the Joan Sutherland stage, and the gig will be streamed live, so you can soak up her blissful blues from the comfort of your sofa.
The album draws on the roller coaster of an emotional breakdown onboard an Etihad flight to Europe in late 2017, the loss of her beloved grandmother, and Payten’s emerging queer identity, which occurred during that totally lowkey, non-stressful maelstrom, aka the marriage equality plebiscite. So get the hankies ready and brace for emotional impact as one of Australia’s most exciting rising stars lets loose.
This article is supported by the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas
