Two years after the release of her debut long player Dreams & Chances country music starlet Tori Darke is releasing the fifth and final single from the album before she heads into the studio to record her next release. The single, No You No Me, showcases a different side to Tori and provides the perfect bridge to her next album. The track showcases this impressive performer’s ability to take it back a notch and turn her impressive vocals to heartfelt ballads.
For Tori, there was something about the song that captivated her from the first time she heard it. Penned by Michael Davey, John Bettis and Chris Robins, the track is one of those great country love stories. “When I first heard No You No Me there was something special about the lyrical content and the story in this song,” says Tori. “I immediately fell in love with it. I chose the track as my fifth and final single because all my previous singles have been country rock up-tempo tracks. I always said that my last song to be released off my album would be a ballad. I could not have picked a more deserving song than No You No Me.”
When looking for tracks for her Dreams & Chances album, Tori wanted to find a strong ballad and the storyline behind No You No Me captivated Tori instantly. “The song tells a great country love story of being broken hearted,” she says. “I was able to connect with the song straight away, as it made me think of how I would feel if my special someone wasn’t in my life. I love the lyrics and the story of No You No Me and I felt as though I could relate to it.”
The track, like Tori’s entire debut album, was recorded at The House of Blues in Nashville. Recorded under the guidance of producer Michael Davey (who co-wrote No You No Me), Tori spent dedicated time in the studio, laying down all of the tracks for the album in one hit. “Firstly we put the music down for each song individually, then bringing in the additional instruments required for each song,” she says. “The second stage of the process was putting down my vocals, which we did over several days in Michael’s studio. Then finally we added in the backing vocals. Over the next few months, Michael worked on the actual production of the album to get it ready for mastering and release.”
As Tori releases the No You No Me single to radio, she is back in Nashville on a songwriting trip, gathering material for her second long-player. “The trip to Nashville was strictly to finish writing tracks for my upcoming album, which I hope to release towards the end of this year, or early 2014,” Tori says. “I’ve been in Nashville for five-weeks so I’ve been doing lots of co-writes, a few song writing nights and I also performed at the Tomkins showcase. It has been a fabulous trip and I have met up with so many industry people from both Nashville and Australia, who have been a wonderful support. I am very excited about bringing home my new songs and to be able to share them with everyone at home in Australia.”
The future looks bright for Tori Darke. She’ll be releasing the first single off of her second album before the end of the year and hitting the road with fellow artist Kate Cook for a string of tour dates. “The rest of this year and next year are going to be very exciting,” Tori says. “I can’t wait to see it unfold!”