Influenced by the traditional Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi, a worldview centred on accepting transience and imperfection, Boston-based artist Torrance knows he’s here for a good time and not a long one. After a near-fatal car accident, a spark was ignited in the larger-than-life pop star to embrace life and music with unfiltered passion and urgency.
His recent single ‘Star Child’ was a tune that instantly caught my attention, not just for its infectious and upbeat nature, but also for its personal and resonant message. Intrigued to learn more about Torrance, I was thrilled when he agreed to an interview.
Chatting with us about the song he’s most proud of releasing, what he loves about being a musician, and his adoration for Prince and Lady Gaga, please give a warm welcome to Torrance!
Thanks so much for chatting with us Torrance! I’m so excited to introduce you to our ever-growing audience! Let’s kick things off with an easy one…Who is Torrance and when did your love affair with music begin?
No, no, thank YOU! The pleasure is all mine. Hello everyone! My name is Torrance, I am a singer/songwriter and recording artist from Boston, Massachusetts USA. I’m a lover of the performing arts, especially live music, and consider going to concerts my “church time.” I pretty much came out of the womb singing, so my affair with music began in utero.
My introduction to your music came with your most recent single ‘Star Child’, a synthy and upbeat little gem I just cannot get out of my head! I know it tells a personal tale about your upbringing and feeling like an alien on this Earth, but what else would you like our readers to know about your latest tune?
Love the fact that ‘Star Child’ is stuck in your head. So, I grew up in an environment that established a lot of restrictions on what I could do, listen to, and say. As a kid, I questioned absolutely everything. It wasn’t out of rebellion or stubbornness (that’s the current iteration of Torrance) but more out of curiosity and the “why” behind things. Challenging the status quo is one of the main reasons we are here.
The lyrics in the song are more of a conversation I wish someone had with me as a child. Simply knowing someone else questioned the way my mind questioned would’ve potentially redirected a lot of pain in life. But that’s life and I love my life now. To wrap this one up, I seldom felt like the people in my life wanted to be around each other, so performing was my way of getting everyone together to vibe on the same frequency – and it worked. I hope that if I have kids one day, I’ll be able to provide some form of comfort and direction in an ever-evolving universe.
Now, I’m sorry to pose such a tough question so early on, but what song of yours are you most proud of and why?
Easiest question yet, actually. I am monstrously proud of my song ‘Get It Baby’. It’s a song about resilience, picking yourself up by your bootstraps, and kicking your own (can I say “ass”) butt. I wouldn’t be on this Earth if it weren’t for the fight inside me to keep pushing forward with my music.
Actually, there’s a mantra in the bridge of the song where I took a saying I grew up with ‘WWJD’ and rewrote it to ‘WWJCD’ – that reads “What Would Jennifer Coolidge Do?” Now if you are not a fan of Jennifer Coolidge, that’s Stifler’s mom from American Pie and White Lotus. She, in my opinion, is a ridiculously talented actress (who is also from Massachusetts) who had a challenging career but always found the means of getting it.
Who are some of your biggest musical influences? And who would I see under “Recently Played” on your streaming service of choice?
Ah! I love talking about this. Ok, so Prince is king for me. Talk about an alien visiting Earth and having the human experience. I love everything about him. His style, charisma, stage presence, voice, and the inhuman way he played the guitar and effortlessly jumped into splits?! Still blows my mind to this day. I could talk about Prince for eons so let’s touch on Lady Gaga. She will forever be etched in history as the polymorphic artist who can do it all. The way this woman can captivate audiences of thousands of people just by smiling or winking baffles me. Her talent is unmeasured and I’m a puddle when I see her live.
I worked behind the scenes on the video shoot of ‘Chillin’ by Wale. It was shot in Boston, Massachusetts, so I had the opportunity to be an extra (I didn’t make it in the final cut). Gaga was featured on the track and this was right around the time she was skyrocketing to superstardom. You could eat her energy with a spoon. It was intoxicating. Now I’m rambling and there was another question here…oh yes, on my “Recently Played” you’d see the aforementioned artists above along with some Kimbra, Kim Petras, Kygo, Beethoven, and I love me some good ol’ Earth, Wind & Fire.
What aspects of being a musician do you cherish most? And on the flip side, what would you say have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve encountered?
I really liked the way that you phrased the first part of this question. I cherish the “Aha! moments.” When something clicks. The moments you hear an unfamiliar new tune in your head or feel a rhythm that drives you mad. So mad that you must record it or write it down immediately before it disappears into the ether. Being that vehicle for something new is inexplicable and I cherish those moments. I would be remiss to not mention what it’s like performing to live audiences. There is no better place for me than being on stage.
On the flip side, the biggest challenge I have faced is myself. It took a long while to fall in love with the person and performer I am today. I’m a work in progress discovering who this person is and what Torrance has to say.
We’re always fascinated by the different approaches that artists turn to in their creative process or processes. How do you take an idea and turn it into a complete song?
I like to think of building a song as playing painting. The engineer on my record knows when I need to simply act a fool so he ever so kindly says, “Let’s throw some paint at the wall,” and I do. Sometimes the ideas I have when tracking are great until I am on the mic, then the universe takes over and it’s either fantastic or complete garbage.
What would “being successful” in the music industry look like for you? And do you see it as an imperative or more of a cherry on top?
I am all about the power of manifesting through visualization. I live by René Descartes’s quote, “I think, therefore I am.” Our thoughts are so powerful that they can stop us from doing the things we dream of doing or empower us to keep swimming against the current until we reach our desired destination. Right now, I’m winning. Right now, I’m discussing music and life with you and folks reading this interview – that’s what success in the industry looks like for me. What’s imperative is enjoying and loving the process as much as the result.
If you were given the chance to collaborate with any musician or band, who would you choose?
Coldplay. Coldplay. And Coldplay. Let’s do it. Let’s go!! That’s all.
Thanks again for taking the time to chat with us Torrance! It’s been awesome getting to know you better. When can we expect ‘Galaxy of Punks’ and do you have any words of wisdom you’d like to leave us with?
This was entirely my pleasure! Thank you again for connecting – I enjoyed myself. My debut album ‘Galaxy of Punks’ will be out in Fall 2024! I’m really looking forward to sharing it with my fellow earthlings and their ear holes. One final sentiment before we wrap…I would say – make art for yourself and the rest will fall into place. Arigato!
