Today, Atlanta-based singer-songwriter TARYN shares her new single, “Brand New.” Opening with echoing finger clicks, TARYN begins the song with a simple chant that continues over the course of the track: “Wash my mouth of all the little things / Clean it out and begin again / Brand new ooh / And begin again brand new.” Even as the interlocking drums, bass and guitar kick in, her ethereal vocals remain the song’s driving force, building throughout with lush, layered harmonies.
TARYN wrote “Brand New” while driving on the freeway and worked with producer Joey Burcham to turn it into a fully-formed track. “There was a simple message I wanted to convey lyrically and the instrumental did the rest,” TARYN explains of her approach. “I’ve carried my past around and let regrets fuel decisions without justification. ‘Brand New’ let me realize our past is not something we have to correct, but it helps us understand our growth. We’re here to learn, experience, and explore. It’s a gift to be vulnerable, to feel comfortable expressing experiences in sonically harmonious ways”
Tell us about the genesis of your project. How did you get to where you are now?
I decided to be a solo artist back in 2017. I was previously in a girl band that I loved dearly (and still do), after we decided to end the project I found the courage in myself to go off and do things on my own. The process was slow, there was lots of doubt and fear but pushing past those anxieties led me to a greater appreciation for art, for myself, for the musicians around me and the things I was learning.
How would you describe the highs and lows of being an artist?
The highs and lows come hand in hand. I think when there’s a positive response or emotional response from an audience whether it’s during a release cycle or a live show, the response fuels you as an artist. It shows you that what you’re doing has an impact, no matter the size. Or when I write a chorus that hits me in a perfect way, there are so many things we can mark as beautiful highs. I think the lows come in silence, when we feel like what we’re writing isn’t good enough for the market, when you fall claim to painful self-talk and the emptiness a lack of creativity brings you. We need to feel the lows, we need to have the gaps in space so that we can grow into them with the good.
What’s a musical guilty pleasure of yours?
I have a lot of early memories growing up in the musical theatre community in my hometown so the theatre will always hold a special place in my heart. I love older musicals, modern ones, I don’t listen to the music a lot but I find myself going down rabbit holes. If I listen to one I end up listening to an entire album for hours on end – no shame here whatsoever.
What are some sources of inspiration for you?
A lot of my inspiration comes from different experiences in life. Painful ones, joyous ones, ones that set my soul free or make it crumble into a million pieces. People and their love for themselves, for each other, their experiences and stories. I think the best inspiration comes from real life, and the job of an artist is to tell the story in a beautiful way despite the pain it’s caused, in celebration of the joy found in the calm after the storms.
Who is an artist that you look up to more than others today?
Someone I’ve always looked up to as a writer was Bruno Major, in the same vein I also really look up to Eloise and Lianne La Haves. They all do such an incredible job saying difficult things in new and interesting ways that give people the confidence to move forward and recognize their hardships without being debilitated by what’s happened. Melodically they’ve written some of the most beautiful arrangements I’ve ever heard. Same with Arlo Parks, Jordan Rakei, I look up to a lot of artists. No one stands above the rest because they’re all wonderful in different and individual ways. I’m sure there will be some artist today that melts my soul and another tomorrow, that’s what I love about the music industry – there’s always something gorgeous to hear.
Favorite activity to blow off some steam?
I really love going on hikes, sweating and expressing energy in healthy ways, dancing around, singing and playing guitar like no-one is watching because usually no one is lol. I’ll meditate and do yoga, sit and read a page turner. I’ve never been a hyper-active being, I tend to blow off steam by recharging my mind, my heart.
Tell us about your latest release and how it came about.
“Brand New” was demoed in 2019, I wrote it in the car and got it down in my producer’s apartment. We sat on the mix for about two years before getting to this point. We shot the music video in the summer of 2020, I knew I wanted a visual for this release, and here we are a year later putting her out! The premise was always about releasing tension, the freedom of letting go of the past. Letting yourself move forward in life without dragging situations behind you into the future. I’m glad it took this long to come out, we worked really hard on it and I can feel the growth in myself and the song over the last two years.
What are some things you do to deal with anxiety and creative blocks?
Again, I tend to turn to regeneration. If a song isn’t coming out right I won’t force it, when I feel that creative burst of energy I go after it and let it take me on the river. That being said, creativity can’t flow unless you give it the opportunity to do so – there’s a fine line between waiting for inspiration to strike and just starting something so that the inspiration can find you. Even if I’m anxious and creatively blocked, maybe there’s a reason for that, maybe there’s a message worth sharing in that doubt and fear. Why not pick up the instrument and see what you need to tell yourself.
What’s the future looking like for you?
We have a fair bit of music coming in the next couple months, I’m really looking forward to playing live again so if anyone wants me to come hang in their city and sing some tunes just let me know! I’m looking forward to growing even more as an artist, working with new people and gaining new experiences along the way. I think the pandemic, as terribly painful and horrible as it was, forced us to slow down and sit with our thoughts instead of rushing through them, avoiding the emotion. Moving into the future I’m looking forward to taking newfound knowledge about my reality and letting it drive my creative impulses.
What inspires your visuals, videos, looks etc?
A lot of the inspiration comes from what I’m trying to express in the song. For “Brand New” I knew I wanted lots of outfit changes in the video, for it to look like and feel like a one-shot but have little intricacies and changes all over the place because we do change. We change constantly, I wanted to try to convey that message visually as well. I get quite a lot of inspiration from the creatives I surround myself with. Joseph Wasilewski shot the music video and he’s always done an incredible job hearing my vision and actually turning it into a cohesive piece of art. Same with my good friend who shot the cover for the song, her name is Annie Noelker and she has one of the best creative eyes I’ve ever seen. She can listen to someone discuss a concept for 5 minutes and knows exactly how to portray the message through a single image.
What’s the most embarrassing memory and most proud moment of your career so far?
I once missed a belt run on the last song of the show where we were the closers, I cried when we were loading out. I don’t think it was the most embarrassing thing ever but I definitely cried real tears because I missed one run one time. Ridiculous. Most proud moment had to be when I showed a family friend a song I had written, he used to sing for the Cleveland orchestra, and he told me it was beautiful and it brought him to tears. It’s not about the big crowds, it’s about the people you genuinely respect telling you that it’s worth it to keep going. Still chokes me up.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten?
Bruno Major once answered a question on his instagram from someone who asked “what does it take to be a good songwriter?” and he said “tell stories and pour your heart into it, vulnerability is strength” I’ve carried that with me forever. Along with the advice to take your time getting to know yourself as a person and what you’re trying to say as an artist, it’s important to understand your own message.
Where do you think the music and entertainment industry is headed after this year?
I wish I knew where we were going, I think the independent artist has an incredible opportunity to show themselves. Social media has made it extremely difficult and easy to get yourself out there, show people who you are and what kind of message you want to send. However the industry moves, we adapt and change based on the flow – follow your heart, give yourself a chance, let yourself grow through these experiences in creativity no matter what comes out of it.
