The first day Danny Harley and Elle Graham, who make up the collaborative music duo Tornado Club, stepped into the studio was the morning after Harley ended his romantic relationship that spanned a decade.
“My relationship of almost 10 years had literally just fallen apart and Elle was supposed to come into the studio the next day. So I called her up and let her know where I was at and we just decided to go with it anyway,” Harley shared of producing the EP together.
Harley used the session as a form of therapy and emerged with the single ‘Intuition’ – their second release from their forthcoming EP ‘Reset’ which is due for release on July 30.
“It worked similar to therapy in a way. It was kind of like processing it in real-time. It forces you to think and makes you more clear about how you’re feeling,” explained Harley.
Elle added: “we went into that [session] not thinking we were going to release it, it was just music as therapy or just talking it out.”
However, the body of work the duo created “felt special” and “they knew it needed a life outside of the studio walls”, so Reset was born.
Danny Harley performs as The Kite String Tangle and Elle Graham otherwise performs under the artist name Woodes. The pair joined forces and released their debut single ‘Something Was Missing’ as Tornado Club in May and received glowing reviews.
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We caught up with Tornado Club as part of our popular Get To Know series.
How did your artist name come about?
DANNY: It came from two places. Firstly it speaks to the volatile time from which the project was born (a big writing session after a big break up), and secondly, we’re both big fans of Jonsi who has a song called ‘Tornado’, so it’s a tip of the hat to that also. We actually ran into each other while we were both trying to chat to Jonsi backstage at Splendour!
ELLE: Yeah, we both love anything Jonsi creates, be it with Sigur Ros or his solo stuff. I think ‘Tornado’ also made sense because it’s a time where things can feel really out of our control. It’s kind of like a heartbreak, or chaos club.
How would you describe your music to your grandma?
DANNY: Lovely songs about feelings, complete with some bleeps and bloops.
ELLE: I was helping a friend of mine through a really tough time. There’s so much piano & you can hear the words really well! I really think you’ll like it.
Tell us about a few of your tracks; their titles and what they’re about?
DANNY: ‘Intuition’ is a song about knowing that something was wrong and learning to trust your instinct.
ELLE: It was processing a breakup in real-time – it was also the first one we ever wrote for Tornado Club.
DANNY: ‘Let Go’ is a song about reconciliation and tries to capture the feeling of finding peace.
ELLE: We wrote this one remotely, and it was the last song for the EP.
DANNY: ‘No Surprise’ is a song based on a text message written to me about moving on.
ELLE: Yeah ‘No Surprise’ really hit home from my own previous relationships and breakups. It made me immediately think of that deep/kinda sharp hurt when you learn your ex has moved on. Even if it’s been a while? It still can just take you by surprise. I’m glad we finished it, cos it was a bit harder to do.
What do you love about your hometown?
DANNY: Brisbane has just enough going on to not get bored, but often still feels quite small and everyone sort of knows each other.
ELLE: After lockdown in Melbourne last year, I returned home to Townsville to see my family and it truly was paradise. Long days at the beach, running into old friends and going for nighttime swims. I love Townsville and how sandy my car is, and that tropical rain. And my mum’s garden. I miss that.
Career highlight so far?
DANNY: Singing at Coachella, playing Splendour in the Grass and having people sing my songs back to me at any show is always magical.
ELLE: Working with Alex Somers, who’s produced and written on Sigur Ros albums. Playing Splendour and doing shows in USA was unreal.
Fave non-music hobby?
DANNY: I enjoy wine and hanging with friends, and don’t mind a little bit of photography.
ELLE: I would love to have a massive garden. I love spending time outside making things with my hands, designing stuff, or watching things grow. I’d like to have a shed and make things out of wood one day too. I also love going to galleries or markets.
What’s on your dream rider?
DANNY: Scratchies.
ELLE: Maybe a masseuse? Or a really well timed delicious pre-show or post-show dinner.
Dream music collaboration?
DANNY: Jonsi or Jamie XX.
ELLE: Yeah wow, that would be awesome. Same. Maybe Hans Zimmer, Imogen Heap, Lil Nas X, James Blake.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
DANNY: Still waiting for my COVID vaccination.
ELLE: [laughs] Ooof, I hope I’m happy, and we can travel again. I’ve always wanted to visit Iceland or live in another place for a bit.
What’s your go-to karaoke song?
DANNY: Spice Girls – ‘Wannabe’.
ELLE: ‘Hey There Delilah’ by the Plain White T’s. ‘Take it Down a Step’. Or ‘Empire State of Mind’. New York Themed?
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
DANNY: Some good advice that I read recently was “you are 100% successful as soon as you send your song out into the world, regardless of how it is received” by Rick Rubin.
ELLE: You can fail at what you don’t love by Jim Carrey. I think about that all the time.
What’s one obsession you have that no one would guess after listening to your music?
DANNY: I enjoy pro audio gear and learning about crypto – both usually leave me poor.
ELLE: The moment I finish a show or movie I watch every actor interview, BTS content and look up all the locations and songs. When I’m in a city I go to all the locations and drag my family or friends there. Not the paid tours. But I really like that stuff. And I love Rick & Morty.
You can preorder Reset by Tornado Club here.
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Stream ‘Intuition’ by Tornado Club:
