Torres (musician)

Torres
Background information
Birth name Mackenzie Scott
Born (1991-01-23) January 23, 1991
Georgia, United States
Genres Indie rock, folk, alternative rock
Occupation(s) Singer, songwriter, musician, artist
Years active 2012–present
Labels

Partisan Records

4AD
Website torreslovesyou.com

Mackenzie Scott (born January 23, 1991) is an independent American singer, songwriter, musician and artist who performs under the musical pseudonym Torres (stylized as TORRES).

Early life

Mackenzie was born on January 23, 1991 in Orlando, Florida and adopted at birth. From the age of 3, she was raised in Macon, Georgia. She considers Macon home.

Brought up in a conservative Christian home, Mackenzie was the youngest of three. Her family was not a music household, but at an early age, Mackenzie learned how to play the flute, piano, and sang in her children's choir at her Baptist church. Through the Phantom of the Opera, Mackenzie found her first musical passion: Broadway. She started singing in her high school's musical production of Fiddler on the Roof. She began to perform in musicals,[1] she learned to play guitar, and started playing and singing hymns during church services and at a nursing home every Saturday.[2]

After high school, Torres moved to Nashville, Tennessee to begin college. At Belmont University, she received a degree in Songwriting and a minor in English Literature. It was in Nashville where Mackenzie began to record her music. She graduated in December 2012.

Career

TORRES (2012-2014)

In July 2012, while she was still a student,[3] Mackenzie recorded her debut album Torres over a five-day session at Tony Joe White's home studio in Franklin, Tennessee with engineer and producer Ryan McFadden.[4] Following the album's release on February 8, 2013, she played her debut show as Torres in Nashville at The Basement.[5] The album was digitally released on January 22, 2013 and received critical acclaim.[6] In the summer of 2013, Mackenzie moved to Bushwick, Brooklyn.

She has toured extensively in the U.S. and Europe with a wide variety of musicians, including Lady Lamb the Beekeeper[7] and Okkervil River, and opened for Sharon Van Etten and Hamilton Leithauser. Torres appears as a guest on Sharon Van Etten's 2014 album Are We There?[8] and released a single, "New Skin," through Weathervane Music in June 2014.

Sprinter (2015-2016)

Sprinter is the second studio album by Mackenzie Scott. It was released on May 5, 2015 by Partisan Records. Unlike Torres, which was produced in Nashville, Sprinter was recorded in Dorset, England and produced by Rob Ellis. Mackenzie describes Sprinter as "something that would feel massive and heavy" with electronic elements, deliberate guitars and languid arrangements.[9]

She toured the U.S. and Europe as a headliner behind this album. She also opened for Garbage and Brandi Carlile, her early musical idol, in 2015. Torres also joined Tegan and Sara for their November 2016 tour.

Three Futures (2017)

Torres third album Three Futures was released on September 29, 2017. It was produced by Rob Ellis. Production started in Stockport, England, and was completed in Dorset in the same studio where she worked on Sprinter. Three Futures brings new elements to Torres' music. Three Futures takes inspiration from electro-pop, gothic industrial, and insistent Krautrock and places mechanic grooves at the forefront. Torres also contributed a cover version of "Until I Die" to the Brandi Carlile charity compilation album "Cover Stories".[10]

Influences

From a young age, it was Broadway that led her to performing music. Her live performances are known to be very dramatic and she believes this stems from her early experiences with musical theater. Her musical influences include Brandi Carlile, Ryan Adams, and Fleetwood Mac. Scott also writes poetry and short stories, and her favorite author is Sylvia Plath, who has inspired many of her works.

