Gordi weaves intricate folk-pop splendour on ‘Heaven I Know’

Every weekday, DIY’s new music know-it-all Neu brings you one essential new release to get obsessed with. Today’s Neu Pick comes from Gordi. “The name ‘Reservoir’, it’s that thing that you can’t describe, that space that anxious people would probably live their life in”. So says Australian Sophie Payten, better known as Gordi, on the title of her upcoming debut album, set to be released on 25th August. It’s a fitting description for her music, a blend of delicate folk and electronica sometimes steeped in a heart that’s heavy enough to sink in a fjord, but that at other times keeps the floodgates closed, showing effortless restraint. It’s no wonder she’s friends with Bon Iver. The album’s lead single ‘Heaven I Know’ is yet another step in the development of her intricate craft. Though it starts hushed, building on a quietened rhythm that continually loops throughout, it soon blossoms to become a graceful number filled with piano chords, the soft swell of brass and, of course, Gordi’s own voice. Her mournful, emotional tones remain centre-stage, as she takes solace in the fact that “I know that we tried”. As part of a wider tour around her native Australia and the States, and following a date at this year’s Iceland Airwaves, Gordi will be bringing ‘Reservoir’ back to the UK, after her recent show at London’s St Pancras Old Church was completely sold out. She’ll be playing at Omeara in the capital on 6th November and tickets are on sale now. Listen to ‘Heaven I Know’ below.