Australian performer is gearing up to release their third album Like Plasticine and have just shared new track Peripheral Lover.
Gordi explained how the song came into existence, sharing that it was written very quickly.
“Summer in Nashville a few years ago, it was damn hot. I was there for a week to write, staying in some Airbnb that was actually just someone’s garage with a touch of plumbing. I was thinking about the beginnings of queer relationships – I’m talking real early, like so early that at least one person is still in the closet.
“Accepting the available love instead of it orbiting around you. There comes a breaking point, a demand, a pleading for honesty – and the relationship either explodes into the open, or melts from the periphery away into nothing. From these thoughts, Peripheral Lover was born. It exploded into being in about three hours.” Gordi said.
While the song came in an initial flurry of creativity, actually finishing it off to some time.
“The journey from the song’s writing to its finish was long, with many false starts. It’s a simple song with a simple message, and so I wrote KISS (keep it simple, stupid) on a post-it note and stuck it on my desk in Melbourne, while I layered up guitars and synths and drums. Me at my most ‘pop’ – terrifying and ludicrously fun.” Gordi added.
Take a look at the song’s video.
When it came time to make a video for the tune Gordi turned to director Jared Frieder.
“A couple years ago, my friend Troye Sivan had txt me asking if I would help him write a song for a movie. We wrote Wait for the film Three Months, which was written and directed by the talented Jared Frieder.
“Jared popped into my head when I was wondering how to bring Peripheral Lover to life with visuals, so I asked would he shoot the music video.” Gordi said.
“We flew to Dallas and shot on a 45-degree day, as I dragged a kissing booth around the city. We’d put a call out to any non-male queer people in Dallas who were up for coming to the shoot and making out with a total stranger – unsurprisingly, an abundance of people showed up.
Gordi said afterwards everyone went out for drinks, taking all their new friends out to celebrate.
Alongside two previous albums, Reservoir and Our Two Skins, Gordi also has collaborations with Troye Sivan, Bon Iver, Ben Bohmer, Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and more. Her music has been described as documentation of her journey through self-discovery, sexuality and identity.
Upcoming album Like Plasticine will feature 12 tracks, GD (Goddamn), Alien Cowboy, Cutting Room Floor, Peripheral Lover, Lunch At Dune (feat. SOAK), Settle, Diluted, Your Consolation Prize, PVC Divide (feat. Anais Mitchell), Head Rush, Broke Scene and Automatic.
