INTERVIEW:
Tally Spear
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I have been following and supporting….
the music of Tally Spear for a few years now. She is a brilliant artist who everyone should have on their radar. She is back with her powerful and instantly memorable track, Imposter. I ask her about the song’s inspiration and what it was like making the video (which she directed and edited). I also ask her about the support her music has been given by the BBC, whether there are going to be tour dates, and who are the artists who have inspired her. It is good to chat with Tally Spear once again as she embarks on the next phase of her career. The London-based artist is one of our very best and brightest. She proves that on Imposter. I think it is her strongest song yet. If you do not know about her at the moment, then make sure that…
YOU correct that.
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Hi Tally. How are you? How has your week been?
Hey! All good so far. I’ve just finished working on my music video which comes out TODAY!
I have been following your music for a few years now. How do you think you have evolved and changed as an artist since your earliest tracks?
I’ve probably changed beyond recognition to be honest, haha. I mean, I have, and I haven’t. I’ve changed and learnt a lot as a person and my music has evolved with me and will continue to evolve. It’s been a process of trying lots of things in my writing, seeing what feels most like me, seeing what I enjoy sharing and performing the most. I feel like I’m only just starting to figure these things out right now…
The brilliant Imposter is your latest track. Can you remember how it started life and what inspired it?
I was laying on my bed, in silence, and just started singing the first line of the song: “I don’t know what I’m doing…”. I put it into a Voice Note on my phone and the rest of the verse just flowed out there and then too. I took it to Jon (Cass), and we started recording it soon after, and I wrote the chorus there in the studio during the recording process. We’d pretty much finished the song by the time I left that evening. The inspiration behind it was really just me saying to myself: Be honest. What are you scared of right now? Put it down and don’t worry about how it sounds, don’t worry about being cringey or cheesy or whether or not people will like the song; just write it as you feel it.
You edited and directed the video. I really love its feel, vibe and colour palette! It really does leave an impression and stays in the mind. What was it like bringing the video together?
Thanks so much! My first job out of uni was a junior video editor in an independent production company, and I’m very grateful for the skills I learnt during the years I spent there. I edited and directed this one in my usual ‘D.I.Y.-just-sort-of-winging-it’ style. I had some concepts and metaphors I wanted to experiment with, but I wanted to keep it all quite simple too. We filmed it in like three hours. Shot by Jessie Rose in a theatre my friend works at… I’d bought some random stuff on the Internet like a roll-up mirror and farming netting, lol, it was fun.
Take me back to your earliest years. I hear elements of ‘90s and ‘00s Indie and Pop in your sound. Which artists did you admire and bond with growing up?
I used to really try and steer clear from any ‘90s or ‘00s references in my music: this is the stuff I grew up listening to and I thought it would be uncool nowadays to reference it. But I’m embracing these original influences now for the first time and it feels really good. I listened to a lot of different music styles growing up – I was obsessed with Avril Lavigne, Hilary Duff, Blink-182 and NOFX. My big brother was in a Punk-Rock band, so I grew up surrounded by a lot of that sort of style. I also loved Bob Dylan and The Beatles (from my dad). I think there’s a real amalgamation of all my influences in my songs today.
“I have a mixtape concept in mind that I’m working towards right now which I’m super excited for! “
Might we hear new material or an E.P. later in the year? What are your thoughts and plans regarding next steps?
All I know is I want to keep sharing new songs and not go quiet for too long. I like the feeling of momentum, and I want to be consistent with myself. I have a mixtape concept in mind that I’m working towards right now which I’m super excited for!
I am sure there are many fans out there who would love to see you on the stage. Are there are plans to tour soon?
No touring plans yet, no. Gigging, yes! I have some exciting London shows lined up for later this year, especially autumn.
Your previous single, alone again, gained support from some incredible radio stations in London. What was it like to get a nod from broadcasters like Jess Iszatt?!
I’m honestly so glad and so grateful that Jess and the BBC Radio 1 presenters have been supportive. Jess said on the show that she felt I’d ‘found my voice’ with alone again, which I really appreciated and resonated with.
I think that music has been dominated and made so much stronger by female artists for years now. Still, the industry is slow to create gender balance and larger opportunities for women. What do you think of this, and do you think the industry needs to do more?
There are and have been some incredibly powerful female, trans and queer artists and producers in the industry that have been really paving the way. I hope that they inspire other new talents to step forward. There’s still a way to go in all of these areas of minority, but I feel hopeful…
Finally, and for being a good sport, you can choose any song you like (from another artist) and I will play it here.
Thanks so much for the interview!
TASH - When the Lights Cut Out.
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