Two-thirds of the way through a headline tour of North America and Europe, the singer-songwriter says international touring is not for the faint of heart but these days it's a necessity.
With streaming services cannibalising recording income, festivals struggling and more than a quarter of Australia's live music venues closing since the pandemic, it's tough times for many in the music sector.
"We walk out the door and spend eight dollars on an oat latte but people don't want to spend money on music," Gordi tells AAP.
In a bid to draw attention to the growing challenge, music will be the biggest sector holding a hat out for donations in the second year of a national arts donations day run by Creative Australia.
AusArt Day will be held on Thursday, with 65 musicians and music organisations calling for donations from a total of 355 participants across the arts sector, hoping that people will still be able give to the arts during a cost of living crisis.
Gordi has built a devoted following and successful international career - her 2026 EP Nylon charted before it was even officially released, with advance copies selling out.
She also sits on the council for advisory body Music Australia and says the music industry is only just beginning to tap into the potential of philanthropy.
"Sometimes we rely on on government to fill those market-failure gaps but sometimes we rely on community as well," Gordi says.
Among those from the music sector participating in AusArt Day are Melbourne community radio station PBS and the Perth International Jazz Festival.
Singer-songwriter Alice Hurwood is another, hoping to raise $5000 to help record her second album after a year performing in Europe.
"I'm back home and ready to dive into my new collection of songs from my experiences abroad and bring them to life in the studio," she says in her fundraising pitch.
"Making an album as an independent artist is a big undertaking and I'd love your help to make this one happen."
Half a dozen orchestras from around Australia are also calling for donations, among them Melbourne Youth Orchestras, which is raising money to buy a flugel horn, using the tagline "We've been frugal but can't afford a Flugel!"
The first AusArt Day in 2025 raised more than $2.42 million from 4768 individual donors, according to figures from Creative Australia.
Half of those donors had never given to the arts before, while three quarters of participants said it had helped improve their fundraising skills.
But it appears the cost of the 2025 event to taxpayers, taking into account donations from various levels of government, actually exceeded the amount provided by private donors.
Creative Australia spent $630,000 on grants, training and campaign development, while in South Australia, the state government provided $800,000 to match private donations for Country Arts SA and the State Opera.
And it's not hard to pick out AusArt Day participants that have faced significant funding challenges in recent times, such as Brisbane's Metro Arts and the Griffith University Art Museum.
Creative Australia, which has an annual budget of more than $300 million for 2025/26, maintains AusArt Day is about more than raising money.
"This event is more than a fundraiser - it is a national public movement that celebrates and elevates the role of the arts in Australian life," it says.
A federal parliamentary inquiry into arts and cultural philanthropy held public hearings in 2026, but is yet to issue it final report.
Gordi remembers receiving government funding early in her career but says philanthropic donations would have helped too.
AusArt Day is encouraging people who have never donated to the arts before, she says.
"These projects that are calling for donations, a community of fans can be part of that experience directly, and I think that is going to be more and more important moving forward," she says.
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