Tora are 4-piece electronic band originating from Byron Bay, Australia. A group of multi-instrumentalists, songwriters and producers with a wide musical palette, the band originally formed in 2013 with early releases fusing unique and graceful vocals with smoothly layered production and instrumentation reminiscent of Radiohead and James Blake.
Early single ‘Jaigantic’ was remixed by heralded LA-based producer Galimatias, which further boosted online activity for the band’s catalogue — a catalogue that is closing on 100 million streams of independently released music.
In 2017 Tora released their debut album, 'Take A Rest' , which was added to high rotation on triple j and received acclaim from Elton John (Beats 1), Annie Mac (BBC Radio 1), BBC 6 Music, rotation on Germany’s Flux FM and Radio Eins, as well as being a favourite amongst global tastemakers such as Line of Best Fit, Indie Shuffle and Pigeons & Planes. Alongside spins from LA’s premiere radio outlet KCRW, the album united fans and tastemakers, and connected with all corners of the planet.
After playing at Glastonbury, Splendour In The Grass, The Great Escape, Canadian Music Week, and also supporting artists like RÜFÜS DO SOL, SAFIA and Miami Horror, the release of ’Take A Rest' saw Tora return to touring the world, supporting the likes of Oh Wonder (UK), as well as showcasing the album live in extensive jaunts through the UK, Europe and Australia and performing their own sold out shows in London, Amsterdam, Paris, Melbourne and at home in Byron Bay.
Truly independent, and masters of their own creativity, Tora have spent the last two years travelling the world and working on new material, spending focused time in London, LA, Berlin and Amsterdam writing, collaborating, learning and growing. It makes sense then that what follows is heavily influenced by life on the road, far away places and a sense of introspection. The fruits of this quiet dedication are clear, with now around 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify alone, the band has set up for themselves a beautiful platform to let their most recent creations fly.
On March 1, Tora released their first new song in over nine months — ‘Deviate’, which was Co-written and co-produced in London at the iconic RAK Studios with Roy Kerr (London Grammar, Lana Del Rey).
A beautiful brooding track, ‘Deviate’ paves the way for exciting news of the band’s sophomore album ‘Can’t By The Mood’, to be released on August 9th 2019.
‘Can’t Buy The Mood’ is deeply inspired by themes of human connection, and displays an equally intriguing array of beautifully crafted songs that morph and transport to another world.
Specifically, the pairing of lead singles ‘Morphine’ & ‘Can’t Buy The Mood’ highlight a split world that represents the human condition around decision making and the associated consequences. Placed side by side, the polarity in sound between these two wonderfully-composed tracks show the band owning their broad sphere of inspiration, as well as showcasing the sonic diversity of their output, an output that has been uncompromising and DIY in every sense. With the assistance of a few special friends, the album has been written, produced, mixed and mastered in house by the band, with all art direction and design coming from the band directly.
Say’s lead vocalist and songwriter Jo Loewenthal on the creative themes for the album: “
Written during a period of intense reflection on the self and on society as a whole, the title ‘Can’t Buy The Mood’ is a reminder that money, fame and material objects alone do not create happiness and deep satisfaction.
*This album was designed to encourage people to spend their lives following their true passions, and have meaningful connections with each other, rather than just chasing material dreams.
It contains songs which touch on an array of subjects ranging from love, to climate change, societal disillusionment, mental illness, self improvement and even the political polarization between the far right and left.
We wanted to create something that could inspire people to be kinder to each other and more accepting of each other’s beliefs, but ultimately we hope this record encourages more frequent and meaningful human connection. *
This point marks a paradigm shift and the start of a sharpened focus for Tora, with local and international live dates on the horizon. ‘Can’t Buy The Mood’ is yet another step forward in the Tora evolution -- a meticulously crafted, tasteful release that highlights a quantum creative leap for the Byron Bay group.