Songwriter & Artist Cori Nora's Exclusive Interview

With an unmistakable voice and a sound that defies genre, Swiss indie-pop artist Cori Nora returns with her captivating new single, “Kurt Vibe.” Following the intimate textures of her 2023 album Flowers and Fences, the singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist embarks on a new chapter—rooted in intuition, spontaneity, and creative synergy. Recorded in Porto with her close-knit band, “Kurt Vibe” offers a radiant glimpse into Cori’s evolving artistry and the momentum that fuels it.

In this interview, we dive into the story behind the track, the process of capturing live energy in the studio, and what it means to follow your inner compass—even when there’s no map.

“Kurt Vibe” is so much about motion and change. When did you first feel this song start to take form — emotionally or musically?

It started back in summer of 2024 as a silly jam after a long day of recording. Unexpectedly, somebody (who happens to be my brother) recorded this jam. Listening back to it afterwards, we discovered this super fresh energy, the magic of the moment when you let go & expect nothing. You’re just having fun. And oh gosh, does that sound good! Usually, when recording, you expect a lot as you want the outcome to be great, right? But there’s a magic that unfolds when self-awareness slips away and you become this one body of frequencies, deeply listening and vibing together. To me, this is the best feeling ever. But it’s hard to catch in our saturated and speedy world, which is set up for perfection and performance. Anyway, when listening back, I instantly knew that this is what I wanted to go for: a collective, raw, and honest form of expression. So I kept going in that direction, which somehow led us to that live session we did in Porto in early February.

You recorded this live with your band in Porto — what was that process like, and how did it shape the final sound?

The way we recorded and the vibe we shared together during that time in Porto made the whole record sound as it does. It was a collective effort. We’ve been playing together for years, with my brother, I play since I remember, so we know each other very well musically, and we trust each other. Everybody listens very carefully to what’s happening in the moment, which I feel is a big gift and also a must when working like this.

The collaboration with Joao Brandao, studio founder and engineer at ARDA Recorders in Porto, also went very smoothly. He quickly got our vibe and together we were setting everything up and decided on what we wanted the record to sound like before we went onto recording the music. As it was live in the same room, you can’t change much of the sound in post production as everything is audible on all the tracks, say I had a lot of saxophone and drums on my voice, same for the piano.

So we took time to make these decisions beforehand. And once it was rolling, we just kept on playing and moved on quite quickly, without lots of overthinking and repairing things, to keep it fresh and simple. To me, this was such a refreshing and inspiring way to record music; everything felt very connected and right.

There’s this beautifully raw feeling in the track, like it wasn’t over-polished. Was that intentional from the beginning?

Yes, we wanted to keep that raw energy, which gives a lot of forward momentum. I think you can feel the energy of four people playing together in one room, how they shape the song in the moment. And it’s true, there wasn’t a lot of shaping in the aftermath. The way it sounds now is pretty much how we recorded the song in the studio.

The title “Kurt Vibe” is unique — what’s the story or meaning behind that name?

The name Kurt Vibe stems from that jam we did back in summer 2024. I was actually referring to Kurt Vile while jamming, as I admire him a lot. So I wanted the band to guess who I’m impersonating with my way of playing. Well, they didn’t get it (haha), but the initial idea stayed with me, and for the love of that silly moment (and the music of Kurt Vile) plus my decision to make a very honest record, I decided to keep the name of the song.

You say this song is about listening to your intuition and trusting it. Has that been hard for you in the past — and how are you learning to lean into it?

I wouldn’t say that. I’d rather say that it’s always worth it getting to know yourself better and to trust that journey, wherever it may take you. Stay open-minded and curious. When I got my ADHD diagnosis, I started to understand why I sometimes make very impulsive decisions, some of which I couldn’t comprehend in retrospect. Like, clearly overseeing red flags in relationships, for example. The lyrics are inspired by that: «Got hope without a plan, moving on, moving house, moving in, sit still». There’s this restless and impulsive undertone, but also a great deal of optimism and adventurous spirit, which are qualities I like about myself. It’s a good feeling if you start making sense to yourself, even though you’re the only person understanding (haha).

