Tali
Tali is a Toronto based R & B artist. FEMMUSIC is honored to premiere her debut video for “Back to You.”
“Back to You” is the second single off her new EP Shadows coming out September 11. Tali speaks about the video, “There are a few meanings to that one. On the one hand, it’s about losing and then finding my way back to myself, as you can see if you watch the video. But there’s also a deeper interpretation: That no matter how far you might stray from a person, a dream, yourself or anything, if it’s meant to be, ultimately it’s going to find its way back to you. I believe things come back to you if they’re meant to.”
“The title Shadows tells of an evolution and growth (two following EPs we want to release in the future tell an unfolding story, In-Between Girl and Out Of My Skin). Shadows talks of the transition from adolescence into young adulthood.
Coming out of the Shadows: learning about myself, relationships, getting a sense of the world around me in ways I never knew before. Other interpretations of Shadows are the battle/contrast between the mind and the heart (the paradox) and how one always follows closely to the other, walking closely behind like a shadow; love and loss, letting the old fall into the shadows and new love come into your life; losing yourself and falling into the shadows, and coming back to yourself even stronger. Shadows encapsulates the nighttime; peoples’ true natures coming out of the shadows (in relationships etc.) I’m a night owl, I love the night – the art cover really displays these themes.”
T: The creation of these songs were great fun and a wonderful learning experience being abroad. Upon writing these songs, it was my first time as a young adult traveling on my own across the world, to different cities and breaking out of my comfort zone. I learned a lot about myself as a songwriter and singer, honing my sound, being assertive and confident with my vision and telling my story.
FEMMUSIC: Can you describe your songwriting technique?
T: There is no formula to how I write! It always happens spontaneously. I might start with a lyric or a concept that pops into mind, write it down on paper or in my phone; perhaps a melody comes to me first and I record the idea and build lyrics around it with a piano. If I’m in the studio, someone else might be working the keys and I’ll be singing melodies. I love writing lyrics down and have hundreds of notebooks full of them. I bring those ideas with me to the studio, or I sit at the piano at home and see what strikes a chord and build around that. It’s all a blur really and in the midst of excitement, frustration and passion, out comes a new song and the rest is history. I then listen to the song again with fresh ears in the morning and I get an inkling if it’s a special one.
FEMMUSIC: How does Shadows compare to Lucid? What have you learned since Lucid came out?
T: Lucid was a little compilation of songs I put together; I produced and wrote all of the songs. It was adolescent me experimenting on a midi keyboard and writing songs for the first time. I uploaded all of the songs to Soundcloud and Bandcamp which I set up as pay-what-you-can. At that point I hadn’t ever been in a real studio or worked with other writers or producers. I was dipping my toes in the water and it opened a floodgate. Since creating Lucid, I’ve traveled to different countries, worked with many amazing creatives, honed my music sonically, grown as a songwriter, signed a record contract, a publishing deal, gained life lessons and many more life experiences to write about.
FEMMUSIC: What song (not your own) has had the biggest influence on you and why?
T: “Dance me to the end of love” is the first song that pops into mind. Leonard Cohen has always been my mum’s favourite artist so she’d play his songs since I was a very small child. When I first heard that song, it struck a deep chord with me. I’ve gotten a tattoo that symbolizes this song. The song still has the same effect on me as it did the first time I heard it. I’m very close to my mum and we bond over his music.
FEMMUSIC: What challenges, if any, have you faced as a woman in the music industry? And how did you overcome them?
T: I haven’t personally experienced this, though I’ve heard it from my fellow artists and songwriters that they lie about and hide their age. They’ve experienced pressure to be a certain age and have a certain look to be successful and be taken seriously. Being true to yourself, believing in yourself and in what you’re doing is what truly matters. People of the world – with their beautiful hearts and ears that have a thirst for wonderful songs – are your audience, they are listeners of your songs; there isn’t an age expiration in achieving that. There will always be judgment of some kind to some degree, no matter what you do, so just tread upon your path of joy and try to ignore the noise.
FEMMUSIC: Whom would you most like to collaborate with, or tour with? Why?
T: Anderson .Paak and Bon Iver are two amazing music acts I’d love to work and/or tour with. I dig their tunes. I’ve consistently listened to their songs over the years. They’re talented songwriters and musicians and it would be great fun sharing the stage or collaborating with them on a song in the studio.
FEMMUSIC: What one thing would you like to change about the music industry?
T: I believe the mental health (and health overall) of artists (and all folks in the music industry) should always be a top priority. Being a musician or someone working in the music industry can be strenuous. More therapy, conversations, tackling of struggles and pressures and finding a good balance between living an artistic lifestyle and prioritizing one’s well-being.