Tori Darke

"She's got something, it's a kind of magic, and we just hope that Tori takes it to the limit from here. The debut album is a beauty, there's a lot of singles on it and I know we're going to hear a whole lot more from this talented new artist". Lee Kernaghan

Once in a while a musician comes along whose talent is ageless and who instantly turns heads… country singer songwriter Tori Darke is one of these artists. Since she stepped into the public spectrum as a 16-year-old, Tori has been dubbed as one of the most promising young country artists on the Australian music scene. Her powerful vocals, heartbreakingly beautiful voice, passionate songwriting and mesmerising on-stage presence has seen her debut EP and debut album make a huge impact. She’s also already shared the stage with some of the biggest names in the business, an incredible achievement for an up-and-coming performer, who is forging her own way and breaking the mould as she goes.

In 2011 Tori released her debut long album Dreams & Chances. The album hit #5 on the ARIA charts, sitting in the top echelons alongside the likes of Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum and Taylor Swift. The first single Somebody Else’s Baby from the release also seared up the charts. It smashed into the #1 spot on the Hot Country Tracks Top 50 and the Cool Country 2KA charts. Add to that its Top 5 peak as #4 on the Australian Country Tracks Top 30 and the Mildura HOT FM charts, and it’s evident that this release made country music fans and critics sit up and take notice. Somebody Else’s Baby was also a CMC ‘Country Pick’ and entered the CMC charts at #25, quickly moving up to #8 place. If this wasn’t enough success for a debut release, the second single Everything Love Is also celebrated incredible chart success, hitting #1 on the Cool Country 2KA charts, #5 on 98.9 FM, #10 on the Country Tracks Top 30 and #9 on CMC.

It’s no surprise then to find that this talented musician has been performing since she could walk. Music was always in her blood and she was only three-years-old when she took to the stage for her first ‘public’ performance. A self-confessed city girl, Tori can’t deny the ‘country’ in her genes. Her grandparents lived on the land in the western region of New South Wales, and as a child, Tori spent many a holiday on their property. She developed a love of good music from an early age, being drawn to the likes of the 50s and 60s rock and roll, and later finding influence in the music of Leanne Rimes, Shania Twain, Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban.

At the age of 14, after spending years training under the watchful gaze of some of the country’s most well respected vocal coaches, Tori did her first professional solo performance. Even before her professional debut, she’d already performed on some of the country’s biggest stages, being part of events such as the 2000 Olympic Games Diving Section, several NRL Games and the Royal Easter Show, as well as finding her place on stages such as the Sydney Convention Centre, Sydney Entertainment Centre and the Sydney Opera House. This is a pretty impressive resume for a fledging performer, and it was only a matter of time before someone took serious notice of this incredible youngster. After treading the boards performing around Tamworth for a couple of years, Tori was officially recognised in 2008 when she won the ‘McDonalds Challenge Contemporary Singer of the Year’ award for the festival. This signalled a winning streak for Tori, who also took out the ‘Australian Country Talent Search ACTS’ and ‘Maton Talent Search’ at the Gympie Muster the same year.

The wins at Gympie Muster meant a once in a lifetime prize package to perform at the Merritt Mountain Country Music Festival in Canada the following year. Releasing her debut EP just prior to heading overseas, the first single Crawl started getting chart recognition instantly, entering the Australian Country Tracks Top 30 and CMC’s Top 30. The overseas trip meant that Tori had a coveted spot as one of the opening acts for Kenny Chesney, a pretty big coup for a singer who was only just 16-years-old. She also performed alongside the likes of legends such as Doc Walker, JoDee Messina, Pam Tillis, Johnny Reid, Emerson Drive and the Steve Miller Band. Heading back to Australia, she secured more support slots, sharing the stage with the likes of Adam Harvey, Amber Lawrence, Jetty Road and The McClymonts.

Recording her debut full length album was the next step for Tori, who travelled to the country music capital of the world – Nashville – to write and record with some of the best in the business. She penned tracks with esteemed songwriters such as John Bettis [Madonna, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston], Phil Barton, Emily Shackelton and Robin Bruce [LeAnn Rimes, JoDee Messina]. Nashville based writer and producer Michael Davey – who penned Martina McBride’s hit Ride and Tori’s debut single Crawl– produced the album Dreams & Chances. Aside from the charting success the album’s independent release garnered, it also impressed many industry heavy weights. Late 2011 saw Tori sign a world-wide management deal with Ardline Media Group. She is now in negotiations with record labels, both at home and overseas and has formed an allegiance with booking agents The Artists Network.

The recognition just keeps growing for this stunning artist. She is the full package, beautiful voice, sensational stage presence and the ability to pen songs that either makes you want to dance, or bring you close to tears. The emotion she packs into her songwriting and her ability to translate this over in her performance is something many artists only dream of achieving. The swag of award nominations she has under her belt should come as no surprise considering the hard work she’s put into her career so far. Already she’s been announced as a finalist in the Victorian & National Country Music Awards, the 2012 Channel C Blue Shoe Awards and has three nominations in the 2012 CMC Music Awards as ‘Oz Artist of the Year’, ‘New Artist of the Year’ and ‘Video of the Year’.

Previously she was a finalist in the 2011 AIADA Business Development Award, the AIADA People’s Choice Awards, and the Southern Stars Australian Independent Female Rising Star Award. She took home the accolade for the 2010 Golden Saddles People’s Choice Award, the Channel C Blue Sapphire Award for ‘Best New Talent’ and the Gold Medallion Award. Tori’s songs have also appeared on several compilation CDs, such as CMAA Mother’s Day CD [EMI], Deniliquin Ute Muster CD [WARNER], CMAA Independence Day CD [EMI] and The Best of CMC 2011 [UNIVERSAL]. Her self-penned track Not My Time To Fly, a heart-felt ballad Tori wrote about a young fan she met who was suffering from cancer, was also chosen by the Ronald McDonald House Charity as the theme song for their testimonial DVD. This song earned acclaim from critics around the country and aptly demonstrated the passion and skill Tori possesses as a singer / songwriter.

With the release of her next single Great Mistake at the beginning of 2012, and a stellar clip produced by the legendary Duncan Toombs featuring reality television star Troy Thompson (Beauty & The Geek), it’s evident Tori is gearing up for another massive year. Keep an eye out for this incredible musician, she’s about to step into the international spotlight.

For more information, please visit www.toridarke.com.au