UK-born, Australia-based singer/songwriter Toria Richings has landed with both her feet firmly planted in all things Americana. Her unique approach is a broad range of genres that include country, blues, and a sprinkle of folk. “I believe my music to be composed of songs that feed your soul,” explains Richings.

Originally from the UK, Richings is a compelling and thought-provoking storyteller with a huge imagination when it comes to penning songs. She writes with a downright depth of emotion that will leave your heart feeling every word she sings. At the age of 11, Richings fell in love with music when she first heard Neil Young and Joan Baez — that classic Americana sound. Having taught herself the guitar, she says: “I began having a huge love affair with music that has walked with me my whole life.”

“Fire,” out today, is an authentic and raw piece of her heart that explores the multidimensionality of love. “The track has a more Celtic feel in places,” Richings states. Having written the song in just two minutes, Richings sat down strumming the first chord and the entire song wrote itself in one try. “It is a song about the different levels of love two people can feel for each other and the belief one person can have in another,” shares Richings. Steeped with beautiful lead guitar and pedal steel, the track conjures a feeling of nostalgia and tender self-reflection.

Later this year, Richings will be headed to Nashville in September to play a showcase at AMERICANAFEST, along with a run of shows while in the States, then she’s off to the UK for additional performances. “I have a couple more demo singles waiting to be nurtured and grown too,” says Richings. “I’ll be working on those throughout the year, for a late 2023 release.”

For Richings, the process of songwriting is as organic, instinctual, and completely nonlinear. “It’s hard to describe my creative process because it generally just happens,” she explains of the unprovoked tunes that appear in her head at any given moment throughout her day, often taking just 5-10 minutes to create in their entirety from the moment they are born. “I am not a songwriter who sits down with a pad and pen and guitar expecting to write ideas for a song and build on it,” continues Richings. 

“Generally, I will get a tune in my head and I could be anywhere when this happens. If I am out I will sing it into my phone and record it so I don’t forget it. If I am home I will grab my guitar and play the chords to the tune, then usually I will get a word or a sentence in my head and I will then know the feeling of the song.”

Viewing music as an emotionally persuasive tool that has the power to stop a person in their tracks when touched by it, Richings hopes her music may move listeners in a way that initiates a moment of slowness, allowing the opportunity to surrender to one’s complex and deep emotions. “We get too lost these days in the rush of life and schedules. I think we lose emotional connections because of not finding the time,” she explains. “Music can touch you wherever you are, whatever you’re doing. My music is always about feelings whether is happy or sad, it’s a feeling.”

Photo Courtesy: Peter Metro