Few bands embody the spirit of musical journeymen quite like Tors. Comprised of brothers Matt and Theo Weedon, alongside Jack Bowden, the trio has spent years navigating the industry, refining their craft, and creating music that strikes a rare balance between the personal and the universal. Rooted in raw honesty, emotional depth, and their signature harmonies, their songs transcend art, becoming a source of connection and healing for listeners around the world.
With standout hits like “Miracle,” “Anything Can Happen,” and “Does He Make You Happy?” Tors has captivated audiences, amassing millions of streams and earning a reputation for heartfelt storytelling and memorable melodies. From selling out shows across the U.S. and U.K. to performing on iconic stages like Glastonbury’s BBC stage, the trio continues to deliver a sound that resonates deeply, both in the studio and on the live stage.
Pop Culturalist had the pleasure of speaking with Matt and Theo about the moments that have defined their growth as musicians, the inspiration behind their heartfelt songs, and the influence of their Devon roots on their artistry. They shared how their Miracle EP captures the raw emotion and universal themes that have become their hallmark.
PC: You all recently recorded the Miracle EP in Woodstock. That writing and recording session kicked off with you sharing the mission statement for the band. What do you hope listeners take away from your music? What’s the driving force behind the band?
Matt: That’s a great question. We’ve been calling this EP True Tors. It’s a sound we’re incredibly proud of because it captures the two sides of who we are. As a touring band, it reflects the grit and live energy we bring to the stage, but it also captures the emotion that’s sometimes easier to tap into in the studio—when you can really immerse yourself in a song and just sing it without the constraints of a three-and-a-half-minute performance. This EP is full of hope and honesty, and it’s definitely the piece of work we’re most proud of.
PC: Great answer. When you think of music overseas, places like London often come to mind. What is it about Devon and that community that has impacted your journeys as storytellers and artists?
Theo: Growing up in Devon, you’re surrounded by such a vast and wild landscape. The environment has deeply influenced our lives and our music as a whole. We live in a rural area where it feels like the rolling hills stretch on forever. Even our band name, Tors, is inspired by these rock formations in Dartmoor National Park, a place we used to explore as kids. For us, it’s a spiritual place that feeds into our music. We try to let our music be as wild and sparse as that landscape and reflect the same sense of freedom.
PC: In your song, “Anything Can Happen,” you talk about celebrating small victories. Having been a band for almost ten years now, what victory stands out the most for each of you?
Matthew: Wow. I have to go with something recent because it’s all been amazing. Touring the States for the first time was a moment that completely blew my mind. We didn’t know if people would show up or if there was much interest, but the tickets sold out in a day. We were like, “This is wild.” When we flew out, we landed in San Francisco, went to Sacramento, and were just walking around in Target. People came over to us and said, “You’re Tors! We’re such big fans, and your music has helped us.” That moment hit me—it was crazy to see the reach “Anything Can Happen” has had. That’s definitely something I’ll carry with me for a long time.
Theo: For me, it has to be playing Glastonbury for the first time. We played on the BBC stage and another stage, and it was such a pinnacle moment. Glastonbury is not only a local festival for us but also the biggest festival in the U.K. That experience was really, really special.
PC: You guys are incredible live. The music is fantastic. Sometimes when you see artists live, it doesn’t quite match the studio recordings, but I think you’re actually better live. That Mercury Lounge performance was fantastic.
Matt: Thank you so much for coming to the show. That really means a lot to us!
PC: Of course. I was really excited to see you all coming to the States. Often with U.K. bands, it can take a while before they make their way here. You’ve said in previous interviews that the songs you write the quickest are sometimes the best because you’re trusting your instincts. Your songwriting is so personal, with clever wordplay and the juxtaposition of serious themes told with so much hope. Do you go into a session knowing what you want to write about, or do you let it happen organically? What’s a song in your catalog that exemplifies trusting your instincts?
Matt: Great question. It’s a bit of both. Theo and I often sit together, and lately, we’ve been challenging ourselves to write a song or at least come up with an idea every day. Like we’ve said before, sometimes those quick ones are where the magic happens. When it comes to lyrics, sometimes one of us is feeling something deeply, and we’ll dive into that. Other times, we might read something in the news that’s inspiring, sad, or amazing, and we’ll use that as a starting point.
As for a song, that’s a really good question. “Anything Can Happen” stands out for me. It’s such a personal song, and it came from a time in my life when I was really struggling with depression—though I didn’t fully realize it at the time. Writing that song was like a release. I shared how I was feeling with Theo, and he took my emotions and crafted lyrics that perfectly captured them. I remember thinking, “Wow, this is one of the coolest things you’ve ever done.” At the time, we weren’t sure if people would connect with it, but it felt so real. Theo has this incredible ability to take what I’m feeling and translate it into something beautiful. It sometimes feels like he knows me better than I know myself.
