Tor Miller Talks Conway, Collaboration, and the Songs That Shape Us

The stories we carry have a way of finding their way into the music.

Some albums are tied to a particular season of life. Others become something much bigger, preserving the people, places, and moments that continue to shape us long after they've passed. That's exactly what makes Conway, Tor Miller's latest album, feel so enduring.

When Everyday Jams caught up with Miller over Zoom, the conversation moved naturally between songwriting, collaboration, lifelong musical influences, and the deeply personal experiences that informed the record. Rather than dwelling on one singular theme, Miller spoke openly about the people who have shaped him, the collaborators who continue to challenge him, and the songs that still carry new meaning each time he hears them.

At the center of it all is Conway, a record that invites listeners into one of the most personal chapters of his career.

Conway became a way to honor someone he'll always carry with him.

Throughout our conversation, Tor reflected on his father with both honesty and warmth. He described him as someone with an unmistakable presence, the kind of person who naturally drew others in, while also acknowledging that, like many relationships, theirs wasn't without complexity.

"I loved him a lot," Tor shares. "I know that he would've been so stoked to know that he had a whole album dedicated to him and his face was on the cover. He would've gotten a massive kick out of it."

While Conway is deeply connected to his father's memory, Tor never speaks about the album as though it's frozen in grief. Instead, it's filled with gratitude for someone whose influence continues to guide him every day.

"I can hear his advice in my head as I try to navigate this life," he says. "So much of the wisdom he bestowed upon me... I just love him so much, and I'm glad he gets to be honored in this way."

It's one of those moments that reminds you music has the ability to preserve people just as much as photographs or stories do.

Great collaborators help you hear your own songs differently.

Although Tor’s songwriting is deeply personal, he doesn't believe creating an album has to be a solitary experience. Over the years, collaboration has become one of the most valuable parts of his creative process, allowing trusted producers and writers to hear things he might miss after living with a song for months.

Sometimes it's not about rewriting a lyric or changing an arrangement. Sometimes it's simply having someone remind you that the imperfections are exactly what make a performance memorable.

Those outside perspectives have become an important part of how Tor approaches recording, creating space for songs to evolve while still feeling unmistakably his own. It's a balance between trusting his instincts and remaining open to the people around him, something that has continued to shape his work throughout his career.

That willingness to collaborate doesn't dilute his voice. If anything, it helps bring it into even sharper focus.

The music that shaped Tor Miller is still shaping him today.

Ask Tor about the artists that first inspired him, and the answer comes quickly.

Rather than trying to narrow down his favorite musicians of all time, he points to the artists who made him want to create music in the first place.

"I would say the three that really got me into making my own music and really singing were David Bowie, specifically Ziggy Stardust, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John, and Ray Charles."

Those records became the foundation for everything that followed.

Today, he's just as excited talking about the music he's listening to now. Tor recommends his friend Adrian's project, Joan Tripp, calling him "an incredible writer," while also mentioning recent records from Way Dynamic and Joshua Sloane that have been on repeat.

As for a dream collaboration, his answer spans generations and genres.

"I would love to work with Chappell Roan," he says before adding, "or Bon Iver."

It's easy to hear how those influences that are both classic and contemporary continue to inform the way he thinks about songwriting.

"Find My Love" still carries new meaning every time he hears it.

Every album has one song that asks more of its writer than the others.

For , that's "Find My Love."

"I think Find My Love has to be the one because it was so incredibly difficult to write," he says.

Even while writing it, he understood why it mattered.

"I knew that it was very important for me to do so. It was going to be very therapeutic and help me push through a lot of tough emotions and feelings."

That emotional weight hasn't disappeared with time. If anything, hearing the song now reminds him of the healing process that surrounded its creation.

"So I think that song is very powerful, and I feel like the process of all the grief... when I hear that song."

It's one of the defining moments on Conway, not because it offers easy answers, but because it allows listeners to sit with those emotions alongside him.

Looking ahead while continuing the conversation.

Toward the end of our conversation, he shared that he's currently working on new music and hopes to release a new single titled "Should Have Known Better" later this year.

Spending time with Tor Miller feels less like interviewing an artist and more like talking with someone who genuinely loves songwriting in all its forms. Whether he's reflecting on the people who shaped his life, celebrating fellow writers, or speaking candidly about the emotional process behind Conway, his appreciation for music is unmistakable.

If you haven't already, spend some time with Conway. It's an album that rewards repeat listens, revealing new layers with every return and after hearing the stories behind it, those songs resonate even deeper.

Stream Conway By Tor Miller

Photography: Julian Matulich