Five years have passed since Gordi last released an album, and in that time the Melbourne-based songwriter born Sophie Payten has been through plenty in her personal and professional life—from publicly leaning into her queer identity and the heartbreak that’s followed to enduring the COVID pandemic as a doctor on the frontline. On Like Plasticine, all of this gets funneled into a kaleidoscopic work of glistening synth pop and—as heard on the final pre-album single “Head Rush”—experimental noise pop. With the aid of indie-rock super-producer John Congleton and a few key guests (including Hadestown/Bonny Light Horseman’s Anaïs Mitchell), the record itself constantly feels like a head rush.
Before Gordi takes the new album on the road in the fall, she took an afternoon to walk us through an ideal, relaxing day in her adopted hometown of Melbourne in her native Australia. From a morning run on the beach to a cleanse at a bathhouse and a beer at the pub to cap it all off, check out her photo diary below. You can also listen to Like Plasticine here.
Wake up and run as the sun is rising. At the moment, I live not far from the ocean, so I run down to Sandridge Beach and up to St. Kilda. That early in the morning, the water looks like glass. At the moment when I run, I’m listening to the audiobook A Language of Limbs by Dylan Hardcastle. It’s intensely unmotivating to hear myself breathing.
I finish my run at Albert Park beach and dive into the water—its temperature a brisk reminder that we are technically facing Antarctica. The coldness clears my head and I lie on my back in the bay for a while.
I walk to the local coffee shop, Fed., and put my green KeepCup on the counter—Fraiser (the barista and owner) knows to make me a latte. He’s become familiar with my routine of coming every day for a month, and then disappearing for two, as I’m either on tour or working in LA.
I couldn’t have a perfect day in Melbourne without a visit to Sense of Self bathhouse in Collingwood. I get the tram over, which gives me time to read my book (Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead). Then it’s sauna, cold plunge, steam room, pool—and literally rinse and repeat. I fell in love with bathhouses when I made my first record in Iceland. I like sitting in the cold plunge like a psychopath.
By now I’m getting hungry, so I head around the corner to CIBI for some lunch—it’s a delicious Japanese spot. I have the salmon bowl and some sencha tea.
One of the best things about Melbourne is the pub culture—rarely a weekend goes by without a hang at the pub with friends. Today I’m heading to the Royal Oak for an afternoon beer, which will turn into an evening beer, which will end my perfect day in Melbourne.
