TANA
Emerging on the music scene in 2020 with her debut single ‘Savage’ London based singer songwriter, Tana has been driving at full speed quickly establishing herself as a true artist in her own right. Growing up in a creative household, she started acting and dancing before finding her love and passion in music at the age of 8, since then she has been working towards creating the music you hear today.
After sharing a steady stream of singles last year, her latest track ‘Bad Habits (Keep On Coming)’, touches on the effects a past relationship has despite being in a different chapter of life. With her unique flair for lyrics and raw vocals, her music is honest and unapologetic.
We sat down with the rising star to talk ‘all things Tana’ and what we can expect from her this year.
Listen to 'Bad Habits (Keep On Coming)' below
Hi Tana, how are you doing today?
Thank you for having me. I’m doing really well thanks. Happy and content.
Congratulations on your latest single ‘Bad habits’, It’s the second single of the year, how do you feel about that?
Thank you so much. I feel like I’m over the moon right now because the response has been amazing. If I’m being honest, I didn’t expect the song to get the response it did. But so far, ‘Bad Habits (Keep On Coming)’ has received the most attention compared to my previous singles, as I’ve managed to get it on to some really good blogs, radio stations and playlists, which is amazing.
Talk me through the creation process, how do you write your songs and where do you get your inspiration from?
I don’t really have a particular way of getting inspiration. I just write when I feel like writing, but my ideas do come from a point of experience or personal interest. I write about things that I like or want to challenge, and it usually starts with me just playing around with some chords or melodies on the guitar, and taking note of ideas to explore later on.
Was music a big scene in your household growing up or did you develop a love for it later on?
I grew up in a very creative household. There was always someone dancing or singing, so I think my love for music started there. I knew I wanted to make music or just work in a creative environment since I was a kid, because I was always around it whether it was at school or at home.
What made you want to start singing and who would you say your biggest influences are inside and outside of music?
I always knew I wanted to be a performer from a very young age. I used to go to drama school and trained to be an actress and tap dancer first, but then realised I loved making music far more than anything else. I started playing the guitar at 8 years old, and then gradually got into singing and writing. Before going to school every morning, I’d watch MTV religiously, and watch music videos from artists like The Black Eyed Peas, Britney Spears and Pink, which inspired me to pursue music even more because I wanted to be like them and make a career out of singing. Outside of music, I’m also really inspired by other things such as art, architecture, interior design, and the people closest to me.
In three words, who is Tana?
Unapologetic. Revolutionary. Liberating.
How would you describe your sound?
My music sounds like a lot of different genres mixed together. I take inspiration from a variety of styles and sounds, such as trap, r&b, pop and rock. In short, my music embraces all the worlds I embody within.
What are you most excited for right now?
Other than releasing music every month, I’m super excited to be playing my first live show since lockdown. Just the whole experience of being around people again and jamming to music is so thrilling, because love that human interaction, especially when it come to music.
Who are you currently listening to at the moment?
I listen to a lot of different music, but I’m currently bopping to J. Coles new album, The Neighbourhood, and Conan Gray.
How have you found being a new upcoming artist during a pandemic and what plans have you got now that we are out of lockdown?
At first I found the whole lockdown situation super challenging, especially for my mental health. But I found ways of keeping myself occupied with things such as studying for my driving theory test, learning new recipes, songwriting, and playing livestream shows online. Despite the world being put on hold momentarily, I still managed to create, and have a lot of new material which I’ve started recording. I’m just focussing on releasing new content, and I also want build on my visual branding too.
What can we expect from you for the rest of the year?
You can expect plenty more music, exciting collaborations and features, music videos, and live shows.