In a time where many question the meaning of purpose and value, JUNO-nominated Toronto artist, STORRY, dives deeper to explore the self in WORTH, a new single featuring LA artist, Thurz. The song, produced by Polaris Music Prize-nominated Junia-T, who was also at the helm for her Pride Month anthem, FOR NO ONE, reflects being human on all fronts with varied perspective. Listen to WORTH here and watch the video, directed by Karimah Zakia Issa, here. Learn more about the track’s inspiration in a feature interview with STORRY at Complex Canada.
“I wanted this song to include a male, and to express a man’s perspective on this. Though we are all human and all fear aging, insignificance, loss of power, not becoming ‘enough’, it’s not quite the same for men. So, I asked my friend Thurz, a magnificent and socially conscious artist from Inglewood, to feature on this track. I’m so blessed he agreed to participate. The infamous Junia-T produced this song as well,” STORRY says. “We live in a world where new is better and what becomes old is an increasingly shorter window. Our value seems to be tied to our physical beauty (especially as women and even more so for women in the music industry). I’ve even had people negotiate the terms of my contract based on my age being a risk to their investment. So, trust me. This song means a lot to me. Because it’s something I struggle with every time I look at my hands, every time I walk past the mirror, every time I put on a pair of jeans that just doesn’t fit the same. How old am I you ask? I’m ageless, just like my music is timeless.”
Adds Thurz, “This is my first time collaborating with STORRY. The concept behind WORTH is pretty universal. There are many variables in society that can alter how we view and value ourselves. In the music industry, beauty and age are those main variables, and in the pursuit of stardom, many risk everything to play the game that doesn’t love them back. WORTH has to be determined by self.”
WORTH (feat. Thurz) and FOR NO ONE are STORRY’s first two offerings from her forthcoming EP, INTERLUDE-19, set for release on September 5; another conceptual piece with an array of emotions and genres that take her listeners on a journey, marking a monumental transition between chapters, to be delivered as a visual album directed by STORRY’s creative collaborator, Karimah Zakia Issa (who helmed STORRY’s cinematic visual for Money Ain’t Free).
You can catch STORRY performing some of the new tunes live, with two shows on August 20; Music Hall Hamilton’s DoWell by Hamilton concert series, livestreamed via Facebook at 8:00 p.m. ET, followed by a headline set at META Arts Festival, as well as a September 5 show for Jack.org, and a performance at Conestoga College’s Virtual Live Music Series on October 1. See below for details.
The project follows her critically acclaimed debut album, CH III: The Come Up, which was released February 20, 2020, based on a chapter of STORRY’s life; a woman exiting the sex industry to enter the music industry, only to discover that both are equally misogynistic and problematic. With roots in the opera world, yet expansion into all styles, STORRY’s live set is always one for the books. Following the album launch, she rocked a packed room at Toronto’s iconic Lula Lounge, followed by a show in Montreal at Bar Le Ritz PDB and a North American tour with Sofar Sounds. You can listen to CH III:
In March, STORRY launched her self-produced Claymation film, Up, set to a song of the same name from CH III: The Come Up. Up was set to launch at the postponed Toronto Short Film Festival. Nothing stopped STORRY from sharing the visual that depicts compassion, creativity and support, as Up has already screened at several film festivals, and continues to make waves as it is unveiled to the public. Watch Up here.
STORRY was nominated for a 2020 JUNO Award for Reggae Recording of the Year for Another Man, featured on prolific Jamaican production duo Sly & Robbie’s Pocketbook Riddim project. Listen to the song here. STORRY continues to share her STORY, with national features in The Canadian Press, EARMILK, The Toronto Star, The Creative Imbalance Podcast, Canadian Beats, New Theory Radio, Studio01, amongst others, with her music played on CBC q, CBC Fresh Air, CBC Big City Small World, and CIUT, and live sessions with Radio Humber, Canadian Music Therapy Fund, RX Music and more.
About STORRY
STORRY is a multifaceted wonder woman who writes and produces her music, and is intrinsically involved in all aspects of her career from designing album covers to directing award-winning music videos. Her debut concept album, CH III: The Come Up, was released on February 20, 2020 to critical acclaim. Since then, she was nominated for a 2020 JUNO Award in the category of Reggae Recording of the Year (the JUNOs have yet to be awarded, due to the COVID-19 pandemic) for her song, Another Man, which was produced by reggae royalty, Sly and Robbie.
Now, with the world in retrospection, STORRY decided to write and assemble virtual collaborations in order to create a new EP called INTERLUDE-19 in isolation. Another conceptual piece with an array of emotions and genres that take her listeners on a journey, marking a monumental transition between chapters. STORRY’s art is raw and honest to the max. If it doesn’t touch you, it’ll hit you in the face.
