Gordi

Gordi makes her debut with the luminous indie-pop of “Nothing’s As It Seems”, premiering today on Best Fit. The aptly-titled track mixes a breezy, acoustic guitar-driven melody with lightly electronic elements and a darker lyrical underbelly.

The twenty-one-year-old's clear, warm voice and charming guitar work shine on this debut. With lyrics that highlight the contrast between a person’s sunny exterior and the restlessness rumbling underneath, she captures a mood that is both timeless and relatable. Her tunefulness and emotional acumen place her music alongside folk contemporaries Laura Marling and The Tallest Man On Earth, both of whom she credits as influences.

Speaking about the track, Gordi said: "This song is about the struggle to move on from something or someone. When you first listen to it, it seems like a pretty upbeat track but the lyrics are a lot darker than the melody and reflect on those differences between the face we show others and what we're actually feeling inside. How we hope to get lost in the hurry of life rather than wait for a darker reality."

“Nothing’s As It Seems” is available now for streaming via Soundcloud. An official launch event for the track will follow on 22 October at the Goodgod Small Club in Sydney. - The Line of Best Fit (UK)

Debuts can be as important as an artist makes them, but if someone comes out of the gate with an especially strong one, it can really put them on the map. We’ve seen some exceptional debuts this year, and now, we’ve one that’s of a softer, indie-folk variety from Sydney-based songstress, Gordi. Our standards for indie-folk music this year have been set very high by artists like Vance Joy and Xavier Dunn, but here, we find that Gordi is still capable of surpassing our expectations with her lovely first offering, “Nothing’s As It Seems”.

The singer’s tranquil vocals captivated us right off the bat, and from them, the song’s beauty only grows. A gentle acoustic guitar strum consistently plays throughout the track, and plenty of electronically produced and especially authentic-sounding elements appear as the song progresses. A mellow, constant beat keeps the pace, but certainly doesn’t steal any attention from Gordi’s wonderful vocals, which are clearly the main attraction of this song.

Everybody needs a bit of indie-folk once in a while, and especially now that we’re in the fall months, you’d do well to let Gordi’s debut serenade your senses. - Hilly Dilly (US)

Sydney is evidently the city of the week, as far as this column is concerned – because here comes Gordi, a 21-year-old indie folk/folktronic singer-songwriter whose pure, clear tones over sparse synthetic accompaniments and minimal acoustic guitar, have drawn comparisons with Angel Olsen, Asgeir and Laura Marling. Nothing’s As It Seems is about about “the struggle to move on from something or someone”, she says, explaining that the lyrics are a lot darker than the melody in order to show the difference “between the face we show others and what we’re actually feeling inside”. Breezy wintry melancholy at its finest. - The Guardian

October 2nd

Who is it? Gordi

What's the story? Gordi is a 21 year-old Sydney-based singer-songwriter and, on the basis of this enchanting debut track, an incredibly talented one. Nothing's As It Seems is an apt title for a track that begins with breezy guitar strumming and a minimal beat, before it grows and grows, with layers of vocals giving a Fleetwood Mac tinge, then at 1:30, a gorgeous low synth takes it into genuinely haunting territory. A standard singer-songwriter Gordi is not: this is great stuff.

For fans of: Fleetwood Mac, Laura Marling, Joni Mitchell

In Three Words: Bewitching Indie Folk - The Shortlist

The winner of this year's Josh Pyke Partnership has been announced and it's none other than previous triple j Unearthed Feature Artist, Gordi.

The Sydney-based folktronica songwriter was personally hand-picked by Pyke from 160 applicants for the JP Partnership, which in partnership with APRA, offers an unsigned musician $7,500 in funding and career mentoring from wise music industry bigwigs.

"It was extremely tough to judge as always," Pyke writes, "but Gordi's music stayed with me from the moment I heard the tracks in her application, and I'm expecting big things for her in the year to come!"

The track that tickled Pyke's ear? That'd be Gordi's single 'Nothing's As It Seems'.
Speaking to triple j, Gordi - or simply Sophie Payten to her mates - says the win is "hugely exciting" and very well-timed.

She's releasing a new single - called 'Can We Work It Out' - in the next few weeks, followed by an EP, then using the $7,500 prize towards making her first full-length album.

Currently eyeing a 12-track effort, she'll spend the next few months going through a musical "survival of the fittest", selecting the final tracklist.

"Mid-next year we're hoping to put out the debut album, so the money from this will be an enormous help to getting that recorded. So I won't just have to rely on my youth allowance that I've saved up from Uni."

Sophie was actually in a lecture when she received the good news from her manager yesterday afternoon. But better than that was having an e-mail from Josh Pyke pop up in her inbox, which she describes as something that "only ever happen[s] in dreams."

"To be honest I can't decide what I'm more excited about: meeting Josh Pyke or the sum of money," she says of the idol who soundtracked her high school years with his albums Chimney's Afire and Memories and Dust.