“There’s no map – only a pulse.” That’s such a powerful line. What’s been guiding your pulse lately?

Oh, it’s many things! Summer somehow always has me kind of dispersing in different directions. The baby tomatoes growing in our greenhouse have been guiding my pulse, the nights out and days in with friends, family, the moments I have to myself, reading, listening to music, writing, going on long hikes in the mountains, making coffee on the fire, swimming, but also getting lost in a city I don’t know, disappearing for hours in libraries and book stores.

These are all things I treasure a lot that guide my pulse. It’s my way to make sense in this world, which is a scary place right now with fascism on the rise, climate change unfolding, a livestreamed genocide in Gaza, not to forget Sudan, Congo, the Ukraine. Nurturing our communities and believing in solidarity, making music and creating is giving me a purpose and hope in the face of the bigger picture that late-stage capitalism is offering us these days.

Or in Audre Lorde's words, joy gives us the “energy for change” to resist the oppressive structures and status quo that make us tired and apathetic. With the new music and lyrics, I wanted to give voice to an energy that counteracts this feeling of hopelessness. Let us find ways to resist and write our own narratives. Let us rest and have joy. We are not lost; we are strong if we are connected and care about each other.

You’ve lived in many places over the past six years. How has movement — physical and emotional — shaped your music?

A lot. It was liberating and opened up my horizons in many ways. It let me bond with different people and places where I developed a feeling of home, such as in Clapton, East London. It made me more independent and self-sufficient, of course, and at that time I needed to prove this to myself. At the core of my moving years laid a broken codependency relationship; I somehow needed to lose myself first to find myself again. Empty it all out.

Then fill it back up, slowly. I was lucky to have been given the chance to start this process in a new environment, far away from familiar roles and expectations. Cori Nora was one result of this process. But in the end, it doesn’t matter how far you travel and how many times you move; you’re only as free as you are within. Freedom doesn’t come from the outside; it comes from inside. To realise and feel this was maybe at the core of writing Kurt Vibe.

“Kurt Vibe” feels like a shift from Flowers and Fences — was this a conscious step into a new sonic world?

Yes, it was only natural for me to express the changes I’ve experienced and went through in life, also through my music. Flowers And Fences was written and recorded during the pandemic. You can hear this endless space and time, the longing for connection. The new record was written in another time, in a different context. To me, music and art are always mirroring what’s happening in the world, big and small, and within us.

What role did your bandmates (Nick, Alvin, and Christoph) play in helping this song come to life? What kind of energy did they bring?

They brought the most positive and vibrant energy with them! They are amazing musicians and human beings, and I’m super glad to work with them. We have known each other for a long time, so there is a lot of trust, support, and honesty between us. This is the foundation on which we create and play music together. We complement each other personally and musically. It’s always really nice to bounce ideas off each other and jump into that creative flow together, which we did in the studio in Porto. It never gets boring.

But we also know when to stop, which is very important to keep up the overall mood if you live and work together so closely. When we recorded the song, all the material was still very fresh. The intro just came up in the moment; it didn’t exist before and is the fruit of a collective effort. I loved the feel of this rolling train, as it’s basically the song’s meaning, so we kept it.

So I’d say they made it possible for Kurt Vibe to come to life.

If someone listens to “Kurt Vibe” while going through their own season of change, what do you hope it gives them?

A feeling of “Don’t give up, you got this.” Trust the process, listen to your inner voice. Like the image of the rolling train, even if it sometimes misses a beat, it keeps going. I hope the song encourages and empowers its listeners.

As “Kurt Vibe” rings out with its message of movement, renewal, and inner strength, it marks more than just a return—it’s a signal of what’s to come. With new music on the horizon and a creative spirit that doesn’t ask for permission, Cori Nora continues to carve her own path with fearless vulnerability and sonic depth.

Photography courtesy of Ronja Burkard.