Pandemic Dispatches with Torizon

Time for another check in. Today's Pandemic Dispatch features, Torizon from Brisbane, Australia.

Check their BANDCAMP.

1. How are things going where you are? The laws and such.

The laws are different in each Australian state and it’s starting to feel like each state is it’s own separate country.

Although the restrictions may seem harsh to some, they have had an incredible effect on curbing the spread of covid 19. Our numbers are low with zero transmission and no new cases for days or weeks in some areas.

It goes without saying that these restrictions have taken some getting used to and have changed the way we interact, work and view the world. The biggest positive out of isolation is the forced time out to slow down & breathe, appreciate human interaction and reflect on our individual values and priorities. And off course, the newly acquired free time has been useful for tackling projects/studies which fall under the universal umbrella of “I’ll get to it when I have some free time” 

2. How long have you been sheltering in place at this time?

Three of us lost our jobs for the foreseeable future and our bass player recently recovered from Coronavirus. Collectively we have been in isolation since mid March. Although the restrictions are starting to lift, we are very mindful of leaving our homes for essentials only. 

3. What has been cancelled on you that you were looking forward to?

Our very first international tour has been postponed until the travel ban is lifted. We were really looking forward to hitting this milestone. The Tour Manager, Booking Agent and Promoters have been absolutely amazing to ensure that we aren’t out of pocket. Like everyone else, we are sad to see our favourite bands cancel their shows but it’s for the greater good so we try not to dwell on it. 

4. How have you been passing the time indoors?

Writing. Writing. Writing - it has been a songwriting station every single day and we aren't complaining about it. We also upgraded our home base private rehearsal & recording studios which has been amazing!

Personally, there are a few key things which are important to each individual band member. The big one is self care, movement & mindfulness. We meditate, exercise indoors or train outdoors (safely) to stay on top of our mental health. We utilised zoom & facetime for songwriting sessions and catching up with family/friends.

Mostly we all doubled down on music & content marketing courses & upskilling ourselves. We all have formal music theory education and used this time to revisit, apply & build on our current knowledge base. This time really helped us solidify our brand, project management and changed how we usually plan our year. 

On the business end of things, we are in the process of finalising an endorsement, a booking agent, a marketing deal & promotion deal and demo tracking the next few singles

5. Loads of artists have been talking about how they're being creative. When the lockdown is over are ya gonna be ready to hit up the studio?

This is a really interesting question. Covid 19 lockdown really has worked well for us in a creative sense, taught us to adapt to any situation that presents itself and has really streamlined and refined our song writing process.

We all have respective home studios for capturing ideas and sending them back and forth, building the songs and giving them their due course and time to grow naturally. But most importantly it has increased communication and focus of all members of the band. A perfect example is our latest single Find My Way Out which was recorded & filmed separately by each member under lockdown conditions.

So are we ready for the studio? The answer is we never left it.

6. What crazy projects have you been considering since you've been in quarantine?

What haven’t we done???? Collectively we have done everything from house renovations, car repairs, studio rewiring, stage prop and lighting show designs and builds, mad scientist experiments with guitar and bass rigs, designing & building customer pedalboards, writing 6 brand new songs...it really has been a creative paradise!

Mish :)