About this artist
Melding lush electronics with moody acoustic songwriting, Gordi emerged from Australia with a series of original songs and covers in the mid-2010s. She made her full-length debut on Jagjaguwar with Reservoir in 2017.
A native of the small rural town of Canowindra, Sophie Payten eventually relocated to Sydney for school while also immersing herself in writing and recording. She began penning her debut EP while still living in her college dorm room. With an electro-organic pop sound recalling Bon Iver and Beth Orton, her music career quickly began to show some promise. Adopting the stage alias Gordi, she released singles like the sweeping “Can We Work It Out” and a unique reframing of Courtney Barnett’s “Avant Gardener,” leading to a record deal with American indie label Jagjaguwar in late 2015. Her debut EP, Clever Disguise, was released in the U.S. in May of 2016. Following an a cappella cover of Bon Iver’s “00000 Million” later that year, Gordi delivered her debut album, Reservoir, in mid-2017. It involved collaborations with producers including Alex Somers (Jónsi & Alex), Tim Anderson (Ima Robot), and Ali Chant (Gravenhurst). Tours including a European one with Ásgeir followed.
Recorded at her family’s farm in Canowindra, Gordi’s second long-player, June 2020′s Our Two Skins, was co-produced by the singer, Chris Messina (Bon Iver, S. Carey), and Zach Hanson (S. Carey, the Staves). A special album release show was streamed live from the Sydney Opera House. ~ Timothy Monger