Melding lush electronics with gently moody acoustic songwriting, Australia's Sophie Payten -- who records under the name Gordi -- began writing her debut EP while still living in her college dorm room in Sydney. A native of the small rural town of Canowindra, Gordi eventually relocated to Sydney for school while also immersing herself in writing and recording. With an electro-organic pop sound recalling Bon Iver and Beth Orton, her music career quickly began to show some promise. On the basis of singles like the sweeping "Can We Work It Out" and a unique reframing of Courtney Barnett's "Avant Gardener," she signed a deal with American label Jagjaguwar in late 2015. Her debut EP, Clever Disguise, was released in the U.S. in the spring of 2016. Following an a cappella cover of Bon Iver's "00000 Million" later that year, Gordi delivered her debut full-length, Reservoir, in the summer of 2017. ~ Timothy Monger