Tori Nhieu Interview

Conducted by Megan J and Bethany M

Originally from Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, my first introduction to music was my middle school orchestra, where I played the viola (the most underrated orchestral instrument) for a few years. Since then, I picked up the guitar with many YouTube tutorials and started writing songs. My favorite flavor of ice cream is mint chocolate chip (very controversial, I know) and I have an uncontrollable addiction to spicy chips. My guilty pleasure is definitely being under the covers and reading a good ol' romance novel until late in the night and sleeping in. However, nothing compares to the feeling of finding a great album and inescapably listening to the same rotation of 10 songs on repeat. I deeply love creating and writing music, but I'm a fan first. A few of the albums that have impacted the course of my life include Lorde's "Melodrama," Taylor Swift's "folklore," Tamino's "Every Dawn's A Mountain," and NIKI's "Nicole."

What is your goal?

I have so many goals as an artist! I would love to go on a headline tour in the next few years. That's definitely a dream of mine. Performing live is an adrenaline rush I never want to stop having. When I close my eyes and picture a crowd of people feeling impacted by the music I've made and singing the words back to me, I can confidently say that that's all I've wanted.

Why do you make music?

I started writing songs in my childhood apartment after I obsessively found and listened to Taylor Swift's acoustic "Out of the Woods" GRAMMY Museum performance. The magic of her emotion-filled voice with her intimate lyrics changed me, and I longed for the ability to create that connection. Since then, I haven't stopped writing. I make music as a way to feel grounded and intertwined with everything around me. I use songwriting to understand and process my emotions. Having the ability to create something concrete out of the chaos in my head helps me understand myself, and being able to release that into the world and having others feel similarly is incredibly special to me.

What artists inspire you?

Adrianne Lenker, Tamino, Lizzy McAlpine, SZA, Taylor Swift, Sarah Kinsley, Gracie Abrams