On their delicate debut, Torri Weidinger invited us into a sonic space full of warmth and comfort. Through softly sung lyrics and lush cello instrumentals, their 2022 debut album all in good Time, introduced the world to an artist whose magic was intentionally crafted with care and warmth. Now, on their sophomore album bunny with tunnel vision, Weidenger musically expands their universe, with the addition of a full band, harder rock sounds, lyrics rich with themes of exploring identity, and a new production team behind it all.
Through 13 tracks, Weidenger works with Jason Bennett and new producer Nathan Cimino to explore songs filled richly with lived experiences from a variety of people across their life. The album opens in a collaborative track with their sister Morgan, setting the tone of the record with the lyrics “finding me deep inside a rabbit hole.” Continued themes of rabbits are intertwined throughout the record, and found most prominently in songs like “I’m a bunny with tunnel vision” and “BIG RED EYES” through lyrical nods to “chasing carrots” and “trying to hide big red eyes” woven throughout verses.
Tracks such as “living to work,” “To Do it all again” and “didn’t have to” lean into a harder alternative-rock sound, with heavy guitar and drum-focused production. Conversely, tracks such as “one knee,” a tender love song, and “Forbidden fruit,” a slow ballad, lean into soft qualities of Weidenger’s delicate vocals.
“This bar’s too loud / Itching to leave outside in a freeze / I would be your man / If you asked,” Weidinger sings in “BIG RED EYES.”
The pensive “BIG RED EYES” has lyrics centered on the yearning hope to be seen with sharp and explosive production focused on building guitars and heavy drums. The hauntingly beautiful “infernal chore” shines, with winding lyrics and instrumentals reminiscent of Phoebe Bridgers’ Punisher.
A spellbinding journey that sonically changes from alternative-rock to tender ballads from track to track, bunny with tunnel vision will keep you guessing and wishing for more from Torri Weidinger by the end of the record.
☆ INTERVIEW ☆
CRAVE: What was it like collaborating with your sister Morgan on the first song of your sophomore album?
TORRI: Collaborating with my sister on the intro song to the album was so special. It was our first time collaborating as artists, which meant the world to me. I look up to her a lot, as a person and as an artist. She is an incredible songwriter, singer, guitarist, and violinist. We see and feel the world very similarly, which is why I wanted her to sing this song with me, in unison. Most people have told me they can’t even tell there’s two different voices, we sound so similar. But indeed, I am on the left side and she’s on the right.
CRAVE: You worked on the production for the majority of your first record, how was it like expanding your production team and working with Jason Bennett and Nathan Cimino more on this album?
TORRI: Working with Jason and Nate was a dream come true. Jason and I have worked together from time to time since I started recording my songs, but never on a project as big as this one. We started the record just the two of us, then quickly brought Nate in the loop after the first week of tracking. Both Jason and Nate are two of the most skilled instrumentalists, arrangers, engineers, and mix engineers around. They tracked a lot of the arrangement of each song, electric guitars, bass, drums, piano. What was most special was our deep trust in each other’s skills and personal relationship to ‘flow’ (or inspiration). Making this record with them felt like dancing. It’s rare for me to experience flow with more than one person, but we found our energy and I think it’s evident in the record.
CRAVE: As a cellist, do you often begin songs with the instrumentals or with lyrics? Did working with an expanded band on this record reshape your artistic process in any way?
TORRI: I often start with lyrics. I am a poet first, then sometimes there is music. That is how most of my songs are written. I wrote all of these songs in solitude, then we recorded them with an expanded band. Working with Jason and Nate has shaped how I write songs going forward. I now have a larger understanding of how my melodies and guitar parts sound in context with drums and bass. It’s really fun, actually– to keep learning and keep writing. It’s ever-evolving.
CRAVE: “living to work” connects with how many young people are feeling these days with relationships and life, what was the driving inspiration behind the creation of this track for you?
TORRI: The driving inspiration behind ‘living to work’ was the feeling of being undervalued– by the economy and in my love life. I tend to chase, unfortunately, and it’s incredibly aggravating. I wrote this song after coming home from my restaurant job, completely pissed off at the world. I don’t agree with most systems, especially the one I feed. It doesn’t feed me. The artists in my city shape the culture, and the government/the systems couldn’t care less. I long for a new world, one that values our creatives and mystics. So yes, living to work is about selling my soul to the insatiable beasts that are consumerism and capitalism.
CRAVE: During the production of the album, did you draw any inspiration from anything while creating it?
TORRI: Production wise, I draw inspiration from Tom Odell, Andy Shauf, Julia Jacklin, Slow Pulp, and Adrianne Lenker. There are others of course, but these artists are master story-tellers, and their albums have carried me through some of the toughest and most joyful times of my life. I want to make music that others can carry with them, as well.
CRAVE: Throughout the album you emphasize the significance of the bunny and its attributes throughout the record, what connected so closely with this animal for the project?
TORRI:The bunny archetype came out of nowhere for me. I suppose I’ve always loved Alice in Wonderland, and the white rabbit is one of my favorite characters. He was always panicking, and worked for the queen of hearts herself. I too, find meaning in urgency when I know I shouldn’t. I, too, work tirelessly to uphold identities that no longer serve me. It’s tantalizing, as my lyrics state. Ever since I wrote ‘I’m a bunny with tunnel vision’, the rabbit came alive for me. I also was born in the year of the Rabbit, so there’s that.
CRAVE: Each of the songs on the record are about different people, how do you find consistency sonically when trying to put together distinct stories from across your life onto one record?
TORRI: The consistency is me. Each song may be about someone different but aren’t we all just mirrors? Every person I have loved has shown me how I love. How I live. How I think. As I have shown them. The middle space between the mirrors is the magical part. I write about reflections, yours and mine. The consistency is in my openness to see clearly.
CRAVE: Were there any lessons that you learned from your first album that you looked to implement into your second project?
TORRI: Yes! My first record took me almost a year to record. It was a brutal, drawn out process that was completely unnecessary. A rookie mistake. We recorded ‘bunny with tunnel vision’ in 3 weeks. I’ll never look back. Next time, 5 days 15 tracks. I’m joking, really it’s not about speed. But I love limits. I need pressure to be creative. Limiting time and resources tends to produce the most special works of art.
CRAVE: What is next for you after the release of bunny with tunnel vision?
TORRI: What’s next has yet to unfold. I am writing and recording. There are several projects I am cultivating, diving into more hyper-pop/r&b spaces, as well as continuing my newfound full band sound. I hope to have several projects to release here soon!
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