Today we’d like to introduce you to Torre Blake.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Torre. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My story is a little different than most creatives because I didn’t start really pursuing music until after college. I’ve always had a love for music. I have memories of listening to a lot of neo soul with my pops in the car. I started singing when I was little, so much to the point my parents made me take breaks. I actually grew up in sports. My dad and uncle both were professional athletes for over ten years. I competed in gymnastics and danced for a while. Then when I was in middle school, I started playing volleyball. I ended up getting a full scholarship to play at East Carolina University where I finished all four years.
Towards the end of high school, I started playing around with writing and I dabbled in a couple of in studio projects, which were my first experiences as a recording artist. Being a student athlete, I didn’t have much time to focus on music. I worked on a couple of songs during my college career but was still not fully invested due to my commitment to my team and university.
I used to regret going to college. When I was going through it I definitely felt like apart of me was missing and it was. Music wasn’t a big part of my everyday. Everyone didn’t even know that I sang or wrote music, they just knew me as Torre the volleyball player. I wanted to start to shift and the easiest way for me to do that was to simply start putting out cover videos on Instagram. I would do them every now and again and at first, I was super nervous about it, but overtime it ended up being very beneficial for me to just put myself out there the way I see myself.
As soon as I graduated, I moved back home and I have literally been writing, singing and performing ever since. I realized that my experience in college is exactly what I needed. It was and is a part of my journey. I learned a lot in college and was a completely different person at the start. I wasn’t sure of myself and I was still learning who I was. Having an athletic background has translated into my music. I would not have the same dedication and determination if I wasn’t an athlete first.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I would say its been a pretty smooth road. When I first started, I had my first experience with a team of people out in NY where I signed a couple of documents and didn’t realize that I gave them full rights to the way the music was distributed and when it could be released. Soooo that was great. It was my first really shady experience, which I needed. Because growing up in Austin its like a bubble. Not that I thought all people were nice people it’s just different to see people actually turn on you a little, like really experience it first hand. But other than not having access to the first real project I put my heart and soul into life been pretty good.
I mean if your an artist its a struggle regardless of what type of art you do.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am an R&B singer-songwriter from Austin, TX. I guess I’m known for having for doing something different in Austin. Growing up here, you don’t hear a lot of R&B and Hip Hop. Austin is supersaturated with country and indie music. The R&B scene is definitely growing, but it is still super small.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memory from my childhood is going on trips with my family and all my cousins. We all grew up together and now being adults we don’t get to do that anymore.
Contact Info:
- Website: torreblake.com
- Email: torreblake.mgmt@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/torreblake/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/torreblake
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/torreblake
Image Credit:
Ukairo Ukairo (@ukairoukario), Ismael Quintanilla III (@iq3photography), Jessie Rodriguez (@weseewaves), Tyler Weems Photography (@tylerweemsmedia), Hunter Levy Photography (@hunterlevyphotography)
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