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Interview with
TANA

(13th May 2022)

Interview by Dave Bruce

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TANA

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Having signed her song ‘Savage’ to Sony US & Babygrande records, Tana is an artist & songwriter with charge and flair for lyrics and melody. Her tracks have been championed by Sean Kingston on Instagram, played on BBC introducing, and featured in numerous publications – as well as writing for artists such as ‘Jike Junyi’. Her rich and diverse views on gay culture, have strongly influenced her musical and personal journey. “I’m queer and I want to use my platform to be real and be a voice for others”, she says. Tana’s music is unapologetic, revolutionary, and liberating, and she places diversity at heart.

‘SUPERMODEL’ is a catchy Hip- hop/Pop song about a girl that looks like a supermodel….everyone wants to be her, everyone wants to be with her.

“I initially wrote the hook for ‘SUPERMODEL’ in 2020, and sat on it for 2 years. Fast forward later, I connected with South African based artist ‘Ava like Lava’ via Instagram, who jumped on the song and the rest is history.”

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Ava Like Lava

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“Armed with a soothing angelic vocal tone and insightful lyrics, Tana delivers a gripping performance with a profound theme” –Earmilk

“A bit of freshness, a bit of groove, here we are transported into the dynamic and bewitching musical universe that this emerging artist offers us this evening.” – Iggy Magazine

“Tana uses her impeccable songwriting techniques to take you deep” –BuzzMusic

“With a stupendously alluring style that has you shivering with excitement as you just know that she is the type of artist the world has been looking for, Tana shows us that self-belief and hard work are actually missing keys that so many have in their possession already on ‘Ritual‘.” – AnRfactory

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Have you always wanted to be a musician? When did you get the song writing bug?
I wanted to be an actress first before becoming a musician. I went to theatre school on the weekends, and did some training in LA over the holidays, and it was after this trip that I decided acting wasn’t for me. I just wasn’t in love with it the way I fell for music.
I started writing music when I was 14 but wasn’t very good at it. At first, I absolutely hated writing songs because I was young and didn’t have the patience to write anything that actually sounded good enough to play, but after years of practicing, I got better and it became my most favourite thing to do.

How would you describe your sound? Why do you think people resonate with your music?
I don’t want be boxed into one genre or another, but you could say my sound is just a mixture of other sounds and stylistic features that I like and listen to but with my voice over it.

Which artist’s music and/or performance, past or present, inspires you today? 
My music taste is so diverse and eclectic right now, but I’ve recently been listening to Oliver Malcolm, Bishop Briggs, and Rema.

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TANA

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Your new ‘Supermodel’ has just been released! Describe its origin and evolution. 
I wrote the hook for ‘Supermodel’ in 2020 and didn’t know what to do with it. This was right at the start of the pandemic, so I had really bad writer’s block and was struggling to develop the idea further with everything that was going on in the world.
Fast forward 2 years later, I connected with ‘Ava like Lava’ on Instagram, who is a Persian artist based in Johannesburg, South Africa. I asked her to feature on the track and she sent me her verse, which was absolute fire. She brought so much sauce and attitude that it just made the song complete.

Is there an EP or Album on the drawing board?
As of now, I’m focusing on releasing singles so I can find new fans and build my fanbase. Once I’ve done that, then I can nurture my relationship with them and release a bigger project.

Any tours or events coming up soon? What are you looking forward to, and what can the fans expect?
I’m headlining a show on the 26th May with ‘Queer Artists Connect’ in London. I’ll be playing new material so it’ll be good to get a reaction and see what people think.

How has COVID affected you to date? What have you introduced to balance the losses from missed events?
I managed to do some online performances which was cool. I also did some online song-writing sessions, went live on Instagram and featured guests on my channel (where I played music and did some Q&A’s). I tried to find ways of staying relevant whilst adapting to what seemed a new way of performing/making music and engaging with others.

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TANA

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If you could perform with any music artist, Alive or Dead, who would you choose? And why? 
First artist that comes to mind is Amy Winehouse. I love her music, her style and energy you get from her music. She’s just incredible.

Do you have any long-term aspirations as a music artist? 
I want to win 20 Grammys and tour the world!

What is the best thing about performing to a live audience? What’s been the career highlight so far?
I love the audience interaction and the feeling you get on stage. You just can’t take that away.
My career highlight to date is signing one of my songs to Sony US.

Finally, a few questions for some quick answers –
FAVOURITE:
Album – ‘Wiped Out’ by The Neighbourhood
Artist – The Neighbourhood
Movie – Girl, Interrupted
Place to visit – Berlin
Venue to play – KoKo
Food – Egusi Stew & pounded yam
Drink – Iced oat milk latte
Person in History – Angelina Jolie
Tattoo – (If you don’t have one, what would you get?)  55:55 has to be my favourite tattoo. I like reading into angel numbers.

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TANA

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Follow TANA
Tik Tok – Instagram – Facebook
Twitter – YouTube

Follow Ava like Lava
INSTAGRAM – FACEBOOK – TIKTOK
TWITTER – YOUTUBE

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Ava Like Lava

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AMNPLIFY – DB