The Lungs of NYC: An Interview with Tor Miller
a Northeastern musician interviewed by a Southwestern girl for a West Coast publication
By Zoe Allen
In August of last year, I was driving my mom around listening to an indie, off the grid radio station. A song came on--one entitled “Midnight”, off of an EP called “Headlights” by an artist by the name of Tor Miller. I had never heard of him before, but was instantly impressed with his wooing, compelling, and soothing vocals and enchanting lyrics. I had to look him up--and get an interview with him--as soon as I could. Here it is, exclusively for Mad Sounds.
ZA: Tell me about how you grew up. Does this have any impact on your music today?
TM: When I was about 12 years old I moved from New York City to New Jersey and for a couple years felt very isolated. During this period I began to form a bond with music and writing. Many of my early songs were about the loneliness I felt and the longing to get back home.
ZA: How would you describe yourself? Is your music a reflection of who you are?
TM: I would say I am kind, thoughtful and all the other generic things. But if you listen to the lyrics of my music you have insight to some of my inner most thoughts, how I feel about myself and the life I have lived.
ZA: I know that when I write (not songs), sometimes I write out of experience and sometimes I do not. Do you write by experience? If so, do you write by experience always? If not, what do you write about?
TM: I write about my own experiences and the experiences of those around me.
ZA: What is your main source of inspiration?
TM: I draw inspiration from the relationships I’ve formed with friends, family and various girlfriends. I write about many an introverted moment I have experienced, either walking the streets of New York City or sitting out in a field of my parents horse farm trying to figure out the big questions of our own existence.
ZA: How does being surrounded by New York City inspire your lyrics?
TM: There are so many stimulants on the streets, so much subject-matter, issues and concerns which people of NYC face. If you walk around long enough and talk to those around you, you find even subconsciously it seeps into your music.
ZA: Speaking of your lyrics, are all lyrics by you? Do you have any help in writing them? What is your songwriting process?
TM: Yes, I write my lyrics on my own and in some cases with others, while doing co-writing sessions. I usually begin creating my music with the harmonic and melodic elements with a subject matter in mind and then I will finish with the lyrics, but it all sort of happens at once.
ZA: Who are your favorite artists? Favorite songs?
TM: [Musicians are] David Bowie, Ray Charles, Tom Waits, Elton John and others. Song wise, For All We Know by Donny Hathaway, Rock n Roll Suicide by Bowie, Hard times by Charles.
ZA: Favorite place in the whole world?
TM: Easy. NYC.
ZA: New York City is huge, metropolitan, and crawling with conviviality and people. Because of how huge it is, do you ever feel swallowed up? Is it easy to become lonely in such a big city, or do you always feel at peace?
TM: I certainly need a break from it from time to time. What I do is absorb all the influence and energy until I have a system overload and will travel out to the horse farm and start creating based off those experiences. I find the hectic nature very calming in many ways.
ZA: If there was one thing you could change in the world what would it be? Do you donate to any charities or help out with any causes?
TM: That’s a hard question, there needs to be many changes in this world. But something immediate I would wish for is the abolition of guns in our country. I could fill book with changes I want for this world.
ZA: My last question. Why do you make music?
It was something I found very early in life which made me happy whenever I was sad. It helped me stay out of trouble as a kid and has been a watchful eye over me since those first two years I felt alone in New Jersey.