Critical reception

Her self-titled album TORRES received favorable reviews from BPM, Pitchfork, and Metacritic. Music website Pitchfork Media named Torres's debut single, "Honey," best new track, describing it as "an arena-rock moment happening on an empty stage […] with its slow-burn intensity and coiled energy."[11] Following the release of the album, Pitchfork gave the debut Torres album an 8.1 rating calling the record "an overwhelming rush of feeling [...] that connects with throat-seizing immediacy."[12]

Torres' second album also received many positive reviews. On Metacritic, the album has a score of 81 out of 100, indicating "Universal acclaim."[13] Consequence of Sound praised that Scott's lyrics, "writes with the courage of someone much older. She is already willing to bear the wisdom and insight that comes from her Southern Baptist roots — and from leaving them behind"[14] and gave the album an A-. Pitchfork also praised the album writing "When Scott can find the right balance of these elements—dark, introspective, midtempo, highly distorted, and in the four to five-minute range—she hits a sweet spot, like on 'New Skin' and the album's title track."[15]

Torres' third album Three Futures, which was released on September 29, 2017, has been met with positive reviews. Rolling Stone gave the album 3.5 out of 5 stars. The Rolling Stone describes the album as "offering conflicted images of emotional and physical release over bracing industrial-rock textures."[16] The AV Club also praises Three Futures describing it as "hazily fascinating, flowing naturally through its various peaks and valleys, and it succeeds in Scott's goal of being truly immersive listening," while rating the album an A-.[17] Consequence of Sound gave the album a B+, describing Scott's ability to pursue new musical directions "with poise and confidence..."[18] DIY also awarded Three Futures 4 out of 5 stars and noted Scott takes a step forward without forgetting what made her previous albums successful, by venturing into "previously little-trodden ground in sumptuous new ways."[19]

Discography

Studio albums

Other releases

Music Videos

References

  1. ↑ "Interview: Torres Talks Songwriting, Literature, and Her Love for Johnny Cash". PigeonsandPlanes. Retrieved 2017-10-10.
  2. ↑ "Native | June 2013 | Nashville, TN". issuu. Retrieved 2017-10-10.
  3. ↑ "Interview: Torres Talks Songwriting, Literature, and Her Love for Johnny Cash". PigeonsandPlanes. Retrieved 2017-10-10.
  4. ↑ "Interview: Torres Talks Poetry, Live Shows, and Her Experience As A Music Student". Inyourspeakers Media. 2015-08-07. Retrieved 2017-10-10.
  5. ↑ "Torres w/BF/GF Sex and Catfish at The Basement, 2/8/13". Nashville Scene. Retrieved 2017-10-10.
  6. ↑ "Torres, Torres [Review]". Nashville Scene. Retrieved 2017-10-10.
  7. ↑ Battan, Carrie. "Torres Touring With Lady Lamb the Beekeeper". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Sharon Van Etten to release new album 'Are We There?' in May". NME. January 17, 2014. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Meet Torres: The True Confessions of Mackenzie Scott". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2017-10-10.
  10. ↑ "Torres discusses covering Brandi Carlile's "Until I Die" for new charity compilation". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 2017-10-10.
  11. ↑ ""Honey" by Torres Review | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved 2017-10-10.
  12. ↑ "Torres: Torres Album Review | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved 2017-10-10.
  13. ↑ Sprinter by Torres, retrieved 2017-10-10
  14. ↑ "Album Review: Torres – Sprinter". Consequence of Sound. 2015-04-30. Retrieved 2017-10-10.
  15. ↑ "Torres: Sprinter Album Review | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved 2017-10-10.
  16. ↑ "Review: Torres Sings Unsparing Meditations on Desire on Latest LP". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2017-10-10.
  17. ↑ Williams, Matt. "Torres' Three Futures is a deeply sensual affair". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2017-10-10.
  18. ↑ "Album Review: Torres – Three Futures". Consequence of Sound. 2017-09-26. Retrieved 2017-10-10.
  19. ↑ "Torres - Three Futures". DIY. Retrieved 2017-10-10.
  20. ↑ BrandiCarlileVEVO (2017-05-05), TORRES - Until I Die (From Cover Stories: Brandi Carlile Celebrates The Story) [Audio], retrieved 2017-10-10
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