"I've always been a fangirl... we'll work out a date in the next few weeks hopefully to meet up."

Josh Pyke will also provide personal mentorship as part of the prize, along with Wonderlick Entertainment's Gregg Dononvan (manager to JP, Boy & Bear, Grinspoon, and others) and Stephen Wade of Select Music.

Gordi's already gotten a head-start, having heard both men speak at an artist development conference program last year.

"I've had a few chats with Gregg since then so I'm looking forward to sitting down and getting some more of their advice because it's always been very good," she says.

So after conquering the JP Partnersihp, what's next on Gordi's to-do list for 2015?

"A video clip for my single 'Taken Blame' [hear below] is coming out in the next couple of weeks. Following that I'm dropping the next single and then a probably a month or so after that - depending on timing - release the last track and bonus track from the EP and do an East Coast headline tour to promote that. So lots happening."

Before that you can catch Gordi performing live as special guest to Ben Lee for his shows over the June long weekend (details here) .


posted
02/06/2015
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Sometimes, regardless of favored genres, we need music that simply soothes tired minds. Sydney singer Gordi delivers a beautiful lead-in to her upcoming EP with her second release, “Taken Blame.” Gently crowded production mixes guitars with bubbling synths and clattering percussion—a busy backdrop that forms a fitting counterpoint to the clarity of Gordi’s pretty voice. “Taken Blame” moves and evolves, but seems more broadly concerned with the creation of an otherworldly mood than anything else. A pleasant song to score a daydream. - Pigeons & Planes

Trying to think of a track that makes better use of its audible space than of Gordi's second single Taken Blame is quite impossible. Believe me I've tried and I think it's safe to say such a thing ceases to exist. Swelling with a remarkable urgency, the Sydney based songstress delivers a blisteringly powerful intro as it sparks to life with a tide of oceanic synths awashing over her angelic voice. As the track builds so does its clattering percussion and off-piste folk inspired melodies as the icy textures give way to an intense yearning - the nostalgic memories of past times flashing before my eyes as i become lost amongst its sincerity. With an EP forthcoming, Taken Blame already looks set to kick off what will be a highly exciting year for the young artist, something I'm eagerly looking forward to. Take a listen above for yourselves. - Scientists of Sound

. - Sneaky Magazine

Gordi’s new track ‘Taken Blame’ does its best ‘keep calm’ impression (without the bad spin-offs and aggressive font). Her debut track ‘Nothing’s As It Seems’ made its first appearance here late last year, and her latest single ‘Taken Blame’ is just as gossamer as the first.

It could be nonchalance or just restraint, but Gordi’s delivery treads along in a way that lets in light to an otherwise insular space. Lyrically, the subject matter is a little grim, but she maintains a transformative outlook. ‘Taken Blame’ adopts a beautiful arrangement, with Gordi’s nuances interrupted by the occasional off-beat or elevated vocal harmonies that bookmark the verse.

Whirling production/echo FX in the mixing department are all nice aesthetic flourishes. It sounds like listening to a live performance in a small room with massive ceilings. You get the feeling that without all of it, Gordi’s pastoral vocal would still lend this track the same weight. In this way, she tends to the same patch as Felicity Groom and even Sharon Van Etten, who’ve groomed their alto to the tune of honest post-love songs. There’s many years to go before Gordi could pass with the chutzpah that SVE reveals when she sings about errands and bathroom habits, but she might get there.

I’ve never seen Gordi perform, but I feel like I have many times. - Who The Hell

See URL for Triple J presenter reviews - Triple J Radio

Josh Pyke in partnership with APRA AMCOS is pleased to announce the winner of the 2015 Josh Pyke Partnership, Gordi (Sophie Payten). Gordi

Out of 160 applications Gordi's music was selected by Josh for the $7500 grant. She will also receive mentoring from Gregg Donovan of Wonderlick Entertainment, Stephen Wade from Select Booking Agency and Josh Pyke himself.

Josh said on picking Gordi as the 2015 winner,

"It was extremely tough to judge as always but Gordi’s music stayed with me from the moment I heard the tracks in her application, and I’m expecting big things for her in the year to come!"

In late 2014, Gordi (Sophie Payten) picked up a lot of attention with her track “Nothing’s As It Seems”, a luminous pop track which drew comparisons ranging from Angel Olson, Asgeir, Joni Mitchell and Tallest Man On Earth. The 21 year old artist was quickly added to high rotation on triple J and community radio around Australia and named triple J’s Unearthed Feature Artist earlier this year. Her second single ‘Taken Blame’ serves as another offering of what should be a busy 2015 for Gordi. Gordi has previously supported other high profile local acts Dustin Tebbutt, Husky, Ben Lee, Saskwatch, Jane Tyrrell, Kagu and Steve Smyth.

The Josh Pyke Partnership is awarded annually to an unsigned musician giving them the opportunity to receive funding and mentoring from experienced industry figures. - APRA AMCOS