TARYN’s new single “Brand New” is a bright feel-good wide-eyed vibe of a song. The kind of song that you play on loop in the car on the way to a first date or Sunday brunch with friends you haven’t seen in a while. Long atmospheric instrumentals paired with TARYN’s glittery vocals and soulful snaps dance together to give us all the warm feelings.
The music video for “Brand New” is a colorful journey from room to room. TARYN walks, dances, and sits all over the house, constantly changing outfits and bouncing from wall to wall. The video will have you second guessing the lighting in your own house. Where can I get lights that make me glow like that? We look forward to watching TARYN’s journey through music and life. We got to talk to the Atlanta-based singer-songwriter about her idea of home, writing “Brand New,” and putting the music video together.
What inspired you to write “Brand New?” What was the process like?
The inspiration came from feeling stagnant in life. I was still in school, I didn’t really know where the next chapter of my life would be or how I would get there, but I knew I didn’t want to drag the past there with me. I’ve spent a lot of energy trying to make things “OK” and to do things the right way to make sure no one gets hurt. In turn, I was adding pain to my own existence and suppressing the past instead of letting it walk with me. “Brand New” was a call to action, a chant that gave me the gift of believing in my power again. Believing that I could move forward in life without having so many doubts and fears. It’s the freedom of the mind and soul.
How did the music video come together? What sparked the concept?
I knew I wanted it to have many outfit changes but to look like one-shot, which is not an easy task for a videographer. I took the idea to Joseph Wasilewski (director/videographer/editor) and walked him through the house we were going to be shooting in (my old house in Nashville about a week before we moved in fully). I got Ysa Fernandez involved to help choreograph the process. We planned for about three and a half months before the day of shooting. The concept was to create an environment where you feel fully yourself: changing in each room, changing the lighting, changing the clothing, changing the feeling to give the song movement. I knew it was a simple instrumental so it needed a visual to represent the feeling of change I wanted to get across. Euphoria, really.
Where is home and how do you carry it with you?
I was born and raised in Cleveland, OH, but I’ve never viewed it as home. I think home is a feeling inside the body. It’s the feeling of being safe, secure, and supported in your efforts to build from the ground you stand on. Home changes, and I felt like Nashville was my home for the years I was living there but really it was the group of friends around me that became my family. Being in Atlanta feels like home because of the house I get to design myself, knowing before I sleep at night that I can support myself and have built ground I’m stable on. Home also means love. I carry love with me every day no matter where I am — it’s a reminder that my heart is still beating.
Who are some of your musical icons?
I simultaneously love and hate this question because there are so many people I look up to and I don’t think I could pick just a few. I feel very drawn to the art that comes out of the UK and people like Jordan Rakei, Linden Jay, Jorja Smith, Joy Crookes, Eloise, Bruno Major, Tom Misch, Olivia Dean, Nick Wilson, Mathilda Homer, Arlo Parks, Ady Suleiman, Lianne La Havas, Chartreuse, Puma Blue, and so so many more. The US brings us people like Richard Saunders, Elliot Skinner, emawk, Ben Lusher, Adam Melchor, WENS, Dijon, AG Sully, Jamila Woods, Alex Isley, Miette Hope, Amber Mark, Drea Rose, and, my goodness, so many more. All of these people are considered icons to me. They bring music back to the core of what it needs — heart. They pour themselves into the mixes, into the vocals, into storytelling at it’s finest. Music is subjective and I understand that people will have their own taste and preferences, but damn, these people make me feel things with a single word, note, phrase, tone … all of it.
What’s your favorite thing about making music? What’s the hardest part?
My favorite thing about it is the emotional release that comes from writing a song. I write when I’m inspired to let a feeling out. I’ll have something I’ve been mulling around in my brain or something is said to me that gives me a spark of inspiration. Almost every time I write something it starts with one line in my head about a scenario. The dependency I have on my guitar and a feeling is genuinely so freeing. I know I can take that one line, begin a melody on the guitar and let the creativity flow through me without needing to put pressure on how it will perform in public. It doesn’t matter to me if it’s “commercial” enough for the masses. I write because if I don’t those feelings just build up and destroy me. It’s how I know I’ll never stop writing. No matter where the career side of things ends up, I’ll be 70 years old and still picking up a guitar to let something go. I get to look at the writing and reflect on what I’m trying to say to myself in a way I normally wouldn’t when there’s a conversation between me and my emotions. Music is what gets me through the days and I couldn’t be more grateful to know I can rely on this art to bring me peace.
On the other hand, the hardest part is releasing my music. I put a lot of pressure on quality. I want to be sure that things sound cohesive, that the mix is balanced and dynamic, that I can feel the emotion I was trying to convey when writing it. Production is tricky and although I have some background knowledge I can’t break out these tracks on my own. Collaboration is a beautiful part of the art, but it’s also putting your deepest insecurities in front of someone else and trusting that they can gather up all the pieces into one three minute chunk of time. I really enjoy the production process but getting myself to say “yes this is it, this is the final mix” can be a challenge. But that struggle only helps me realize that perfection doesn’t exist, it’s unattainable and not worth making myself crazy over. I accept that things won’t be perfect but I really do enjoy the work to get it to the right spot and to get it to the point where I’m confident putting it out into the world.
What are you looking forward to?
I think the next couple years will bring really exciting projects and experiences. Whether it’s my music, other people releasing music, finding new artists, or meeting new people who inspire the art, there’s so much time to truly live this existence to its fullest and I couldn’t be more curious to see, feel, hear it all. I have no idea what the future will bring but that’s the most exciting part, I just get to live it whenever things come, wherever and however they flow through my reality. It’s a gift to be alive and doing the work I love. I’m just happy to be here. <3