Following acclaim for her 2021 debut from the likes of Pitchfork, NME and Rolling Stone, Australian artist Tori Zietsch – aka Maple Glider – has just released her brand new album, I Get Into Trouble. Offering a poignant reflection on her Christian upbringing, reflecting on themes of shame, consent and sexuality, it’s a truly stirring collection of starkly honest, yet delicately beautiful, compositions. Flowing with a glistening musicality as the heartfelt crystalline splendour of Zietsch’s vocals ripples with raw emotion, the album showcases her ability to reflect on potentially difficult subject matter with an immersive cathartic grace and shimmering majestic allure.
We caught up with Tori to discuss the new album, her inspirations, being a woman in the music industry today, and more. Have a read now, and be sure to listen to the exquisite new album asap!
Hi Tori! Welcome to Get In Her Ears! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Hey, I’m Tori. I’m a Gemini but I’m on the cusp. I love camping and bushwalking, and spending time in green spaces. I’m really good at Cambio (card game). I’m really lazy when it comes to putting clean clothes away. I live in a seaside town an hour out of Naarm/Melbourne, Australia and write fiercely personal folk music. My favourite food is pasta and my new album I Get Into Trouble is released today (13th October)!
Are you able to tell us a bit about how you initially started creating music?
I learned music as a way to form a community outside of the religion I was raised in and particularly because I loved being able to express myself through songwriting.
I really love your glistening heartfelt musicality and honest, reflective lyricism, but who would you consider to be your main musical influences?
I’m deeply inspired by many who have paved the way – Dolly Parton, Nina Simone, Joan Baez, Melanie Safka, Beverley Glenn Copeland, Lucinda Williams, Karen Dalton, Joni Mitchell. ‘Tramp’ by Sharon van Etten changed my life. I had a DVD of Cat Power’s Speaking for Trees, and Fiona Apple sheet music that I discovered when I was in high school. All these artists have influenced me musically.
You’ve just released your new album, I Get Into Trouble, which is very exciting – congratulations! Are you able to tell us a bit about it? Are there any particular things running throughout it?
Thank you! I reflect a lot on my childhood, growing up in christianity, my family and other intimate relationships, as well as what it feels like re-entering the body after feeling detached from it for a time. A lot of the songs speak to the ending of relationships and also shame in relation to sex and growing up in religion. I’m inspired a lot by being in nature, travelling and spending time alone.
And to what extent would you say your religious upbringing and childhood memories contribute to your songwriting?
They play a very instrumental role in my songwriting, for now. I guess I’ve used songwriting to unpack my entire life so far. These themes are so deeply embedded in both of my albums, I’m curious to see how and if they are explored in my future work. I really just wanna write love songs for a while.
How would you say the album as a whole differs from your 2021 debut, To Enjoy Is The Only Thing?
I think it goes a bit deeper. It’s probably a bit less nice in some ways, and at times I think it could be more difficult to digest – there are definitely some uneasy themes and hard topics. At the same time, I think this new level of depth has been really important for me personally in the journey of making this album; I’ve felt within myself a release of a lot of tension and pain. They are also themes that are really relatable for a lot of people, which is quite sad, but also in many ways it has been a privilege to be able to see and acknowledge others through this honest and sometimes painful lens, and to feel seen and validated in return.
Having lived and performed live in both Australia and the UK, how would you compare the music scenes in both these places?
I guess for me they felt somewhat similar – there’s a lot of great music coming out of both places. It feels like there are a lot more barriers for Australian artists in terms of touring, just because we are geographically so far away, and as a result it feels like a really big deal to tour internationally. When I lived in the UK, so many of my favourite artists were touring, I went to so many amazing shows. There are so many incredible First Nations musicians in Australia that really deserve all of the platforms, opportunities and funding – nothing can compensate for what has been stolen from them. In Australia there is so much work to be done in terms of colonisers taking accountability for the atrocities we have committed and continue to perpetuate, and not that I can speak for any First Nations person, but it’s been made clear that real action needs to be taken, including treaty, land back and justice for all the lives that have been taken. I think only when we listen to First Nations people and actually take action instead of pretending that nothing is wrong will the music industry and everything else have the opportunity to flourish.
And has there been a particular gig that you’ve planned, in any country, that stands out as a highlight for you over the years?
I recently played a solo show in Paris that blew my mind. It’s the first time I’ve had to really focus on my singing because there were people in the crowd singing along to the lyrics so loudly that I could have easily confused their voices for my own – haha. It was just so weird to go to the other side of the world and meet people who knew my music so intimately.
When out on tour, are there any particular essentials that you like to take with you to keep you going when away from home?
I find an eye mask is good for getting a nice sleep when I’m sleeping in different spaces all the time. In my little backpack I’ll always take a water bottle and a keep cup, a good book and a little diary and pen. Stop Everything is a good podcast to download for the plane, and Pukka Relax tea is a yum blend of marshmallow root, chamomile and fennel that is very soothing for the throat and good to have before a show.
How do you feel the industry is for new artists at the moment? And do you feel much has changed over the last few years in its treatment of female/gender non-conforming and queer artists?
I think it’s really challenging for new artists at the moment. Everything is very expensive, and I think it can be really difficult to access a music career, even just based on the fact that it takes so much work to even be able to record music, whether that be accessing gear or producers/engineers. I’ve had the privilege of being signed to record labels, so I’ve had access to funds to be able to have the opportunity to create albums, but this is not true for a lot of incredibly talented and hard working artists. I certainly don’t do music full time. I also work two other jobs, and it can be really difficult trying to work out how to take time off to tour and record and make it all fit together. I definitely can’t speak for gender non-conforming and queer artists, but as a white cis-female artist I’ve noticed that there are a lot more spaces for my music now than there were when I was growing up. I remember most line-ups when I was growing up in Australia were all cis male indie-rock bands, and I specifically remember being told by a music manager around that time that they didn’t like female musicians, but for a woman my voice actually wasn’t so annoying. A lot of the time female artists were pitted up against each other by the industry as though they had to be in competition; it was so easy to feel small and devalued. Though there are still some festivals/people in Australia that adhere to these expired standards, there is so much more open conversation about it now. Abusive men in the industry are being exposed. Artists like Georgia Maq, Jaguar Jonze and Jen Cloher have really inspired me with their work in the music industry and how much they have contributed to change. I think the sheer fact that so many gender non-conforming and queer people are still subjected to so much violence and abuse in day to day life indicates that these experiences are also reflected in the music industry. If you are constantly fighting for your right to exist, I can only imagine how difficult it must be to muster the energy to persist in the music industry, one that can be extremely volatile and challenging even without added layers of prejudice and discrimination. And, though there are so many iconic queer and gender non-conforming artists that are rightfully celebrated and have incredible careers, there should be no doubt that these artists still have to work so much harder than cis white hetero artists just to experience the same level of recognition and reward.
As we’re a new music focused site, are there any other upcoming artists you’re loving right now that you’d recommend we check out?
Oh yes! So many. But here are some artists local to me that I’ve been loving: Winten, Bumpy, Juice Webster, Kee’ahn, Clover Blue, Danika Smith, Phoebe Go.
Finally, what does the rest of 2023 have in store for you?
I’m about to play some shows with my band around Australia to celebrate my album release, then I’m going to the US to play a couple of shows, and then I’ll be back home to see my mum and brother and baby niece for Christmas. Hopefully I’ll do a bit of writing, get some sun, and go for lots of swims!
Huge thanks to Tori for answering our questions!
I Get Into Trouble, the new album from Maple Glider, is out now via Partisan. Order / listen here.
Photo Credit: Bridgette Winten
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