New York City is a hostile place sometimes. People-like-zombies stagger on street corners, the odour of the street sickens and open-top bus tour traps surround you. But it is also magical, full of life and colour all the way from walk-up tenement dreams to broadway night lights. People look for a “true New Yorker”, or a “true” anything nowadays, but the only true thing in the city is the artist, the person who sees daily life and celebrates its heights and its lows, looks at it, sings about it, and writes about it for exactly what it is. Tanners does exactly that.
Hey Tanners! how’s it going? What have you been up to recently?
Howdy y’all! Been up to so many things. Finishing up a music video for my new track “Heavy Metals”, writing and recording new tunes, and trying to stay sane in the midst of chaos (which I secretly love).
What was the first gig you ever attended? Where was it? What was it like? Don’t worry if it’s embarrassing…Â
My parents picked me up from my first day of 2nd grade and surprised me and my brother by taking us to see Tom Petty at the Orpheum in Memphis in 2003. Tom Petty was a music staple in my home so I got really excited when he played the songs I knew the words to. Especially “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” which makes me chuckle in hindsight. It was the first time I got the music butterflies and thought about how cool it would be to sing on stage to that many people. I actually ended up writing my college application essays about that night.
…as a little kid, I’d get such a kick out of styling and picking out clothes. It’s probably the most natural way I express myself as an individual…
How did music enter your life? Can you remember when it first chimed with you on a personal level?
I guess it was there from the start, just because both of my parents loved listening to music. Our house was constantly bumpin. I took piano lessons and played bass and drums growing up but things finally clicked on a more personal level when I began voice lessons around 10 years old.
You have an excellent style and aesthetic, what do clothes represent to you as an artist? Is fashion an extension of your art and your music, or would you class it as more of a purely personal thing?
Thank you thank you! I think clothes and fashion are both an extension as well as a personal, everyday life kind of thing. Even as a little kid, I’d get such a kick out of styling and picking out clothes. It’s probably the most natural way I express myself as an individual so it inherently spills into and influences what I create as an artist and musician.
All I’ve ever wanted is to connect with other people and I’ve found that music gives me the tools to do so.
You’ve been candid about some dark periods of depression in your life in your music, How do you find inspiration in sadness? It must be difficult to return to some really shit stuff, but is it perhaps a catharsis?
Some folks write best when they’re blue. I am not one of those people… It’s really difficult to even listen to music, let alone write when I’m in a dark place, so I lean on co-writes in those periods. It’s really helpful working with others to kinda shake you out of that headspace even if for only a few hours. Returning to this song was actually refreshing and I’m able to listen to it with a clearer (and less depressed) set of ears.
What does music mean to you, and how do you feel it helps you express yourself?
I think my answer to this question is always evolving. Right now, music provides me with a space to figure out who I am and what I want to do. All I’ve ever wanted is to connect with other people and I’ve found that music gives me the tools to do so.
Finally, what are your plans for the rest of the year? What unchartered waters are you taking us to with your music?
I’m wrapping up a music video for my latest single “Heavy Metals” which I’m beyond excited about. I’m hoping to get a new song or two out this year but most of all I want to play more shows and polish my live setðŸ¤
Listen to Tanners on Spotify, Soundcloud and Apple Music. You can also find her on Facebook and Instagram.
