Gordi Shares New Song 'Extraordinary Life', Announces Sydney Opera House Digital Season Show + Run Of Virtual In-Stores, 'Our Two Skins' Out Tomorrow

It’s been a busy week for Sydney-via-Canowindra artist, Gordi. Over the weekend, she announced a run of virtual in-stores across the country, then followed up with a surprise song and video release for ‘Extraordinary Life’ and details of an album launch in July as part of the Sydney Opera House’s 2020 digital season, From Our House to Yours. But the best is yet to come, with her awaited sophomore album and this week’s triple j feature record, Our Two Skins, out tomorrow.

New track, ‘Extraordinary Life’ follows the release of previous songs ‘Unready’, ‘Volcanic’, ‘Aeroplane Bathroom’, and ‘Sandwiches’. Throughout the song, Gordi exalts with bold sincerity: “I want to give you an extraordinary life.” Offsetting the isolation and anxiety prevalent in many songs across her new album, ‘Extraordinary Life’ affords the listener a moment of bliss and levity – a welcome moment in the current climate. Reflecting on the song, Sophie says:

“I was standing in a shower in a hostel in Ghent at 2am towards the end of 2017 and I started humming. I began recording the demo in stairwells across Europe while I was on tour with the artist, Asgeir, and in most of the demo vocals you can hear distant chatter in Icelandic. For all the turmoil and anguish described in the record, this song just sits in pure joy. I like the idea that the ultimate gesture of love is to make someone feel exceptional; like they deserve an extraordinary life.”

The accompanying video was filmed on a trip to Thailand earlier in the year and sees Gordi exploring the exotic sights and smells of Bangkok with an amicable though unusual companion. Director Kasimir Burgess, who created the video explains:

“The clip evolved in a playful, improvisational way on the streets of Bangkok. I fell in love with the joy and sadness of Gordi’s track. My early ideas for the clip centred around a human to human relationship, however there felt to be more humanity in making the relationship about a human and a skin eating fish. I guess you could say that I’ve chosen to interpret Extraordinary Life as a messed up love song to nature.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1vq0bsONbc

Fans keen to see Gordi’s new material performed live prior to her tour with Bon Iver in 2021, will be satisfied with a variety of opportunities over the coming months. Across this week and next, Gordi will perform a series of virtual in-stores via Instagram Live, taking in Cottonmouth in Sydney, Oh! Jean Records in Melbourne and Jet Black Cat Music in Brisbane.

The writer-producer is also proud to share news of her official album launch show at the iconic Sydney Opera House on July 25 for the venue’s 2020 digital season, From Our House to Yours. The series has recently featured archival performances by Jonsi & Alex Somers, Air, Olafur Arnalds, as well as live sets from Alaska Orchestra and more. This special one-off performance will be filmed in full broadcast quality and streamed online to audiences around the world from the Joan Sutherland Theatre. It will mark Gordi’s debut performance at the landmark venue, with a full set performed with her 4-piece band.

The writing of the album Our Two Skins began after a nervous breakdown while pacing around an Etihad flight from Australia to Europe in late 2017. Payten had finished exams to earn a medical degree and after trading her “nice, safe relationship” for a new one, she began coming to terms with a new truth in her identity. That identity struggle and her new relationship, which played out against the backdrop of the marriage equality plebiscite in Australia led to an isolated internal state, further fueled by distance, trying communication and lost loved ones.

The album was recorded in Canowindra, with the help of friends Chris Messina (Bon Iver, Bruce Hornsby, Big Red Machine) and Zach Hanson (Bon Iver, Hand Habits, Waxahatchee, Tallest Man). The remote and tiny town where Gordi’s family has lived for over a century, proved the perfect location to capture her isolated internal state. The resultant ten track offering is a beautiful ode to this tumultous period of Gordi’s life, as she renegotiated who she is and how she fits into the world. It is also the perfect soundscape to the realities of the present day.

GORDI – TOUR DATES
Saturday 25 July | Sydney Opera House (Digital Season Live Stream)

WITH BON IVER

Our Two Skins
Gordi
Album out 26 June 2020 through Liberation Records
Available to pre-order here

Our Two Skins tracklisting:
1. Aeroplane Bathroom
2. Unready
3. Sandwiches
4. Volcanic
5. Radiator
6. Extraordinary Life
7. Hate The World
8. Look Like You
9. Limits
10. Free Association