Gordi announces new album with music video for ‘Aeroplane Bathroom’

Sophie Payten tells NME Australia more about the album 'Our Two Skins' and how it was inspired by The National

Sydney-based singer-songwriter Gordi has announced her sophomore album with a brand-new single, ‘Aeroplane Bathroom’, which has arrived with a music video.

Gordi – real name Sophie Payten – told NME Australia today (March 24) that the music video is “the visual centrepiece” of her upcoming album, ‘Our Two Skins’, due for release on June 19 on Liberation Records. Watch it below.

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“‘Aeroplane Bathroom’ was the first track I started writing on the album,” Payten says.

“I’d just been through this turbulent time in my life, and I was filled with adrenaline and didn’t really have time to stop and reflect on what was going on. The first time I had this opportunity was when I was flying to Europe, and when you’re on a plane, there’s really no escape from the thoughts you’ve been hiding from.

“I was in a window seat next to two people sleeping, and I had this absolute sense of being trapped. I climbed over them and ran to the aeroplane bathroom and just tried to get some space and perspective, all while feeling this overwhelming wave of panic, loneliness and isolation. It’s something that a lot of people battle with in their lives — regardless of a global pandemic or not.”

Gordi new album Our Two Skins
The album art of Gordi’s ‘Our Two Skins’. Credit: Press

The music video was shot in two aeroplane graveyards in Bangkok, directed by Australian filmmaker Kasimir Burgess. Payten and her crew flew to the site directly after her tour concluded in Amsterdam last month. “When we climbed into the aeroplane to film, it was undoubtedly riddled with asbestos, and definitely not OHS-approved,” she laughs.

“It was an amazing experience, though. It really captured what we wanted to do — there was something about that massive aeroplane being stranded there and left empty that was showcasing exactly what I felt when I wrote that song.

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“Kasimir is a brilliant director. He’s very particular and decisive, which are the two best qualities I think a director can have. Before they sent the first draft over, I couldn’t imagine much of a narrative, as it was mainly me performing the whole time — but Kasimir was still able to weave a story into what essentially was a performance video.”

Gordi recorded her upcoming album ‘Our Two Skins’ in an old cottage on her parents’ farm in remote Canowindra. The album was completed with the assistance of Bon Iver production duo Chris Messina and Zach Hanson.

The record also features previously released single ‘Sandwiches’. Find the full tracklist below.

The creation of ‘Our Two Skins’ was largely inspired by The National’s 2013 album ‘Trouble Will Find Me’. “I felt like I was in the room with them as they were recording it,” Payten explains.

“And that’s what I want my listeners to experience too. I want people to live inside these stories – to walk into this cottage with me and sit down. I’ll play them ten songs, and at the end, they can simply walk out again.”

Last week, Gordi opened up to NME Australia about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on her career so far.

“After I arrived home [from Europe], I had to totally reevaluate the next six to 12 months. The immediate bans on touring seem like they’re going to last for five to six months, which means no income from ticket sales, APRA performance fees, and merch sales at shows,” she said.

“If I can’t tour, it makes it very difficult to promote a record – and we’ve been working for a long time on this. So to feel like it may all come undone is devastating.”

The tracklist for Gordi’s new album ‘Our Two Skins’ is:

1. ‘Aeroplane Bathroom’
2. ‘Unready’
3. ‘Sandwiches’
4. ‘Volcanic’
5. ‘Radiator’
6. ‘Extraordinary Life’
7. ‘Hate The World’
8. ‘Look Like You’
9. ‘Limits’
10. ‘Free Association’

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