Emerging from the music scene of Falmouth, England, Torneo is set to release their self-titled debut album on December 7th. Blending elements of shoegaze, grunge, 60s rock, and even melodic post-hardcore, the five-piece offers a journey that captures their eclectic influences and DIY ethos.
Today, we’re pleased to give you a trio of their new jams, with a special commentary on each, and a special dive into their story.
“We like to think we’re fairly eclectic,” the band shares. “Because we all listen to such different genres, we don’t really sound too much like anyone else.”
Formed in 2021, Torneo began when strangers in a university group chat decided to jam. The members—Charlie, Ryan, Will, and drummer Joe—quickly discovered that their diverse musical backgrounds ignited a unique creative synergy.
“We all have super different tastes, but it’s special when we nerd out over the same stuff,” says Joe. “It’s about embracing each other’s influences, even when they’re wildly different.”
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This dynamic and their buzzing amalgam of various inspirations is evident throughout the album, oscillating between lush, dreamy shoegaze and raw, organic energy.
Guitarist Charlie’s love for 60s psychedelic rock informs the album’s more ethereal moments, while the grungier edges reflect Joe and Will’s passions for post-hardcore and experimental rock. Bassist Will’s prog-rock influences add layers of intricacy, all tied together by vocalist Ryan’s cosmic lyricism.
“‘Split the Sky’ and ‘Collapsing Starlight’ really show that blend of introspection and spacey imagery,” they note.
Ahead of the album’s release, Torneo is premiering three special tracks—”Showman,” “Aurora De’Lour,” and “Collapsing Starlight”—each accompanied by exclusive commentary from the band. These tracks provide a glimpse into the album’s diverse soundscape and the stories behind the music.
“We feel there’s something special about how we write together,” the band says. “It’s not just about the end result; it’s about the banter and the way we riff off each other when we write.”
Their self-produced debut was recorded at their university’s studio, amidst the chaos of student life, part-time jobs, and creative exploration. “This record is almost like a manifesto,” they explain. “It’s us proving we have potential while making music that’s meaningful but still fun. It’s a way of saying, ‘This is who we are, take it or leave it.’”
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Not wasting any time, Torneo has already begun work on their second album, which promises to be even more experimental, with a “quirky, textural” feel. “It’s very different. It’s still alternative rock, but it’s a lot more experimental! We’re excited to see where it takes us!” says Joe.
Track-by-Track Commentary:
Showman
Ryan: “This was the very first track we wrote for the album, at the time I don’t even think we knew ourselves it’d end up the opening track for our debut but I think it sets the tone pretty nicely and pretty quick.”
Joe: “I feel like this track really encompasses our early overarching sound, mixing heavier, 90’s reminiscent rock with a bit of poppy 60’s flare, especially with the groove this track has and the vocal harmonies and little pitch slides. It’s a really fun track to play live.”
Charlie: “I brought the track to the band mostly finished but Ryan and Joe collaborated on the lyrics and adapted it from my original words, It’s quite a bouncy and fun track musically but it’s actually about loss, being confused, between places and overwhelmed and trying to either dismiss or overcome the dark thoughts that can arise when you’re struggling in a place like that.”
Aurora De’Lour
Joe: “I was listening to a hell of a lot of screamo, Ostraca, Gillian Carter and the likes, while we were writing the album, and was itching to get some real heaviness into the record, so as soon as Charlie brought that intro riff I knew exactly where we should take the song. I asked Ryan to really go for it with the vocals and he definitely delivered. Sat in the vocal booth recording him was quite mental on the ears, the guy can really scream.”
Ryan: “I don’t actually know what ‘Aurora De’Lour’ means, I was just improvising and singing whatever came to mind and it stuck. Maybe it’s a name, or a place or a feeling, or maybe it’s nothing at all. A lot of the way we write and the way I write lyrics especially just sort of formlessly comes together, we’re not usually trying to create a specific or focused thing when we write, just making whatever we think sounds good.”
Charlie: “I was messing about writing riffs in odd time signatures, I think this track is in 9/4 or something, and I brought the intro riff into a rehearsal session and Joe immediately jumped on the idea, took my guitar and played the heavy riff we have for the chorus, and that’s sort of the whole track, just headbanging, bonehead music, it’s great.”
Collapsing Starlight
Charlie: “Collapsing starlight started out as just me messing with a guitar harmony I discovered, I think I had the very basic 2 main sections. Me and Joe basically stayed up all night writing the rest of it, Joe wrote the bassline for the verses and the heavy part towards the end. It’s probably the track I’m most proud of, it really felt like a step forward for us with our songwriting, a little bit more mature and artsy maybe, but still super fun.”
Will: “I love creating quite playful baselines that move around a lot and I think what I did in the chorus kind of livens the track up and helps give it a little bit of a triumphant sort of tone. It’s a bit more pensive and introspective than a lot of our music and I quite like it for that.”
Ryan: “I like writing quite loose and poetic lyrics so I’m rarely totally sure what any one song is about unless I had really focused in or drawn from a certain experience, but I think Collapsing Starlight is sort of about finding solace in the uncertainty of life and a reminder to not become too latched on to one thing or another, because nothing can truly be planned, right? You have to be okay with not being okay, and that’s a struggle but at the same time it’s freeing.”
Torneo’s debut album releases on December 7th.
