Tori BLK Interview – Shares her music journey, creative process and new single “Dark Madonna Rajut Dance Remix”
Pre-save on Spotify: Tori BLK – ‘Dark Madonna Rajut Dance Remix’
Great to have you on Xttrawave. Please, introduce yourself.
First off, thanks for having me Xttrawave! Super grateful to be featured on your blog. My name is Tori BLK. I am a singer-songwriter and music producer from Yuma, Arizona. I’ll leave my intro as simple as that.
What made you want to become an artist and make music?
Honestly, what made me want to become an artist and make music started from an early age, I was 5 when I first got my guitar. My dad was a big part of my earlier development into music. After that, my teenage years were filled with pop punk music and a lot of MTV after school. I wanted to be as cool as Joel and Benji Madden. I remember going to 3 GC concerts back to back cause I loved Good Charlotte that much. Once all of that phase was over, I started listening to an array of music genres that influenced me a lot. Now, I like to stay open to music, even if I make Pop/Alt-Pop tunes.
Can you tell us about your new music? And what’s the story behind it?
My new single Dark Madonna Rajut Dance Remix is a revamped version of an older song I made about 10 years ago! It was part of my EP Impermanent human which was released in 2011. I wanted to find a way to revive Dark Madonna and give it another chance to be heard again in 2023. I like to call it my 10th Anniversary as Tori BLK and for the EP that set the way for where I am going, which I think it’s towards the stars.
How would you describe your music style? And what’s your creative process when you write new music)
I would describe my music as a mix of pop, synth pop, and alternative pop. My songs can go from dark to light but never really bright. I always talk about how hard it is to write about happiness and it’s not because it’s missing in my life or anything but I think it’s because I like to feel my inner shadows. I like to feel where my hearts been and to write stories of the darker shades of romance.
I take most of my inspiration from my own life and from my imagination. I’ve always had a pretty strong imagination. Being an only child and playing with myself most of the time, allowed me to be overactive in this area. Sometimes, my mind can go on and on, and that’s when I can get a song going. The more I feel it, the better it comes out. It’s usually me, my guitar, and a notepad to begin. Then I move over to record the demos in my minimal home studio. Then it keeps going from there.
Describe your favorite and least favorite part about being a music artist.
My favorite part is the creation of music. I believe the creation of anything is magical. I imagine that’s how God made everything around us. Writing music is a super power that anyone willing to explore has been blessed with. But it can also be a curse! A curse because creative people live a hard life, it’s not easy, it takes a lot of work for people to even notice you. And for me, my least favorite part is performing. I am not a natural performer and I hate the entertainment part of music. Why? Well cause I hate to fake the funk. So when I get on stage, it’s not the easiest part for me. I don’t really like being the center of attention or having the spotlight on me. I prefer making music privately and feel content with whoever wants to listen.
I always said I wanted to put out a large amount of songs into the world and if something happens, let it happen. If nothing happens, well nothing happened. Not that I don’t care about my brand, marketing and so on. But “I am not here to make friends”, as sam smith once said.
Who are your biggest musical influences? And any particular artist/band you would like to collaborate with in the future?
Right now, I am all about supporting other women in the music industry. At least in my head at the moment. I hope to collaborate with as many powerful female songwriters and music producers in the future. I don’t want to put any specific names out because I want to manifest any down to earth women that wanna team up to write great tunes.
How do you balance your music with other activities like work/ hobbies?
Honestly, it’s hard. From time to time I have chronic flare ups, I take care of my mother full time, and work on many online businesses from home. But the best way I balance everything is to slow down, meditate, and connect with nature. I remind myself that we don’t have to be doing shit 100% of the time to be successful and that success is different for everybody. You gotta balance it all out, or else you’ll burn out.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians?
I would say follow the stars in the sky, not people or things made out of paper.
If you had one message to give to your fans, what would it be?
Never give up on yourself, remember you’re a badass.
What’s next for you? Any upcoming projects?
Dark Madonna Rajut Dance Remix is the first single of the year and will be released on March 17,2023. Anyone can pre-save it now on Spotify and I am sure they will be able to find the link somewhere on this page. But I have an entire EP that I am currently writing and producing at this moment within my home studio. You can expect my single “Blue Dreams” in a few months, no exact date yet, and my entire EP in the fall of 2023. I am super excited to be releasing more music this year! And to see if there is anything else that pops up in the process.
Follow Tori BLK
