Tummyache

Words and Photographs by Antonella Madrid

Soren Bryce, alias Tummyache, is an American, and currently UK-based solo artist. Initially raised in Texas, she moved to Los Angeles, California in her mid-teens, delving straight into the music industry. It was then that she began releasing music and touring the United States, subsequently relocating to cities such as New York City, Nashville, and now, London. Having released music under both Soren Bryce and Tummyache, she admits there is undeniably a rougher, outspoken edge to the material under the Tummyache name. 

Her latest release, DIY!!, is the first single off her upcoming debut album Soak. In all but under two minutes, the frustrations of being a DIY artist are perfectly encapsulated. With a concoction of raging vocals and gritty guitar goodness, the two exclamation points in the title are made a complete understatement. I had a wonderful sit-down with Soren at The Water Rats in King’s Cross, where we discussed production techniques, artistic influences, and not conforming to expectations. During our conversation, friends and fans filled up the room, greeting Soren one by one. She took her time to thank every single person for coming. She also designed her attire for the night, a white t-shirt with the words ‘Female Fenton’ in bright red across it. 

What do you think about your image, do you think that it’s important to your identity as an artist? 

I’m very different in the way that I don’t think about it very much. I want to just be myself. I’ll just kind of do what I think is cool for myself. A lot of my fans have been listening to me since I was doing Soren Bryce stuff, which is weird, because Tummyache is so different to the Soren Bryce stuff. It’s really cool that they’re just down to back me no matter what. 

Do you feel that you put on a character when you do Tummyache compared to when you do Soren Bryce? It’s less of a character, but I feel more free to be myself. I just like being able to play shows because I have a reason to be there. So, I feel more confident because, that’s my purpose, that I’m going to play a show. Whereas when I just go to a show, I feel quite anxious. Like the (acoustic) show the other night, I felt really uncomfortable. It’s weird, like a lot of people see me play, and they’re like, ‘I did not know that you could do that.’ Because I’m really like, aggressive and shouting, I know I feel more free. 

So, of all the places you’ve lived, what’s been your favourite place? You must know so many people.
I’m just now getting settled in. Linus (Fenton) has been such a good help, we met because I started making my album and he played bass on the whole thing. And then we just fell in love. And then I moved here, and we ended up quarantining together, having never met in person, but it worked out. But he’s been a huge help because he knows lots of music people. I feel like I’ve just now got my friends. 

What do you think about touring in the aftermath of the album?
It would be nice. I think we’ve been delaying it because we wanted to try and have a plan. And then I hit up my manager and was like, ‘is it okay if I just have one song come out? Because it’s been ages.’ I haven’t really released anything since 2019, so I was like ‘let this song (DIY!!) come out.’ I thought it would be fun to just do it off the cuff. Not plan it too much, and not promote it very much, and see what happens. 

So, for this new album, did you have any influences, or did you approach it in a detached way? 

There’s the Bikini Kill self-titled album, The DIIV Deceiver Album, and Unwound. I feel like it’s very subconscious, or it’s more like osmosis. When I’m writing, I’m not really thinking about the structure or what I’m doing; I’m just kind of seeing what sticks. Because I produced this record myself. My ex-boyfriend did the last one, it was really healing for me to be able to be like, ‘okay I don’t need anyone to help, I can do this myself.’ Even though it doesn’t make me sound as good as I should have done, I’m just proud that I did it, and I didn’t need anyone to tell me how. 

So, if you were to define your own genre... 

I have no idea. I think it’s more like multiple genres, especially this album, each tune is in a very different world. I think it’s only cohesive in the way that it’s what I’m saying. As far as the way it’s being said, there’s songs where I’m like, very quiet, and there’s songs where I’m just screaming; which I never thought I would do. I’d never thought I’d write a hard-core album. My hope is that people would have the expectation that I will just do what I think is best for the song. And I know that sometimes that can be off-putting to some people. I think it’s unfair that people put the precedent on artists that they have to do the exact same thing over and over. People change all the time. The whole reason this album is as expressive as it is, is because that’s just how I felt at the time. And now, as I work on new stuff, I’m like, ‘okay, this is not going 

to be the same.’ I’m dialling it in. But I’m happy I got to the edge, so I can see what it’s like, and what it takes to accomplish it live.