One of the things that I love the most about independent musicians is the ability to get to know them a bit. Now, I’ll admit, I’m usually quiet at live shows and maybe say hi to one or two people that I know from the net. Other than that however, I watch, I enjoy, maybe buy some merch, and then I leave. That’s the introvert in me. HOWEVER. I also love the fact that I can support bands from afar through this humble little website. And today I’m doing that for Torppsbride.
Torppsbride is a solo project that I discovered when I went to see Patriarchy at QXTs; the rest of the bill I was blind to but I’m glad I got there early and saw everyone perform. What befell me was a crimson angel – or at least a woman in an angel costume who poured blood over her head like Carrie descending from heaven. A mixture of goth, pop, and even a bit of noise rock impressed me, even moreso that she was able to pull it off due to a mix of physical injuries. This inspired me to hit the gym harder the next day. After a quick chat online, Torppsbride was so gracious to lend her voice (text) to the site for today’s edition of INTRODUCING. Get to know what might just be your next favorite multi-media project.
Give us a brief about your band. Who are you and what do you do?
Hi I’m Torppsbride a singer songwriter from North Jersey. The name comes from one of my fave movies Corpse Bride and my last name Torpps, and it’s spooky which relates to the themes in my music. I’ve always been into the arts, painting film photography, so making my own music was just another outlet to create and explore and an easy transition for me. I went to film school so I make all my own music videos, directing editing, write music like it’s a script and many songs are inspired by the media I’ve consumed, and I take most of my own photos and edit them for the album covers so mainly it’s a very solo project, however I do work with friends for the music and mix and mastering.
When did you first launch the project and how has it come along since?
I first launched in 2022 after the death of my dad. Music was always something I wanted to get into and I had beats made that I was sitting on for a while but never really had the inspiration to write and record until he passed. Because my dad was a big music guy, he’s the reason I’m so cultured when it comes to appreciating all genres of music and he was also in bands (as guitarist and lead singer) performing his whole life and always told me stories about the glory days of his music career. He was in multiple different bands, none of them known but he did tell me stories about doing battle of the bands with Billy Ray Cyrus and opening for Twisted Sister before they were famous. Unfortunately by the time I was born all I had was the stories from his and his former band mates but I really only saw him perform in the car and at church. When he passed I used music as a way to cope with grief, as a form of therapy to express my confusing and dark thoughts, and then I began performing as a way to feel closer to him, because on stage myself I got to finally feel what he felt when he would tell the stories about performing, and I found performing to be the most cathartic way to deal with my emotions. I started this after he passed and I haven’t slowed down, just gaining more experience and making more connections and it’s just been such a fun way to cope, distract, meet people and live life.
What bands and artists influenced you the most and why?
That’s tough because to say influence would mean these are artists I look up to and I really don’t look up to anyone like that, the really only true INFLUENCE on my music is my dad. Now if you were to ask what my bands inspire my music, that my music sounds like, I would say Lady Gaga, Kesha, Avril Lavigne, Ashnikko, Poppy and Deathbyromy. I am constantly going from upbeat to dark, cute to scary, that’s always been my aesthetic, fighting between soft and hard, pink versus red, my music can be cutesy and pop and fun like Kesha but it can also be dark and fierce like Deathbyromy.
If you could pick a single song from your discography to explain your music, which song would you pick and why?
This is also tough because my music explores so many different genres, so to say one song covers my whole discography well how is a pop ballad going to cover that I also do screaming numetal music. But thematically I usually go for more upbeat music with darker more somber lyrics so a song that really describes that would be my song “Playhouse Princess”. On the surface, “Playhouse Princess” is a haunting metaphorical story about a doll in love with her toymaker, essentially her God whom she worships but can never truly have. Trapped in her fantasy world, she envies the other creations (other toys and art) he gives his attention to, comparing herself to them and longing to be seen. Though she knows she needs to escape, she’s stuck in a fairy tale waiting for a prince who may never come. Beneath the surface, the song explores themes of toxic relationships, emotional dependency, and the imbalance of power in love. It also speaks to how women are often objectified and treated more like possessions or playthings rather than real “people” with agency and emotion. I think this summarizes my music because the music is an upbeat electropop song that sounds bright bubbly and fun but also tells a story that’s a bit dark and is inspired by various tv show episodes (like I said my music is usually inspired by media) like “Are you afraid of the dark” and “The Twilight Zone”. I made this song with my friend and producer Bella Luxury of Darling Gails.
What is your most recent release and what is it about?
My most recent release is called “In Another Life” and it’s an emotionally charged pop ballad about yearning, jealousy, and romantic idealism, that captures the ache of unrequited love and resonates with listeners who have ever loved their best friend, loved someone unavailable or felt unseen. With confessional storytelling lyrics it feels like reading pages from a diary that was never meant to be shared. The song narrator is watching someone whom she loves be underappreciated by another, and she offers a bold and passionate alternative future if they loved her instead. It’s hopeful, desperate, romantic, and reckless. It’s for the late night overthinkers and anyone who’s ever thought “you should be with me instead”, it’s a bit delusional and a bit psycho but that’s what love does to you. I did write it with people in mind however it’s mainly taken from your favorite unrequited love characters from popular tv shows and movies, to name a few of my personal favorites: Dan and Blair, Effy and Cooke, Charlie and Dee, Sawyer and Kate, Barney and Robin, Jeff and Britta, and Snooki and Vinny… I can’t name all the shows but if you know you know. I wrote this song with my friend musician and engineer Doug Gallo.
Take us through your creative process. How do you compose a song from start to finish? Where do the ideas come from?
Typically the beat comes first, then I sing the first melody that comes to my head over that beat, if I like it then I start adding real lyrics to fit the melody, the lyrics come from how the song makes me feel and I will often go into my notes app on my phone and choose random lyrics/phrases that I’ve written in my notes that could go with it and then I just keep writing lyrics off that on my computer with a separate tab open for googling rhymes then I record and that’s it. Throughout life when I’m driving or watching tv or listening to music or just thinking lyrics will come to me and I have tons and tons of notes in my phone of just random sets of lyrics and I usually just build off of that, usually the beat comes first but when I’m so uninspired I’ll just look at the notes and see what I can write a whole song around. Usually everything’s done in my apartment on my mac but I also have a lot of collabs with friends that were made at their place or over discord and while I often make my own beats I also have numerous songs that my friends have made the music for. Also before I knew what I was doing I was commissioning people on the website Fiverr to make beats for me, I would just tell them the song structure how long I want the song to be tell them the vibe and give them some song references. Now I only go to Fiverr for mix and mastering or my friends will do it, as that’s not something I’ve mastered , no pun intended, myself yet.
What’s your current favorite song, band, or album within your scene? And vice versa, what do you enjoy the most that’s completely opposite of what you make?
In my current scene I’m really inspired by my friend Eric Raven who has actually helped me alot through my entire music process playing our first gig together and then giving me advice and getting me on a ton of gigs after that and I just love his music. He definitely has way more hardcore music than me but our vibes are very similar, and my favorite songs by him is “Feral” “Hold me now” and “left hand path” he’s just so incredible and I highly recommend checking him out.
What is on the horizon for your project? Upcoming gigs, tours, merch, videos, etc. Name it, link it, show it off.
I have a gig on Oct 17 in Queens, NY. You can also check out my self-made videos on YouTube.
See Torppsbride Live:
Oct 17 – 25-19 Borden Avenue #206 Queens, NY – 7:00pm
Get Tickets
