Pop Culturalist Chats with Tor Miller

Tor Miller

At only twenty-two, Tor Miller is redefining music with his unique brand of piano-centric pop. His debut album, American English, drops this Friday. And, Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to chat with him about the songwriting process, touring, and more.

PC: What can fans expect from the album and what’s it like knowing it’s going to drop in a few days?
Tor: American English is like a large older brother to the EP in a way. There is much more lush string/horn arrangements which we didn’t have on the first record, which is a bit more sparse. We finished the record about a year ago. It’s really exciting to have it finally come out.

PC: What was that songwriting process like?
Tor: I spent a lot of time traveling for the first time. I was going around the UK. I was meeting a lot of writers; to meet people who have been doing the craft for awhile. It was great. I made some really good friends through the process. And, it elevated my writing.

PC: How did you decide what made the album?
Tor: It was a very long process. I had about 115-120 songs to choose from and it was songs that I loved, obviously. Then, I deliberated with the management and everyone had a bit of a say. We put an “A” list together and a “B” list and were going back and forth; everyone was picking; ultimately, it came down to my decision. It was tough. There were definitely some songs that were on the cusp of making the record that we had to cut, but I feel very confident with what we have.

PC: How would you describe your sound to somebody who may not be familiar with your music?
Tor: I would say it’s piano-based narrative that has a lot of influence from the 70’s (Elton John, David Bowie, a bunch of people).

PC: If there was one song that really encompasses the album, what would it be?
Tor: I would have to say “Midnight.” It’s a song about New York City where I was living for most of the time during the record. It was an energy I wanted to capture throughout the entire album. I think it most directly portrays that.

PC: If you could describe your album in a word, what would it be?
Tor: Cinematic! We weren’t really holding anything back.

PC: You’ve toured around the world. Is there a city or country that’s on your bucket list?
Tor: Yes. I would love to go to Tokyo—very badly.

PC: If you weren’t a musician, what would you be doing?
Tor: It’s tough to say. It’s really something I’ve dedicated my entire life to. Working on a farm or something.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: What is your guilty pleasure movie or television show?
Tor: Let me think. I guess when I was dating my ex-girlfriend, The Bachelor.

PC: Favorite book?
Tor: I recently enjoyed City of Thieves by David Benioff.

PC: You live in New York … Do you go to a lot of Broadway shows? Do you have a favorite?
Tor: Honestly, I’ve hardly seen any. I enjoy it but I never really see much of it.

PC: An artist or band that people would be surprised to find on your playlist?
Tor: Huge fan of ABBA!

American English drops September 30th. Pick up your copy on iTunes or Amazon.

Photo Credit: Glassnote Entertainment Group

Kevin

Kevin is a writer living in New York City. He is an enthusiast with an extensive movie collection, who enjoys attending numerous conventions throughout the year. Say hi on Twitter and Instagram!

Discussion about this post

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.