Life & Work with Toria Richings

Today we’d like to introduce you to Toria Richings.

Hi Toria, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
My story began when I was 11 years old, my dad, Barry had got his guitar down from our loft and I was instantly intrigued, he began to teach me The Carpenters’ song “Top of The World”, I felt instant love for the guitar and wanted to learn more!

My brother Jason who was massively into all sorts of music played me Queens Bohemian Rhapsody. I was transported. I had never heard anything like it, from there, I decided I wanted to learn the guitar and play Queens songs! My mum Margaret bought me a Queen music book I spent the next 12 months locked away in my bedroom only merging once I could play every song!

I then got really into Joan Baez and Neil Young (I know very different to Queen) but I loved the way their songs seem to tell a story; this is when I first began songwriting! I spent the next few years writing lots and learning new styles. When I was 17, I started playing live gigs in all the local pubs including my own songs when I could, they were always received well! I fell in love at 18 with my husband Ross, we built a life together and a little family Gracie and Connor. My music then took a back seat while I assumed the role of mum and wife! In 2018, I had to have a massive operation to correct an illness I had developed a Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction, the operation was called a Whipple procedure and it floored me for some time, there were points when I thought I may not recover.

When in hospital I and Ross made a pact we decided life was for living and we should embark on finding our dreams, we had previously fallen in love with Australia from our travels when we were younger, we even married in Sydney, My sister Juliette had been living in Cairns for a long time and on a visit to her, we had once said we would love to try life down under! When I recovered from the operation we basically sold our things packed up our lives got visas and decided to move to the other side of the world. Before we would arrive in Australia we decided to have a big road trip Through America Starting in New York making our way to Phoenix than on to Hawaii and Sydney.

It was when I was in Memphis and Nashville the songwriting bug hit me all over again, Ross surprised me and had booked a recording session at House Of David in Nashville, which was my first ever time in a studio, talk about being checked in at the deep end!! I never ever thought I would be recording somewhere so many amazing musicians had recorded I literally fell back in love with songwriting and realized how much I had been missing music!

Unfortunately on our travels we got the devastating news my beautiful mum Margaret had passed away, the world literally fell from my skies, we took several plane trips to get back to the Up to be with my dad and brother, my sister and her family made their way back from Cairns, we spent Xmas 2019 in the worst pain clinging as a family to each other for support, mum was an amazing lady who taught us all so much. Ross and Gracie left in January to set up our life in Sydney I stayed back with Connor to look after my dad for a couple of months, we eventually arrived in February 2020.

I had not stopped songwriting from leaving the states, Ross said I should find a studio and see where it may lead, that is where my new music career took off, I have recorded 2 EPs and released singles, which have gone down so well in Australia UK and America, I reached no 1 in The American Roots Charts for Australia with my song Diamond Stone, Things have just gone from strength to strength, My latest single Truck Stops went in at No 7 in Australia on the radio charts, I have a new EP due out early next year,

I would encourage everyone to take that leap and grab onto all the dreams you have wished for, life can get in the way but don’t let it stop you, we had a house a business, and life in the UK and took a massive jump into the unknown, I am so glad we did, I am living my dream as a musician writing songs and playing live, and I know my mum Margaret is up in skies added an extra bit of gold dust to shine over me.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am an Alt-Country/Americana singer-songwriter, I am so proud of the song and video I wrote about the death of my mum “Where It All Began”, I had the idea to create a video involving other families that had felt the awful pain of losing someone.

Basically, I asked people from all over the world who were on griefs sites to send me a photo of them holding a photo of their lost loved ones or just a photo of their loved one, I was overwhelmed with the response and I am so immensely proud of the video.

It has given so much pleasure to the people who are included, I wanted to give them a song and video where they could spend time feeling the sadness and pride of their loved one being up in lights on a big screen for all to see.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
For me, success is more about achieving the goals I make for myself, it’s not about money, it’s about what you can give to others.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.toriarichings.com
• Instagram: @toriarichings
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/toriarichings
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBgB0M5vRdwtTuND4bquyBA/featured
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/victoria-richings
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3pBbVgUuyXd7AaEAVIEfWq?si=tJs5AS-xS6yE1yK6M07BoA