Theo: We’ve found that the more cathartic a song is to write, the more it connects with people.
PC: Theo, you have a background in scriptwriting, right?
Theo: Yeah, I did scriptwriting for a while.
PC: I feel like that background in scriptwriting really contributes to your ability to craft such vivid lyrics. As a band, the three of you are so vulnerable in your songwriting, and because of that vulnerability, as you said, you’ve been able to connect with listeners in such a profound way. There’s a healing quality to your lyrics—I genuinely believe it’s music that can save lives. For me, I found “Anything Can Happen” during a rough season, and it was exactly what I needed to hear at that time. How have you all managed to balance creating music that’s deeply personal yet universally relatable? And what has it been like seeing your words resonate on a global scale?
Matt: First of all, I love your questions—every single one is so thoughtful. I don’t think we intentionally try to write songs that everyone can relate to, but what we’ve learned is that the more honest we are, the more people seem to connect with the music. It’s kind of strange and beautiful—like when you write a breakup song about a really specific experience, and somehow, millions of people around the world have gone through that exact same thing. Honesty has become one of our mission statements when we’re writing.
Seeing the music resonate globally is honestly hard to put into words. It means so much to us. Meeting people and hearing their stories—whether our songs helped them through tough times or became the soundtrack to their happiest moments—is incredibly moving. That connection is one of the main reasons we do this. It’s such a gift of life to connect with other human beings. We love people, and honestly, this is probably one of the coolest jobs out there.
PC: This might be a strange question, and I’d love to see if both your answers align, but of all the music you’ve released so far, if you had to pick one song that best encompasses who you are as a band, which would it be and why?
Theo: As a band? [laughs] For me, it would be “Miracle.” Sonically, the journey we went on to get to this new sound feels like it truly represents who we are as a band. Lyrically, it tells a story that’s so personal to us. “Miracle” is about our journey with music—chasing this creative desire, this art inside you that you’re compelled to share, but not really understanding the path or how long it would take to get there. It’s become the band’s mantra in a way.
Matt: It feels like our anthem.
Theo: It definitely does—it feels like our song.
Matt: I completely agree with Theo, but if I had to pick another song just to offer a different perspective, I’d probably choose “Only For You.” One thing we’re lucky to have as a band is the ability to strip things back to just a guitar and our three voices, and it still feels incredibly meaningful. You’ve been to a show—you’ve seen that sometimes when we strip it back, fans connect with it even more. It creates a really special moment. I love that song. We wrote it in about twenty or thirty minutes, not even sure if people would like it. Then we put out a clip, and it started to go viral. That moment was like, “Okay, people really want this.” So I’d say “Miracle” and “Only For You” represent two great sides of Tors.
PC: I love that the music you release works so well in both big arenas and intimate settings. You’re also a band that really thrives on the live stage. How much do you use that environment to test out new material?
Matt: Quite a lot.
Theo: We really do.
Matt: We’re lucky to have such an incredible fan base and following. It’s always such a safe and welcoming environment. Our fans are amazing—they’re like a community. Even though they come to hear the songs they know and love so they can sing along, we’ll always sneak in one or two brand-new songs into a set to see how they land. It’s so much fun to watch their reactions—whether they’re trying to sing along right away or starting to dance. That’s when we know if a song has something special. If they don’t react much, it’s out of the set immediately. [laughs]
Theo: [laughs] A lot of songwriting actually happens during soundcheck when we’re on stage. There’s something about being in that space, feeling the room and the energy, and knowing you’re about to perform—it really sparks creativity. Quite a few of the songs we’re working on now were influenced by moments like that. I’ve got loads of voice notes recorded from pre-show soundchecks, where the creative juices just started flowing.
PC: Speaking of being able to perform in both intimate settings and bigger arenas, is that something you’re mindful of during the songwriting process?
Matt: That’s a good question. Sometimes yes, but also not always. I’ll give you an example. We always want every song to be able to translate in any setting. The dream, if we’re being honest, is to sell out arenas and stadiums one day—that’s such a big goal for us. But if you take a song like “Only For You,” it’s so vulnerable. I remember one of the first times we played it in an arena—it was in Zurich, in front of 15,000 people. The song started with just me and a guitar, and I felt like I could pass out. It was so intense. I hadn’t written that song with that kind of environment in mind, but it connected in such a powerful way. It ended up being a really special moment.
Sometimes it’s surprising which songs land well in bigger rooms, and conversely, sometimes the bigger, more anthemic songs resonate even more in smaller, intimate settings. It’s a fascinating dynamic.
PC: The New York crowd was singing back every single song—it was wild and packed to the brim. As your catalog continues to grow and you keep touring, is there a song that will always make your setlist? And is there one that never will?
Theo: Oh wow. [laughs]
Matt: [laughs] That’s a great question.
Theo: That’s such a hard one. I’ll say this—the song that people sang back the loudest on tour was probably “Does He Make You Happy?” It’s a toss-up, but that one surprised us the most. It’s such a wordy song, especially the chorus, which has so many lyrics, but the crowd was singing all of it back to us. It was really interesting because, for us, it’s a song we love, but we didn’t think of it as a sing-along song. Apparently, it is!
Matt: If I had to pick one that will always make the setlist, it would be “Miracle.” Every time we play that song, it feels like such a special moment. People seem so happy when they hear it, and it’s a song about hope and chasing your dreams. That’s a message we’ll always want to include in our sets.
Theo: As for one that won’t? What haven’t we played live or only played a couple of times? Oh, “Might Never Happen” is a really old song of ours. I think we’ve only played it once or twice on stage.
Matt: Fans love it, but we never play it. [laughs]
Theo: There are definitely some we’ve never played live. Like “Love Me Back”—we’ve never done that one on stage.
Matt: Yeah, it’s mostly some of the older stuff we released during lockdown when we were just writing and putting things out. Those songs didn’t really make it into the live set rotation.
PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Theo: We’re both big fans of Gipsy Kings. That’s probably not something you’d hear reflected in our music.
Matt: I’ve been into Lainey Wilson lately. She’s an amazing country artist.
Theo: Yeah, we love a lot of country artists.
Matt: Country is a big part of our playlist, but we’ve also got a lot of pop. I’ve been listening to Gracie Abrams—her voice is insane.
Theo: People might also be surprised to learn that before we go on stage, we always listen to Kiss. We play “God Gave Rock ‘N’ Roll.”
Matt: That’s our pre-show song.
Theo: One of them!
Matt: We’re pretty obvious, though. You could probably guess our Top 5.
PC: First album you ever bought or streamed?
Matt: It was probably The Offspring. That record was wild, with such great pop melodies. It’s nothing like what I would play now, but I remember loving it. I had a skateboard at the time and thought I was really cool—but I definitely wasn’t.
Theo: I’m showing my age here, but you used to be able to buy singles. The first single I ever bought was Shaggy’s “It Wasn’t Me.” As for albums, the first one I ever bought was the Doves’ The Last Broadcast. It’s still one of my favorite albums today.
Matt: It’s fantastic.
Theo: It has songs like “There Goes the Fear.”
PC: First concert you attended?
Matt: David Gray. I remember seeing him at a venue called the Roundhouse in London. For much of the show, it was just him and a piano, and he had 5,500 people in the palm of his hands. I was like, “Wow.” It was so inspiring and has really stuck with me.
Theo: My first big concert was probably Razorlight.
Matt: We went together.
Theo: Yeah, that was awesome.
PC: An album that changed your life and why?
Matt: A Rush of Blood to the Head by Coldplay. It’s one of the most influential albums for me, and especially for the band. I think it’s the perfect record—it’s got everything: emotion, energy, and this raw, real sound.
Theo: The mixing is amazing.
Matt: Exactly. It’s full of beautiful songs that make you cry, songs that make you angry—it has it all. Growing up as brothers, we were lucky that our parents would have us eat dinner with them every night, and they’d always play a lot of records. At the time, we found it annoying, but now when we look back, we realize how special that was. We grew up listening to a huge variety of music: Nick Drake, The Beatles, Paul Simon, Gipsy Kings. We were exposed to so many influences. But A Rush of Blood to the Head really changed how I approach being an artist.
Theo: For me, it has to be Definitely Maybe by Oasis. From start to finish, it’s just an iconic album.
Matt: And, of course, Shaggy as well. [laughs]
PC: It should be part of your pre-show routine.
Theo: That’s a great idea.
PC: A venue on your bucket list to perform at?
Matt: It’s probably the same for both of us. In America, we really want to play at Red Rocks. It’s such an iconic venue. We’ve watched so many live shows from bands there, and it just feels like a really special place. Our big, big dream would be Wembley Stadium. It’s legendary—we’ve seen so many incredible bands play there. Those two are the pinnacle for us. To be fair, Madison Square Garden would also be pretty special.
PC: A must-have on the road?
Matt: I’d say my running shoes. I need twenty to thirty minutes in the morning to clear my head and have a bit of space. It really helps me feel good.
Theo: My pillow from home. That’s a tour hack.
To keep up with Tors, follow them on X, Instagram, Spotify, and Apple Music.
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