TRACK BY TRACK: Tori Forsyth Is Breaking New Ground With 'Provlepseis'

21 May 2021 | 1:59 pm | Tori Forsyth

Tori Forsyth's guitar-driven 'Provlepseis' is putting the country/western vibes of her previous offerings into the dark, and bringing her own darkness into the light. Here, the New South Wales singer divulges the secrets behind her new tracks.

Tori Forsyth

Tori Forsyth (Pic by She Is Aphrodite)

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Be Here

Be Here is about a relationship that has dealt with substance abuse and navigating when it's time to move forward from that. 

This was the first song we recorded for the record and set the tone for how the record was going to form. 

It was also the first song written so it is a pretty important starting point for me in the direction I was about to take. 

All For You

All For You is about looking toward a higher power for answers when you're not sure what to do. I think it's mostly born out of desperation. Needing something and feeling helpless as to what it is. This was produced by Shane Nicholson and Zac Miller, who is also my bass player.

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Down Below

Down Below is mostly just about angst and leaning into that angst just to feel something. We wanted it to feel like the lyrics were written. It's a song that I didn't really set out to write or even use because I kind of sat at the piano and was like, 'How literal can I get without sounding like an asshole?'

Courtney Love

Courtney Love is about people who pretend to like but like to hate you. I find the concept ridiculous and didn't realise it was a thing. Funnily, my high school group didn't deal with a great deal of bitchiness. I guess I was lucky but what a rude shock it is to hit you in the real world. We wanted this to sound like a disturbed lullaby. 

Redundant

There's a fair bit of desperation in Redundant. The therapeutic value of yelling a song was a really intentional play on my part for this. After listening to a lot of heavy music I wanted to do that myself and feel that release, particularly on stage. 

This also plays into finding personal power which is what the lyrics are built on and having that internal conflict of feeling powerful than just wanting to be loved as you are. Like most of the record, Shane's ability to play and see exactly what I was going for within a song shines through, particularly on this track.

Shapeshifter

This song I wrote after feeling like 'being yourself' in art was dying. The demand for more more more. It also was written with the intention of being a song that can be yelled on stage. 

I really love the layering on guitars in this track, It was a fun one to record vocals for but also to watch Shane work out what it felt sat best on it. 

Keeper

Desperation and loss of sense of self is a common theme on this record. The lyrics in Keeper are incredibly honest and written like a prayer of what I wish I had. Shane got a little experimental sound wise and used a sample in this which is something new for us but I really love it. 

Last Man Stands

This song is about the give and take of a relationship and the point where both people start keeping score and just how toxic that can get. The feeling of needing to play the game you didn't know was happening. It's also one of my favourite sounds on the record having a build into the chorus. 

Cosmetic Cuts

This song is really about being superficial. It touches on sacrifice and just how far you'll go for a person, it also touches on knowing the situation for what it is but also not wanting to let go. This song musically is a bit of a side step but we felt it was a fun one to mess around within the studio. 

Kid

Kid is about the media. The potential harm it's causing, the unknown. My personal struggle with social media and my fear for future generations and it evolves. The band and I came up with most of this live and Shane used a voice memo I recorded at rehearsal as a reference. 

Blaming Me

This song is based on narcissism. Knowing when to accept blame and when to accept when it wasn't your fault. Knowing when to let go of someone who is hurting you. 

Martyr

Martyr is basically written from a time of me feeling like I had no control but completely out of my own doing. Listening to too many opinions that did have my best interest, letting people get to me and being hurt by that. Letting your life happen to you as opposed to for you and no knowing exactly how to take back control. 

Tori Forsyth's Provlepseis is out now. Have a listen below: