Tor Miller (born February 7, 1994) is an
indie pop
Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and sub ...
singer from
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, New York City.
History
Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Miller moved with his mother to
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
after a brief separation of his parents, although his school was still located in the city. To counter the boredom during the long drive, Miller's mother gave him albums to listen during the commute, including
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
,
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
and
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the line-up for their epony ...
, which sparked his interest in music. "Ziggy Stardust, Elton John’s Greatest Hits, and Rumours by Fleetwood Mac, so I just listened to those non-stop, back and forth, all the time."
He started to play
piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...
after his parents set up a lesson with a piano teacher who he said was, "a laid-back New Jersey wedding singer". From there, Miller started to develop singing and writing songs. During his high school, he started a
pop punk
Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti-suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other pu ...
band. When he was 18 years old, Tor Miller went to
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, the ...
, specifically Clive Davis School of Recorded Music. He also spent his weekends playing piano at places such as Rockwood Music Hall, The Bitter End, and the
burlesque
A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects. bar, Slipper Room in the
East Village.
Miller was signed to the independent label,
Glassnote Records
Glassnote Records (also known as Glassnote Entertainment Group LLC) is a record label that was launched by American music executive Daniel Glass in 2007. The label primarily has a lineup of indie rock and alternative rock artists, most notably M ...
in early 2014 and subsequently dropped out from NYU due to scheduling problems (especially since he played music in a number of NYC venues). His debut EP, ''Headlights EP'', containing four songs that includes the positively reviewed ''
"Midnight"'' was released in February 2015. His debut album ''American English'', was released on September 30, 2016.
Following the release of his second album ''Surviving The Suburbs'', Miller became an independent artist and released his third album, ''Generation of Me'' on June 9, 2022. He currently manages trans hyperpop artist Mel 4Ever.
Discography
Albums
EPs
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, Tor
1994 births
Living people
21st-century American singers
21st-century American male singers
American indie pop musicians
American male pop singers
American male singer-songwriters
Musicians from Brooklyn
Singers from New York City
Singer-songwriters from New Jersey
Glassnote Records artists
New York University alumni
Singer-songwriters from New York (state)