Tori Amos is living the rock’n’roll life that many can only dream of.
At 62 – or "59 plus three", as she prefers to put it – the flame-haired American singer-songwriter is fully embracing her second act, celebrating the recent release of her 18th album and enjoying afterparties with 4am bedtimes on tour.
This spring and summer, Tori is embarking on her biggest tour of Europe in a decade, followed by a string of US shows. She’ll be performing tracks from her extensive catalogue of songs, which includes the Nineties hits Cornflake Girl and Professional Widow, along with tracks from her latest album, In Times of Dragons.
© Tori AmosHer new lease of life comes after navigating menopause. The Grammy Award-nominated star describes it "a trial by fire" – but one that she tackled and triumphed over with medical help.
"I'll be really honest with you – my testosterone level was at, like, nowhere," she says. "I was exhausted, and when you're exhausted, I don't think you can necessarily make clear decisions for yourself. I reached out for help and I got that help.
"If you don't get your levels checked, you might think you’re losing your mind, and in some ways, you are, because your levels aren’t balanced and it affects you. It's a physical effect that then affects your thinking and how you see yourself. But if you get through to the other side, the goal is that you become a chill hottie."
"How do grown-ups know that fairies don't exist? That's just so small-minded, so ridiculously boringly human"
Going on tour
Tori chats to us on a video call from her home in Cornwall, where she’s been rehearsing for her tour, which is now under way. "It's exciting," she says about going back on the road. "It's the first time I’ve had background vocals. I have three amazing singers."
The star’s use of backing singers for the higher notes in her songs has been a subject of discussion recently on social media. She explains that her voice has deepened since going through menopause.
© Tori Amos"My range has got a lot lower and that's just the way it is," she says. "In the Nineties, I was hitting F sharps and high Gs. My register has gained on the low side, so it's smokier. If you don't adapt, you collapse."
Life on tour for Tori is as wild as one would hope. "I'm full-on rock’n’roll," she says, revealing that her tour bus even has a wine cellar that she likes to share with her crew.
After a show, she has supper – usually a protein-based salad – at 1am, and then the wine is opened. "I get to bed at about 4am, and it all starts again. The bus travels all night, so I'm woken up at 8.30am. Then we get to the hotel room."
Tori's husband
Supporting Tori along the way is Mark Hawley, a sound engineer and her British husband of 28 years. The couple met while working together in the Nineties and began dating shortly afterwards. "I think working together is our first language," she says.
Away from the fans and fame, Tori lives a peaceful life in North Cornwall, not far from the coastal town of Bude.
"It's beautiful," she says. "The farming country runs up to the sea in some places, so you have the surfers and the farmers' daughters, which I find quite interesting. You have the surf women and the farmers' sons."
© Getty ImagesIt sounds like a new reality TV show. "It could be! There's enough going on in those search towns," she smiles.
"I like that you're far away here, far from the big cities. The closest big city is probably Exeter. We’re an hour and a half out, which is very different. I think the air is different here. I think you breathe differently; I think you think differently. There's a freedom in Cornwall and the people."
Tori also has a beachside home in Florida, which is loved by her seven-year-old great nieces.
"I've had this place since 1995 before I knew I was marrying a Brit," she reveals. " "The great nieces call it Fairy Beach. They leave letters for the fairies to come - it's magical watching."
"How do grown-ups know that fairies don't exist?" she ponders. "That's just so small-minded, so ridiculously boringly human."
New album
Tori describes her new record - which also features vocals by her and Mark’s 25-year-old daughter Natashya Hawley - as an allegory of present-day America in which she portrays a fictionalised version of herself navigating a "metaphorical story about the fight for democracy".
"The only difference [in the story] is that I'm not married to a ‘pirate roadie’ like I am in real life – I'm married to a billionaire," she says. "You know, I had possibilities in the Nineties. I usually hung out with the rock guys, but I had other options!"
When her tour ends in September, Tori is planning a "little bit of an escape" for herself and Mark, which will be well deserved.
"I think to be ‘59 plus three’ and going out on a major tour that people will still come to is a major blessing. I'm very grateful for that."
Tori’s new album In Times of Dragons is out now. Visit www.toriamos.com for upcoming tour dates.
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