Answered by: Mish Sharma – Vocals and Piano, Luke Kleinschmidt – Guitar, Bass and Synths, and Jordan Miller – Drums and Percussion.
Where are you currently based?
Luke: We are a Brisbane based alt rock/metal band.
Please tell us about the inspiration behind your latest single “Martyr”?
Mish: Martyr is written about the specific moment you realize that you need to break out of a narcissistic abuse cycle. I wrote the lyrics after a therapy session which was focused on processing the aftermath of leaving a narcissistic abuse coercive control relationship.
What’s the story or message you’re trying to convey in the lyrics of “Martyr”?
Mish: This song is very much based on my own experience. The lyrics explore the victim grappling with the reality of the situation and deciding to leave; even though the trauma brain is persistent about staying because it feels “familiar”. I was in a vulnerable place when I wrote my parts (like always I bare it all in my music), particularly because narcissistic abuse is a complex multi-layered beast, it can happen to anyone in any type of relationship. There is so much unlearning of false beliefs, grieving, and integrating fractured parts of yourself, but it all starts with someone gathering all their courage and deciding that they will no longer accept this treatment. The message is that it can happen to anyone, and it doesn’t make the victim “weak,” “broken,” or “a problem”; your physical and psychological safety is more important than what anyone would think of you.
How did the creative process for “Martyr” differ from your previous work?
Luke: This song was made from 2 separate ideas I was working on simultaneously. I wanted to write a riff around an “ambient guitar” and I added layers around that for the intro and verse; whereas for the chorus I wanted a kind of staccato-esque start to it, to make it punchy.
Mish: I had written the verse and chorus vocal parts for a completely different song, I was singing those along to the demo track for Martyr as a joke but it worked so well that we decided to keep it. Usually I write my parts from scratch.
Were there any challenges you faced while recording “Martyr,” and how did you overcome them?
Mish: The writing process was quite seamless, we tend to do a lot of work remotely and then get together to arrange/fine-tune our parts. We worked with Kalen Austin Productions to record this track and our previous single ‘Damaged’ over three days. On the day we were tracking vocals for Martyr, I had missed my antidepressant dose which gave me brain zaps and I also had a chronic pain flare up. This combination helped me deliver a really vulnerable performance, sometimes you just have to lean into however your mind, body, and voice is presenting. Kalen was really helpful in making the most out of the situation and even ended up singing harmonies on the chorus to give it an extra dimension. This inspired us to use Luke’s vocals live and now our set has multiple songs where Luke and I both sing.
How has the response from your fans been to “Martyr” compared to your previous releases?
Mish: So far we have been getting a lot of love on Martyr which we are so grateful for. It’s been very similar to our last single Damaged that came out in August. I think people are really enjoying the heavier instrumentation and the songwriting styles in both new tracks, compared to the previous releases.
General Band Questions
How did the band Torizon come together, and what’s the origin of the band’s name?
Mish: It started off as a bunch of song ideas after taking a short break from music to recover from a vocal cord injury. These ideas became more solid over time with the help of friends and session musicians who helped launch the band in 2019. Covid threw a lot of spanners in the works shortly after, but I am really proud of where we are now, it’s been amazing to see the band evolve since then.
The name is derived from the words torsion and event horizon in black holes. From a personal point of view, when life is difficult, it can feel like you are being sucked into a black hole but it’s important to remember that there is a horizon at the end of it all.
Could you describe the musical style and influences that shape your sound as a band?
Jordan: We have coined the term “petalcore” to define the two new singles and the EP we just finished writing – It’s alternative metal with pop sensibilities. As a collective we have a range of influences from metalcore to pop punk to alternative rock, emo and hip-hop which we draw from.
Luke: I feel that our sound comes from our own interpersonal styles. I’m influenced a lot by metalcore and modern metal. Whereas the others are influenced by alt rock, punk, pop… so it came together organically by blending those. I’d say we are definitely pop-metalcore or “petalcore” as we call it.
What is the most memorable live performance or concert experience you’ve had as a band?
Mish: Crowbar, Sydney with Opehus Omega and Triple Kill. We all drove together, it was a blast. The boys are hilarious – we made up silly tour games. Our set and sound was definitely one of the best it has been.
Luke: I would say, our Sydney show at the Crowbar. Great crowd, great sound guy, great bands – it felt like being in a room full of friends. The drive down and back and staying also helped in really cementing that show as my favorite at least.
Can you tell us about your songwriting process and how you collaborate as a band when creating new music?
Luke: Generally I start off with some riffs, sometimes even the full guitar structure, then add bass and synth. Mish and Jordan would then go through and add their magic. We then get together in front of the recording session, and go back and forth with what works and what doesn’t, and any ideas that we come up with. After that we will go through and re-record our parts – rinse and repeat the process until we are happy. Then we will practice it live in our rehearsal space a few times to see how it feels and make any last tweaks. I think the biggest help in our collaborating to finish a song is that we are open to hearing criticisms and ideas, and we leave egos at the door, and just care about the music.
Jordan: Luke is a riff machine. He generates a lot of the ideas then Mish and I come in with our parts and we shape the structure as a band. We all have our own home studios which speeds up the writing process.
Are there any upcoming projects or albums in the works for Torizon that fans can look forward to?
Mish: Yes we spent 8 months writing our next EP. We will be recording it in early 2024. Expect an overall heavier sound, a deeper guitar tuning, breakdowns as well as soft and raw passages. We are also booking interstate shows so definitely expect some tours.
How has your music evolved since you first formed as a band, and what direction do you see it heading in the future?
Luke: The sound has gone through a couple of changes in.
What’s planned for the remainder of 2023 going into 2024?
Jordan: We have one more show (unannounced) to finish the year off where we will be debuting some of our newest material. 2024 will see us recording a new EP, touring, writing more songs so we are at least a couple of releases ahead. Really excited to show what we have been working on behind the scenes.
https://www.facebook.com/torizonband
