Originally from the Midwest, Tory Floyd grew up between two worlds where she would either put on-at-home concerts that would cater to her parent's heavy rotation of artists like The Jackson 5 or build a deep relationship to the world of sports.
Since 2018, she has constantly been in the studio with her number one collaborator and producer; her brother Preston Scott of Press Tone Productions. Her soulful pop style pulls influence from melody master Ariana Grande and lyrical storyteller Julia Michaels. Expanding her impact on the industry, Tory Floyd has caught the attention of those in the TV and Film world all while having multiple nationally and internationally aired music placements.
Her artistry speaks for itself as she is fresh off the release of her most recent single, “A(WY).” Casting a tune into the realm of edgy pop meets R&B fusion, the song's decoded title translates into “Alone (With You).”
The soothing instrumentation hosts the versatile vocalization of Tory Floyd’s sultry vocalization as she dips between a spoken word essence to kick off the track, but exudes her extensive vocal range throughout her introspective croons throughout the remainder of the composition. Tapping into a tenacious persona that hones in on knowing the value of yourself, Tory Floyd navigates listeners through the anthemic narrative catered to anyone waking up to a relationship that diminishes their value and holds them back.
Stimulating our headspace with an array of harmonies more bone-chilling than the last, the musicality brought in unison is a seamless example of what brilliant production techniques can do for an emerging artist. Flaunting the wisdom she yearns to share with her fan base, the dreamscape of sounds collides in a rhythmic kingdom of introspective thoughts through an imaginative lens of silver linings.
With a string of releases set to be launched throughout the course of this year, Tory Floyd is here to reiterate that it’s time to take back your control.
Welcome to BuzzMusic, Tory Floyd. We felt such a connection to the lyrical content released in “A(WY).” What inspired you to tap into such a vulnerable subject for this particular record?
This latest release, “A(WY)”, with Press Tone Productions is an edgy pop/R&B blend. Decoded, this title means “Alone (With You)”. With gritty Ariana & SZA vibes, this is the anthem for anyone waking up to a relationship that diminishes your value and always finds a way to hold you back. It’s especially fluent in the female perspective; knowing when it’s time to take back control and when it’s time to bounce. On this one, the track was actually made prior to the lyrics & melody. My brother and producer, Preston Scott, had put it together at some point earlier. One day I was in the car and it started playing when I was listening to some other tracks we were working on at the time. This one didn’t have a concept but it felt gritty and had a strong, yet subtle confidence to it. I started free-styling off of ideas I had already jotted down and one stuck out as that perfect starting point: “I’m gonna make it on my own, until the day that I decide it’s better than being alone”. This stemmed from a recent experience that reminded me it’s better to be on your own and the best version of yourself, than with somebody else and hide the parts that were always meant to thrive. The marriage of the track and the concept came fairly quickly once they were introduced.
With such an extensive vocal range, we would love to know how you approach your harmonic layers! Could you please share a glimpse of what the creative process looks like when fine-tuning one of your songs?
When it comes to fine-tuning a song, especially one with multiple vocal layers, it takes flexibility and patience. We’ve found that the best way that works for us is to lay down the lead vocal, cut together the basic foundation of the song and then add the layers and adlibs after it’s had its time to sink in. When you know what the overall goal of the song is, it’s much easier to elevate from there instead of trying to get fancy before you know what the building blocks are.
Do you find that the environment where you reside plays into the sound you’ve crafted for yourself?
I would think everyone would say “yes” to this question on some level. It’s hard not to be influenced by what you surround yourself with. For me, I’ve moved around a lot in my life so I understand pulling inspiration from many places, but where you are in a current moment will always have the greatest effect on you. LA is where I live now, so the diversity in not only interests and backgrounds, but the diversity in music plays a role in my sound as well. A city like this gives you a bit more permission to explore and potentially “fail” at the parts of your sound and style you haven’t tried yet. It’s also the home to such extreme highs and lows… so it allows you to tap into your most intense moments of joy, but also forces you to embrace the deepest moments of loneliness and insecurity. I feel like this song, “A(WY)”, meets you somewhere on your way back up the hill.
You’ve accomplished some wonderful things throughout your career so far! What happens to be the highlight?
One of the clear highlights so far was having one of my songs featured in a recent episode of the hit show, Grown-ish on Freeform. The song they used was called “Bloom” and it was written during a pretty low point dealing with anxiety and doubt. Basically, I was trying to write my way out, so it’s wild to see it used on a show like this where the characters are navigating some of these same big questions. The best part is, not only did they want just one version of the song, but they decided to use two; the acoustic track opens the episode from black. You can check out the season 3 episode (“No Halo”) of Grown-ish featuring my song “Bloom” on Freeform & Hulu.
What's next for you?
Be on the lookout for “A(WY)” in an upcoming episode of The CW’s Black Lightning. It’s always exciting to hear my songs on a platform like that. As for the music, we have a string of releases slated for rollout throughout 2021. Definitely, some lighter pop/R&B coming soon in contrast to this edgier sound in “A(WY)”. This is a great year for putting out new music and I’m running right alongside it. Introspective, yet rhythmic, what we have in the queue really feels like the culmination of the human experience: both complex and colorful.
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