Victoria Victoria is the North Carolina based brain child of singer-songwriter-producer, Tori Elliott.

2016 saw the release of Victoria Victoria’s debut album, Coastal Beast. From there, Elliott’s songs have been featured on reality tv shows such as Love Island, the 2020 thriller Getaway, Spotify editorial playlists and more. Most recently, Elliott teamed up with guitarist/producer Charlie Hunter, and together they wrote and released their nine song album, To the Wayside, followed by their live EP, Victoria Victoria & Charlie Hunter: The Live Sessions. In 2024, the pair released their third collaborative project, Sweetest Ache, to much acclaim.

Compared to the likes of modern songwriting giants, Bonnie Raitt and Carole King, Elliott leans into lusciously stacked harmonies and entrancing melodies. Her songs speak to the nuances of love and loss, relationship and growing older.

Tori resides in Winston Salem, North Carolina, where she can often be found writing and recording her songs in her home studio.

In this episode of Soul Sessions, we sat down with Tori Elliott, known professionally as Victoria Victoria, for a conversation about music, family, creativity, grief, and the role live performance plays in bringing people together.

We discussed the albums currently inspiring her, including music from Carole King, Rosalía, and Sufjan Stevens, and talked about how music can transcend language and create powerful emotional connections.

We explored her upbringing in a musical family in a small Ohio town, her early experiences singing in church, and the moment she realized that becoming a strong vocalist required more than passion alone. We also discussed her move to Winston-Salem after high school and how the city became both home and a creative launching pad.

The conversation dove into her career as a working musician and songwriter. We talked about touring, recording albums, freelance vocal work, and the surprising ways music travels through the world—from hearing one of her songs on television to unexpectedly hearing her own voice playing in a café in rural Ireland. We also discussed her songwriting process, recording music in the home studio she shares with her husband, and the creative decisions that shape a finished record.

One of the most meaningful parts of our conversation centered on family. We discussed her mother's recent Alzheimer's diagnosis and how she has been splitting her time between North Carolina and Ohio to be present during this season of life. Those experiences have deeply influenced a new album she is currently writing, one focused on grief, family, memory, and the uncertainty many people are feeling today.

We also talked about the possibility of releasing future music under her own name rather than Victoria Victoria, and what that shift represents personally and artistically. The conversation touched on identity, growing older, honoring family roots, and finding confidence in simply showing up as yourself.

Looking ahead, we discussed her hopes for completing the new record, spending time with family, and continuing to bring people together through live music. We reflected on the unique way concerts create community, connection, and shared experiences in a world that often feels increasingly disconnected.

Along the way, we talked about favorite places in Winston-Salem, memorable concerts, sibling musicians, songwriting inspiration, heartbreak songs, and why gathering around music remains one of the most powerful ways people can connect with one another.