Tors have had a landmark year, performing at iconic venues and festivals across the globe, including support slots for Ed Sheeran and headlining their own sold-out UK tour. As they release their new single Never Give Up, the band is channeling their experiences on the road into their music, bringing a sense of resilience and optimism to their sound. The single, recorded in their Devon studio, reflects their journey and personal growth, offering a message of hope and determination.
With their distinctive vocal harmonies and a newly invigorated sound, Tors are gearing up for a European headline tour, showcasing their evolving musical style. In this interview, the band opens up about the inspiration behind Never Give Up, their creative process, and what it’s like to balance personal stories with broader, relatable themes in their music.
Your new single Never Give Up is inspired by your dad and his encouragement to follow your dreams. How did this personal inspiration shape the song, and what message do you hope listeners take from it?
Our dad always instilled into us the belief that if we loved doing something we could make a career out of it as long as we worked hard enough and didn’t give up along the way. The song itself is essentially our journey through life and music and we hope it inspires the same kind of hope and drive in the people listening.
You’ve had an incredible year on the road, from opening for Ed Sheeran at BottleRock to playing two packed sets at Glastonbury. What have been some of the most memorable moments from this year’s touring experience?
It’s been a wild year and a little hard to process being perfectly honest! There are so many highlights it’s hard to choose but a few that definitely stand out are: playing Glastonbury, it’s always been a dream of ours ever since we became a band and it was a true honour to finally make it there. Playing in front of 12,000 people in Zurich was another surreal and transcendent experience for us, it made us pretty emotional looking at a sea of phone lights moving in time with us. Another highlight was playing our first-ever tour in America. We weren’t sure what to expect or who would turn up but the shows sold out in a couple of days which was pretty mind blowing.
Never Give Up features the soaring vocal harmonies and dynamic energy that have become your signature sound. How did you approach blending your live show energy into the recording process for this track?
We always try to approach recording sessions as if they were a live show and it’s important to us to try and capture that energy and spontaneity that we experience playing onstage. A big part of that is tracking the instruments live in a big room and getting ourselves into that live headspace.
Your recent Miracle EP was recorded with Simone Felice in the Catskills. How did working with such an influential producer shape the sound of the EP, and what was the recording process like in that unique setting?
It was such a joy to work with Simone, he’s long been a hero of ours and getting the news that he wanted to record with us was so surreal and exciting. Simone is amazing at mining the songs for those golden moments and stripping them back to the most basic elements. We’re very guilty of throwing too much at them so it was refreshing to have someone guide us in that regard. Being in the Catskills felt very magical and getting to swim daily in the river and hike through the forests gave us a peaceful kind of perspective that we hope permeated into the music.
You’ve garnered millions of views on social media with your a cappella performances. How has social media played a role in building your fan base, and do you enjoy the process of sharing music in this way?
Social media has been absolutely instrumental to our success. Without it, we wouldn’t have signed a record deal or been able to sell out the tours we’ve been playing. It’s a double edged sword because it can be a little all consuming and there’s some very unhealthy elements to it but we try and use it in the most positive way we can to spread hope and also to use our fans as A&R’s with new music. Their opinion means a lot to us so it’s very useful to get immediate feedback on a new song.
With both Matt and Theo being the grandchildren of guitar legend Burt Weedon, and Jack having a strong musical family background, how does your family heritage influence your music and your approach to being in a band?
We definitely have a shared work ethic that I think was heavily influenced by our musical backgrounds, we know that without putting the time and effort in we won’t see the return we’re hoping for. As a band we’re always striving to improve and up our game.
You’ve spent part of the summer working on new music in your studio HQ, a converted barn in Devon. How does this creative space inspire your songwriting and recording process?
It’s certainly a peaceful place to come to after being on the road so much of the year, it’s on top of a hill in a very isolated part of the countryside so it’s nice to be cut off from the outside world and have our focus be fully on the music we’re working on.
You’ve been on tour with huge names like James Blunt and played major festivals like Bonnaroo and Victorious. How do these experiences on such large stages compare to your headline shows, and do you prepare differently for each?
Playing support shows is a very cushy job, you get to enjoy your day exploring amazing new cities then roll in to an already sold out audience and play a 30-minute set. It’s been a real privilege to experience and we approach each of the shows with the aim of winning over as much of the audience as we can. It’s a lot of fun meeting new people and fighting to make them love you in such a short space of time. Our headline shows definitely take a lot more out of us and we try and make each one unique and special. It still blows our minds that people would travel across the world just to watch us play so we feel duty bound to give them best show possible.
Never Give Up is one of your most upbeat releases to date, both lyrically and musically. How do you balance the themes of resilience and optimism in your music, and why are these messages important to you as a band?
One of our mission statements as a band is to write the kind of songs we wish we’d heard when we’ve been struggling or in dark places. Never Give Up is essentially the story of our journey through music and a message of hope to the people listening to keep chasing their dreams. We’ve struggled a lot with our mental health and if we can help even one person out of a similar place with our music then that’s more than we could have ever hoped for.
Looking ahead, what can fans expect from your upcoming European headline tour and the new music you’ve been working on? Are there any surprises in store that you’re particularly excited about?
We’re currently in the midst of our sold out European tour and it’s been a whirlwind so far, we’ve tried to make the shows the best and most diverse we’ve ever played with plenty of surprises for the audience. We’re also releasing a load of new music this year, so keep your eyes peeled for that!
