Laurie Torres (Interview)

Today we’re listening to Laurie Torres, a Canadian-Haitian pianist and composer based in Montreal. She started studying piano at age six, and in the late 2000s began contributing keys to other bands, then forming her own (Folly & The Hunter). In 2023 she shifted her attention to solo work, centered on impromptu piano, accompanied by contemplative synth and jazzy drums. Torres’ debut LP, Après coup, came out last week and collects 11 of these tender compositions. She suggested pairing Après coup with Eiko Ishibashi’s 2021 score for the movie Drive My Car. A conversation with Laurie follows the streaming links.

Après coup - Laurie Torres (33m, essentially no vocals)
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube Music / Amazon Music / Bandcamp / Tidal

Drive My Car OST - Eiko Ishibashi (39m, no vocals)
Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube Music / Amazon Music / Bandcamp / Tidal

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What's your earliest memory of music?

It was probably my parents blasting some Haitian record and dancing to it.

How'd you start playing piano and what were some of your favorite pieces to play growing up?

My parents signed me up for classical piano lessons when I was 6. I continued taking lessons for more than a decade, and absolutely loved it. I particularly enjoyed playing pieces from Mendelssohn’s Song Without Words. I was always drawn to contemplative or melancholic pieces.

What were some of your favorite experiences playing on stage with bands?

Playing to a sold-out Roundhouse (London) is one of my highlights. The shape of the room, the sound and energy in there – all these things made it quite special. Playing at the Detroit Masonic Temple was also quite the experience. I still can’t believe that a building like that exists!

Tell us about your journey from playing more pop music to meditative solo piano.

Touring is so fun. You get to have so many adventures and see so many places. But it’s also not very conducive to slowness and rest. There just isn’t enough time to sit down and connect with your creative self – except maybe 10 minutes during soundcheck, here and there – and I was craving that after a while.

Sometimes even outside of touring, that’s what life feels like. Finding time and/or headspace was becoming increasingly difficult for me and, somehow, I trusted that if only I took that time, ideas would come. And that’s why improvisation seemed like a sensible choice. And I was quite happy with the outcome!

What music were you listening to while making Après coup? What artists or records most influenced those pieces?

Honestly, I was not listening to much music at that time, and I wasn’t in discovery mode either. Some of the albums I put on to entertain myself while traveling were Arp’s New Pleasures, Caroline’s Caroline, Daniel Ogren’s Fastingen-92, Daniel Bachman’s Axacan, L’Rain’s Fatigue, Time Wharp’s Spire World, yes/and’s Yes/And. And some pop too.

When making Après coup, the ideas came out so fast, and I didn’t know what I was going to make, so I didn’t have time to think of references. However, making the record made me want to relisten to artists that had been a part of my music culture for many years. I’m thinking of Rachel’s, Steve Reich, Bing & Ruth, Tristeza and such. And it made me want to dive into all the instrumental music that’s being made right now.

Typically we recommend two LPs – do you have a suggestion for an instrumental LP to pair Après coup with?

Perhaps the soundtrack to Drive my Car, by Eiko Ishibashi.

How do you discover new music these days? Any notable recent finds?

I discover music mainly through social media. I follow many labels and, if I’m feeling curious, I dig into the artists that they are posting about. Flow State has also been a great source for very many years as well. And sometimes I buy records just from hearing them in the record store or from the description printed on the sleeve.

A recent-ish find that I absolutely love is Florence Sinclair, love the dark introspective vibes. I’ve also been loving CTM’s Vind, and Maria Teriaeva’s Sayan – Savoie is making me want to run to my Buchla and play all day.

Name an underrated artist from the past 50 years.

I think more people should know Sandro Perri! I think I started listening to his music in 2005, so it’s been very present in my sonic landscape. I absolutely love all the different eras of Sandro Perri, and I encourage you to dig in – you’ll love it.

What are you working on next?

Live shows! I just joined a booking agency, and I’m looking forward to playing live over in Europe and the UK. I’m also already thinking about a next record, and hopefully some collaborations as well. We’ll see what the future holds.