Humans We Heart: Musician Jo Loewenthal
Frontman of the electronic band Tora, world traveler and one of the stars of our latest campaign, Jo Loewenthal has quite the resume. We caught up with him and chatted about how he made his music dreams come true, his all-time favorite outfit, a go-to playlist and more.
Tell us about yourself—what do you do, where do you live?
I was born in London but moved to Byron Bay, Australia, with my family when I was eight, so mostly grew up there. My primary focus is my band Tora, in which I sing and play guitar/keyboard, but I’m also a music producer, songwriter and audio engineer.
Over the last few years I’ve been based in between Holland, the UK and Australia. This is due to the nature of my work, but more significantly because my girlfriend, Gigi, is Dutch. [Ed. note: We totally third-wheeled with Jo and Gigi in our latest video.]
Let’s talk go-tos…
Coffee order: I don’t actually drink coffee. I’m one of those people who has too much energy to begin with, so it makes me feel overhyped and I find myself annoying everyone around me. If I do drink coffee though, my preference is an espresso shot.
Outfit: I’m most happy in black skinny jeans, a button-up shirt, denim jacket, patterned socks and a nice pair of leather shoes.
Album/playlist: This playlist on Tora’s Spotify is filled with songs that inspire me.
Neighborhood hangout: In Australia, I live a five-minute walk away from the beach, and halfway to the beach is the bass player from Tora’s house. It’s got giant palm trees and plenty of good vibes—the kind of place people would go for a tropical holiday. He lives with a bunch of our mates so we all hang out there.
Have you always been a musician?
I think in my heart, yes. My grandmother was an opera singer, my father a violinist and my uncle a film score composer, so it’s in my blood.
How’d you first get into it?
When I was 10, my older sister’s boyfriend was a blues singer and guitarist and I totally idolized him. He gave me guitar lessons for a few years until he tragically died in a car accident when I was 13. Then I realized music was something I wanted to take seriously. At 16, I dropped out of school to pursue a career in music and I’ve never really looked back. Now here I am, traveling the world doing what I love with my best mates.
Wow, you really made it all happen. That’s very impressive. Speaking of international travel—where are some of your favorite places to visit?
It’s hard to pick favorites, but some of the first places that come to mind are: Berlin, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Oslo, Gothenburg, NYC, Montreal, London, Paris, Luxembourg, Zurich, Lausanne, Vienna, Toronto, LA, Monterrey, Prague, Stuttgart, Zihuatanejo and Brussels. I’d recommend any of those places to anyone who’s looking for some great experiences.
And finally, since this is our Humans We Heart series, is there a person who inspires you that you’d like to shout out?
Someone who has had a massive impact on my life in recent years is my girlfriend, Gigi. She’s the most kindhearted and caring person I know. She’s been the inspiration for many of my songs and offers endless support.
Thanks, Jo. Get to know more of our friends in past interviews.