A new release from Nora Tirrell is an incredibly personal and very honest single that for most of us is all too relatable but portrayed with such beauty and compassion that it makes you feel warm.
"Parts of You" is a wonderful song that comes through with a certain shine and so much love that it's almost overwhelming.
This is a fantastic single that has an incredibly cinematic backbone and this contemporary undertone combined with the emotional drive, all has a way of making the hairs on your arms stand up.
The performance and delivery is genuine and authentic vocally and the piano is soft and subtle but grows in intensity along with everything else.
This is the kind of song that is almost impossible to talk about because it's about the loss of a loved one. But it's also about the memory living on in your heart and in your spirit.
For that reason, it's something that touches you in a certain way. It's something that lets you feel not so alone if you're going through a struggle like this.
There's so much realism flowing through this track and it must have been hard to do because these things are hard to even speak let alone write a song about.
Maybe this was cathartic for Nora. I suppose it would be going through what she's been going through and it makes perfect sense that this is the way that she's able to let it out.
But what's even better is how it affects the listener.
Just had so much to it and the whole feel of this just lets you get washed away with the sound and it feels good to let that happen.
This whole song actually feels great to listen to and it's amazingly on point as it expresses things that are difficult to even articulate if you ask me.
This is a wonderful song that means so much to the artist that it really is evident, and because of that, it means something to you as well.
That's not easy to accomplish so hats off to Nora who not only was able to express such a beautiful sentiment but do it in a way that we can all understand and even relate to in a very particular way.
With the release of such a graceful single, we wanted to have a talk with Nora to find out more about it and what may be next for her as well.
Here's what happened.
Buzz Slayers: How did this all start for you? When did you fall in love with music?
My love of music started at a very early age. I can remember being probably only 4 or 5 years old, listening to artists like Paul Simon and The Beatles on my WalkMan (a device that played CDs - kids today probably have never even heard of them!) I have such vivid memories of walking around my house, my yard just singing songs over and over again. It always felt like I had music playing in my head and I knew I had a knack for singing at a young age. I think I fell in love with music from the moment I first heard it - it made me feel something that I couldn't even articulate or understand but it was so powerful. I actually really hated piano lessons as a kid but I'm so grateful now because singing and playing piano are the main things I do and I write all of my music on piano. I continued to play piano on my own long after I stopped taking lessons.
Buzz Slayers: What kind of things really inspire songs for you?
I feel that I've evolved so much as a writer, even in just the last couple of years. I used to only write songs when I was sad or going through breakups as an angsty teenager, and I definitely got some good material out of those experiences! But seeing where I am now, I love writing songs that can be inspired by even just one small interaction, or one thing that happens in my day, rather than feeling like something catastrophic has to occur in order for me to feel inspired to write. I've been inspired by heartbreak for sure, but also I've found I've been writing music about complicated family relationships, people passing away, and it's really therapeutic to write about difficult things. It helps me process tough things in my life and I've also found that people really relate to an honest song. I'm also inspired by other writers, though, for example, I might have a co-write with someone who's experiencing something completely different than what I might be going through in the present, but I can tap into feelings I've had in the past in order to collaborate on a great song.
Buzz Slayers: This single has some great styles on it! Can you give us some of your biggest influences musically?
Thank you for that! I actually was really inspired by the song Rainbow by Kacey Musgraves. That song is so stripped down and vulnerable and I wanted this single to have that same kind of vibe, because to me the message is so important that I wanted the arrangement to be as simple as possible so people could really pay attention to the lyrics. I would say, overall, my biggest musical influence is Sara Bareilles. She's always been honest and vulnerable in her music and her lyrics can be so heartbreaking but so relatable and that's exactly how I want people to feel when they listen to my music. I want people to be able to relate and say that they can apply what I'm singing about in their own life, because I think that's when you really feel the power of music - when someone who doesn't even know you can connect with what you're singing about because they've had a similar experience.
Buzz Slayers: What are you doing when you're NOT working on music?
When I'm not working on music, I read a ton in my free time! I absolutely love getting lost in a book and it's something that brings me a lot of peace and happiness - I'm absolutely a bookworm, so send me all your best book recommendations! I also have a full-time job as a nanny, which I absolutely love. I've always loved working with kids and I've formed a very strong bond with this particular family, whom I've been with since September of 2021. Being around kids helps me keep my imagination open and I think continues to inspire me to keep pursuing my dreams.
Buzz Slayers: Who's in your headphones right now?
I am mostly listening to a lot of Bre Kennedy and Kelsea Ballerini! Kelsea's new album is absolutely amazing - vulnerable, honest and so, so beautiful so it's been really inspiring to listen to her lately. I've been listening to Bre for a few years now and I absolutely love her music and love to watch her journey as an artist. She's very inspirational.
Buzz Slayers: Are you doing any live performances right now?
Yes! I perform pretty frequently - I play at Copper Branch in downtown Nashville usually a few times a month. The atmosphere there is so positive and fun and I just love playing at a place where I feel like I've gotten to know the people and it very much feels like a community. I also love to play at the Well Coffeehouse and I hope to be playing at some new venues this year! That is one of my main goals for 2023.
Buzz Slayers: Did you record yourself or hit a big studio for this?
So, my boyfriend is actually a very talented producer and guitar player, and we have a home studio here in our apartment, so we recorded this song right here at home. I'm so happy to have a partner who is insanely talented and can help me bring my visions to life. We always work so well together and find so much joy in creating together
Buzz Slayers: What can your fans expect from you in the near future?
You can expect lots of new music this year! I've had several successful cowrites and I'm really looking forward to recording those songs and getting them out in 2023.
Buzz Slayers: Before we go, what would you like to say to fans of the music?
I want to say that streaming is great but honestly, sharing and posting about an independent artist's music and coming to live gigs is personally what means the most. Sometimes I find myself getting really caught up in the numbers, but at the end of the day, it's seeing faces in a crowd and connecting with people on a personal level that really makes this journey worth it to me. Whether I have 1,000 or 10 streams on a song, what matters most is the real people who I connect with.