Gordi: The pop star doctor who answered the Covid call

Singer-songwriter Gordi thinks it’s “incredibly selfish” not to wear a face mask during the coronavirus pandemic. As a practising doctor in hospitals around the state of Victoria – the current “epicentre of Covid in Australia” – she’s perhaps more qualified than most musicians to talk on the topic.

Other artists such as Noel Gallagher, Ian Brown and Jim Corr have all recently rejected the face covering and there have been anti-mask protests around the world.

Gordi, who decided to scrub up and help out on the wards again after coronavirus put paid to her tour with US indie-folk stars Bon Iver, is urging anyone with a mask aversion to reconsider.

“As someone that is going to work in these places everyday, where health workers are putting their lives and the lives of their loved ones at risk – to wear a mask is not asking you to do a great deal,” the 27-year-old tells the BBC.

World Health Organization (WHO) advice says non-medical face coverings should be worn in public where social distancing is not possible.

In Australia, the rules vary from state to state, and recent outbreaks in Victoria have meant that everybody must wear one whenever they leave home.

The Aussie folktronica artist, whose real name is Sophie Payten, acknowledges that the case for the effectiveness of them “isn’t hardline” but believes “there is evidence suggesting their effectiveness”.

She says: “It’s becoming a sort of respect thing. If I see someone walking down the street in Melbourne without a mask on, I think, ‘Screw you! You think that you don’t have to do what the rest of us are doing?’

“Taking those measures to protect the vulnerable people in our community, and if you’re lucky enough not to be a vulnerable person then do what you can to stop the spread.”

True to her word, the junior doctor is seen sporting a mask herself in the video for her new track Extraordinary Life, which was filmed in Bangkok in March.

The ethereal and “stripped-back” song appeared on her “incredibly personal” second album, Our Two Skins, which she decided to go ahead and release as planned in June. The track will be explored in greater depth with a series of alternative versions on her forthcoming follow-up EP.

“It kind of marries all my favourite things about music; organic elements with some distortion and electronic elements,” she says.