Name: Laurie Torres
Occupation: Composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist
Nationality: Canadian-Haitian
Recent release: Laurie Torres's Après coup is out via Tonal Union.
Recommendations for Montreal: I recommend visiting Bâtiment 7. It's a huge building converted into a community space in the Pointe-Saint-Charles neighborhood. They have many workshops, including those for ceramics, car and bike mechanics, metalwork, and photography, as well as a food store run by volunteers, a beer cooperative, and a large community garden.
I think they do incredibly important work, and I consider them an example of how people can pull together to enrich and provide services for their community. Swing by and grab a beer, visit the garden, and take the time to explore the neighborhood, which is also historically and architecturally interesting and quite different from the rest of the city.
Topic I rarely get to talk about: Honestly, I rarely get to talk about how much I love wool and sheep. I’m unfortunately not much of a knitter, but I love getting to know local knitting traditions wherever I travel. (:

If you enjoyed this Laurie Torres interview and would like to know more about her music, visit her on Instagram, and bandcamp.



Many musicians I am talking to at the moment feel somewhat disillusioned about the impact, meaning, and value of their work. Feel free to vent some of your own frustrations and/or disappointments – as well, if possible, something that you recently experienced (or a thought that you had) that might give hope to other creatives.

There is so much music being made! That is of course a good thing, but it’s hard to feel like my music deserves to reach people more than anyone else’s.

I’ve worked in/with bands for so long that I wanted to make a first solo record that felt like a fresh start. When I made ‘Après coup’, my goal was to make music without the usual constraints or imperatives: I decided to go into the studio without any preparation, and I finally had the opportunity to improvise! Without any end goal, I could just make anything that came to mind. That felt really freeing and new. That whole process allowed me to put frustrations and doubts aside while I was making the music.

I think it’s important to have these moments that make us remember why we create: for me, it’s about being fully present, playful and open, and that leads to many moments of surprise. The metrics and indicators of impact, of “success”, don’t exist in that space.

If, for a moment, we forget about streaming numbers, target audiences, social media followers, and sales - why are you drawn to sound and music as a creator and listener? What is it that you give and receive through it?

I experience a special kind of attention through sound – it's that feeling of "locking in", of being fully present. I can get lost for hours playing an instrument or get completely absorbed in a daydream while listening to something.

Music allows me to be both in a state of full concentration and experience the sensation of floating at the same time, which is quite an interesting juxtaposition. Nothing else makes me feel so ecstatic.

Take us through a day in your life, from a possible morning routine to your work, please, and how music and sound accompany you through it.

I usually wake up after 9 hours of sleep and have breakfast while catching up on phone stuff. Then I get any "office" work done before lunch (emails, some translation work, any grant proposals or applications). That is usually a time during which I listen to NTS, something from my vinyl collection, or a record that's been recommended.

I religiously cook lunch and take a long break, which involves going on a walk or running errands. I've been trying (and often failing) to exercise after the break, usually while catching up on a podcast. I then usually have a couple of hours to play the piano or jam on a synth in my basement, sometimes freely, sometimes with a specific task to fulfill. At around 6 pm, we slowly get ready for dinner and family time. I'll sometimes dive into more music work around 8 or 9 pm and go to bed by 11:30.

That is, of course, my ideal day when I'm home. Of course, I sometimes have appointments, extra work, rehearsals for a specific project, friend hangs, or I'm away on tour.

What artists, albums, performances, or even aesthetics and philosophies are inspiring to your life in and beyond music right now and in which way? Have there been songs, albums, performances, and artists that changed / influenced your life?

Something about repetition really strikes a chord with me. I’ve always been a fan of Steve Reich’s work, and I recently dove into Francesco Messina’s work, especially his album ‘Reflex’:



I can easily get lost in the repeated motifs, and I love the introduction of subtle changes that slide into the songs and patterns seamlessly. Repetition and patterns can be found in film, in architecture, and in nature! I love observing these planned and unplanned occurrences.

I’m also a big photography enthusiast. Taking photos urges me to walk around with the sole purpose of observing and to remain open to what strikes my attention. Something about it feels like “luck” and “surprise” (even more so with having to wait for developed photos), which is in total continuity with my practice of improvisation in music.

Keith Jarrett’s ‘Köln Concert’ has always been a staple for me in terms of that element of surprise in music.



Of course, he knows what he’s doing, but you can still hear the joy and elation that comes from something unexpected. I want to keep experiencing that playfulness when I play.

Also, I’ve been learning Italian, and I just picked up a copy of Pauline Oliveros’ ‘Deep Listening: A Composer's Sound Practice’ in Italian. I’m familiar with her philosophies, but actually taking the time to read the book, especially in this slowed-down and meticulous way, will probably inspire me a lot.

[Read our Pauline Oliveros interview]

Tell me about some of the feedback you've received from listeners about how your work has impacted them.

I’ve been told how much my music gets people to slow down, and to listen – to feel peaceful.

I’m glad I can provide that sense of slowness and calm to others, because I’m actively trying to bring more of that into my life, and I know how good it feels!

What are some of the goals and ambitions you have for your music?

I would, of course, love to release more music, and collaborate with other artists. I believe that many nice surprises could emerge through collective improvisation. It would also be nice to play some shows and give a new dimension to the songs.  

Also, I’ve always been attracted to visual arts, installations, and moving images (I studied film in university, and that involved a lot of art history as well). Composing music for visual work is something I’d love to do more.

What kind of music/art do you feel the world needs right now - does it need “healing,” “shaking up,” “an escape from reality,” “consolation,” “a sense of community,” “holding up a mirror,” something else?

I think even though music can provide all these things, to me, building a sense community and sharing is key.

French Saxophonist Sakina Abdou told me that she "witnessed a powerlessness towards a world that is in absolutely no way in line with my values," and that she hasn't "yet found a way to overcome this in ways other than music, but I admire the activists around me who do it." Can you relate to this and what does it say about the role of music in overcoming our sense of powerlessness and actually empowering us?

Music is one way among others to build community. As a black queer woman, I strongly believe that community is key to fighting injustice – through support, mutual empowerment, and joint efforts.

That being said, I often think about ways to make music and activism meet in a more concrete way, and that’s definitely something I want to work towards.

While creating is a way to diffuse or to calm my feeling of powerlessness, it can feel quite passive, and I definitely want to be more active.

Performing music or creating sounds with others opens up the possibility of resolving conflicts in a different way. From your personal experience in collaborations or group performances, how does this work and do you believe it is possible to apply these approaches to areas outside of music?

I've definitely experienced being exhausted on tour, sometimes even feeling frustrated, and playing the show always feels like a restorative experience. Sharing the stage with fellow musicians – being in this together and also with the audience – is such a powerful feeling.

Communicating with words is hugely important, but sometimes, it feels good to communicate through other means, and music is definitely one of them.