Tors make the kind of songs you shout along to in the car alone with the windows down, just before last call in a pub full of friends, and on packed festival fields anywhere in the world. The UK trio of brothers Matt and Theo Weedon joined by friend Jack Bowden rally around driving rhythms, cinematic soundscapes, and life-affirming anthemic hooks anchored by the innate personal and creative connection between them. After generating millions of streams and playing to packed houses around the world, this bond among bandmates is central to their sound, and it also drives their Glassnote Records debut.
"This band is family," Matt proclaims. "There are ups and downs, but we make up really quickly. It's a brotherhood with the boys, and it's a community with our fans. If one of us isn't feeling it, it doesn't work. We're moving towards the same goal. We want to be a big stadium rock band that makes pop songs that mean a lot to people. That's what Tors is."
Hailing from the county of Devon, Matt and Theo instantly gravitated to music as kids. By all accounts, mum is "a great singer," while dad "may not be the best musician, but he loves music to the core," laughs Matt. Nevertheless, Dad often chose the soundtrack for dinner, and the boys absorbed classic albums with their parents.
Going further back, their grandfather, Bert Weedon, shined as a famous guitarist in the fifties and sixties. He even penned a famous guitar instructional book entitled Play in a Day. The likes of The Beatles and Brian May frequented his family home and cited the book as an essential tome for learning the instrument. Simultaneously, he performed with Frank Sinatra. As such, music has always coursed through the family's DNA.
In between writing and recording music of their own, the brothers honed their talents behind the scenes as songwriters. They landed high-profile syncs such as "Perfectly Imperfect" for Declan J Donovan and "Need You Now" for Dean Lewis, piling up over half a billion streams. Inspired by everyone from Coldplay, Oasis, Kings of Leon, The Eagles, and Nick Drake to Keane and Snow Patrol, they also quietly cemented their own signature style as Tors. Their name references a hometown landmark, reflecting the natural energy surging through the music.
"There's a huge national park in Devon with all of these mountains and rivers," he elaborates. "We used to climb these huge rocks known as Tors. I still go there once a week. It's a really beautiful and spiritual place. We wanted to keep home top of mind." Along the way, Tors gained traction with the likes of "Hold Me," "Seventeen," "Don't Cry," and "Empty Hands," gathering millions of streams. Between touring with Sam Ryder, Tom Walker, X Ambassadors, and more, they dropped the Anything Can Happen EP highlighted by the singles "Garden on the Kitchen Floor" and "Colour In The Ordinary." The latter's title track, "Anything Can Happen," caught fire on TikTok and posted up 3.3 million Spotify streams.
During the summer of 2023, the band signed with Glassnote Records and decamped to Woodstock, NY in order to record their upcoming EP with producer Simone Felice [The Lumineers, Noah Kahan, Vance Joy]. A deliberately nuanced approach defined the songwriting and expanded their sound. "Every single thing we put into a track needs a reason to be there," he goes on. "We love the beautiful balance of what the three of us can do. It's important to keep the songs driving along and moving."
Speaking of, the single "Miracle" storms out of the gate with uncontainable energy as it heralds the start of their next chapter. Tambourine sets the tempo as lush guitars and glistening piano underline uplifting verses. It culminates on a towering chorus as Matt confesses, "I've been waiting for a miracle maybe I'll make it there someday." At the same time, he promises, "I'm not gonna slow down until I see my hometown reflected in the mirror like a light in the sky" "We were opening up about some experiences," Matt goes on. "It's about being a creative, chasing your dream, and constantly hounding down this path. You're hoping you'll get that break someday or a miracle will happen. It's really our life story of being in a band. It's a struggle, but we can't and won't do anything else." That's something the rest of us should be thankful for. "With this music, we want you to know Tors has landed," he leaves off. "It's not about just right now. We want this record to be great in 20 years. We're here to stay."
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