Interview by NOTES FROM VIVACE
LOS ANGELES – Americana-rocker V Torres has released her sophomore album “Woman,” and many of her listeners can relate to the impressive indie musician’s message.
“Woman” highlights Torres’ distinct vocals, which are immediately recognizable to devotees of the Los Angeles music scene. The album reflects on the life journey that has shaped Torres as a woman. There are relatable songs about divorce, friendship and romantic desire.
US Rocker’s first encounter with the Americana-rocker was in 2022 when she was part of the Hot Line Fest that was held at Permanent Records Roadhouse. When given the opportunity to conduct a Q&A with the artist, we jumped at the opportunity.
Q. How would you describe the sound behind your upcoming album Woman?
My album “Woman” is a collection of deeply personal songs that blend of Americana, Indie, and Desert Rock, a sound that some have described as “where the desert meets the sea.” Layers of textured guitars drive the songs while unguarded lyricism create a lush, cinematic indie-rock experience that still encompasses the intimacy of a singer-songwriter.
Q. Were there particular reasons you chose “Woman” as the title / lead single for your sophomore album? (That is, compared to maybe using one of your other titles as the album title.)
When I wrote “Woman” I knew it was a special song that would definitely be highlighted as a single with a music video. It was one of those songs that really felt heavy. Lyrically, emotionally, and sonically, it is a heavy song. The line that repeats in the song, “my work never ends, it just starts over and over again” felt very fitting to how I was feeling at the time and I realized that this song was really connecting strongly with many people.
When I would play it live, I received a lot of positive feedback and many reactions from women that said “you wrote this song for me.” When the record started shaping together, I really felt like this song stood at the apex. The songs on the record are deeply personal and were written in this time of transformation and evolution into the woman that I am today. It felt fitting to call the record Woman, dedicated to this track that really culminates the feelings and emotions of all of the songs at a higher level.
Q. Is there a story behind one of your other songs from the album that you’d like to share?
I went to Joshua Tree for the first time several years ago and stayed in an air bnb on a property that got raided by the police in search of the body of a woman who had gone missing weeks prior. Yes, it’s crazy and yes, it happened. This moment was scary and tragic, and it got me thinking about how finite life is. It got me thinking about what is “right” and what is “wrong” and what is the grey area in life. Can we live in that area? This experience inspired a song on the record called “Slow,” which explores a desert landscape where there is no right or wrong, just the grey.
Q. How did your parents influence your musical tastes?
This is a great question because I truly feel that music you are exposed to as a young person really shapes so much of your taste. My parents weren’t musicians but they were huge fans of music. Any given night, the record player would be on, spinning something from either my mom’s folk/singer-songwriter favorites like Joni Mitchell, Leon Russell, Elton John or my dad’s love of psychedelic rock bands like Pink Floyd and Zeppelin. There was also Jimi and Janis which became my favorites as well as some Earth, Wind and Fire soul and funk playing. There was always a lot of outlaw country music, like Waylon and Willie, which reminds me of being really young and has heavily inspired me to write songs with lyrics that can get you really feeling the moment. I think having that musical influence surrounding me as a young person drove me to listen to so much different music and have a wide appreciation of all genres.
Q. In your music career, is there a moment / experience that is imprinted or is an anchor?
I feel like there are many hinge moments if we are open to seeing them in life. For me, years back, I performed at the BeachLife Festival in Redondo Beach and when my band hit the stage we had one of the largest crowds that I’ve ever played for. It was a surreal moment to see all of those people watching and staying for our entire set. I really felt like the music I was writing was connecting with a higher energy and vibration and that really gave me a lot of excitement to continue to write songs and make records.
Q. Do you have any pearls of wisdom that you’d like to share about making a new album that other musicians might find useful?
My biggest piece of advice and something that I learned in the past years making this record is to let go of your control over the process and let it unfold naturally. Work hard on your demos and pre-production so that you can execute your vision in the studio. Things are always going to change and evolve and the more you can let the songs grow into what they are supposed to be rather than trying to control the process, the better everything will turn out.
