Form presents
Billy Nomates
Bold. Sharp. Dance away your inhibitions.
Billy Nomates is the alias of Bristol-based singer-songwriter and producer Tor Maries, a defiant and dynamic voice in music famed for her raw lyricism and DIY ethos. Her second album CACTI (2023) tackled mental health, self-sabotage, and resilience, earning critical acclaim and praise from Iggy Pop and Florence Welch. However, her Glastonbury set in support of the album drew misogynistic online abuse, prompting Maries to request for the footage to be taken down.
Amid personal upheaval behind the scenes—including managing herself, evolving Billy Nomates into a band, being diagnosed with MS and the death of her father—she crafted her third album, Metalhorse, set for release on May 16 via Invada Records. It’s a change of direction galvanised by the challenges surrounding it, and her favourite body of work to date. Dancing with feelings of uncertainty and joy, Metalhorse is awash with both pain and perseverance. Step right up and enjoy the ride this autumn.
Need to know
Venue: Sage Two (Standing)
Price: £24
Stage Times: Announced nearer showtime.
Age: Under 14s must be accompanied by an adult
About Metalhorse
Metalhorse is a concept album revolving around the image of a dilapidated fun fair, representing the tumultuousness of life – risk and pleasure, danger and exhilaration. Recorded at Paco Loco Studio in Seville, it marks her first album recorded with a fullband. Featuring bassist Mandy Clarke and drummer Liam Chapman, it was crafted just months after the loss of Tor Maries’ father.
A standout track, “Dark Horse Friend,” includes The Stranglers’ Hugh Cornwell, who Maries met serendipitously. Lead single “The Test” captures survival amid upheaval, while “Plans” channels raw joy—“like getting on the Waltzers at the end of the world.”
