From making demo tapes at the age of 7, to winning singing competitions, and becoming an instant crowd favorite on the X Factor , there’s no doubt that singer-songwriter Tora Woloshin has natural musical talent.
Tora’s dedication to crafting her music career resulted in her dropping out of high school at 16 and earning her GED. She was able to sign her first record deal at the age of 18, and despite her growing success, experienced a few screw overs from managers and record labels, creating a challenge in her musical journey.
Before the height in her music career, Tora split her time between Tuscon and Los Angeles. She began going on a successful spree of singing competitions, such as Star Search and American Idol. She took the crown for Lucky Break, and soon after embarked on a 26-hour journey to participate on X Factor after receiving a call. She completely won over the audience, with her sassy spin on Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back.” Although she didn’t make it to the end of the competition, she was able to kick-start her career, receive mentor-ship from talent judge Simon Cowell, and even tour with hip-hop artist B.o.B.
Check out TUC Magazine’s latest interview with Tora Woloshin, where she opened up about the start of her career, what she learned from X Factor, who she’s inspired by and more:
Claribel: When did you start recording music and how has your music evolved since then?
Tora: I would always record dumb little things. When I turned 7 I actually released a little demo tape of a bunch of cover songs, and then when I was 10, I released a CD. When I turned 13 that’s when I first wrote and released my first EP, producing on a little keyboard that I had. It just grew…it kept growing.
Claribel: What was the best piece of advice you’ve ever received from Simon Cowell?
Tora: When I was eliminated, he was saying goodbye to me, he hugged me and said all of these things into my ear that was so motivating. He decided to let me go because singing competitions are meant for artists that don’t know who they are. Simon Cowell was in love with who I was as an artist… he said, “you’re going to be great and never give up.” Whenever I feel like I’m not gonna make it or like it’s all over, I just think about what he said.
Claribel: You have a really unique sound, many compare you to Lady Gaga or Amy Winehouse, how do you feel about being compared to these great artists?
Tora: It is very flattering and I am very honored to be matched up to the big guys in the industry. I also feel like again, I’m my own person. I think it should be harder to compare someone to somebody else. At the same time if I’m gonna play hardball, then I’m going to be compared to the big guys.
Claribel: Is there someone from today’s era that you would want to collaborate with that fit your sounds?
Tora: There’s a lot of artists that I would love to collaborate with, and I’m so inspired by all music. Number one would be Mariah Carey, I taught myself how to sing by following her vocals when I was really young… I would have loved to collaborate with Micheal Jackson, that was one of my dreams for a long time.
Claribel: You’ve had many accomplishments, such as participating in X Factor and even touring with B.o.B, what would you say was the greatest moment in your career?
Tora: That’s a hard one. It’s really hard to top Simon Cowell telling you that he loves you. Oh my god, I think that might be it! When I first heard my music on the radio spinning in between Justin Bieber and Rihanna, that was also a huge highlight in my career.
Claribel: With all of that being said, and you staying true to who you are, what advice would you give those who want to get into the music industry, and sometimes have to change themselves?
Tora: There’s a very fine line between staying who you are and pleasing your fans. Just because I write a dance song because my fans want to hear more dance music out of me, that’s technically not me selling out. There are some people, that sing, then sign a contract, then start rapping about sex, violence, and drugs. The advice I would give is to stay true to you. Becoming a completely different artist, that’s when you should draw the line. Another major advice is to make sure you read contracts, before you sign them, and make sure you understand what it’s saying, and all the loopholes, so that you don’t get stuck in something you didn’t think you would get stuck in.
Claribel: Do you have any upcoming projects that your fans can look forward to soon?
Tora: Well I am actually rebranding myself and my image. I went through a huge mental transformation. I’ve matured in a very big way, even since my last release which was a little over a year ago. I’m working on my album called 27, about my past and how I’ve struggled with self-hate, suicide, and stuff like that. There’s a superstition of celebrities dying at the age of 27, from self-influence or some kind of tragic death. I’ve been healing from all of that, which influenced the album as well. It’s about what brought me to that low point, how I’ve healed, and the process people go through when suffering from that. I had to grow some balls before I could dedicate a whole album to this, but it’ll be very strong and positive. It will be a film-like album, taking you on a journey.
Claribel: Any last remarks that you would like people to take away from this?
Tora: Just that… we need to save the world.
Tora Woloshin is about to show the world more of what she can do while staying true to herself and continuing her passion. Make sure to follow her journey and keep up with her latest projects.
Follow Tora on Instagram@Torawoloshin
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