Welcome to TARRA's Universe
Mustard had the pleasure of speaking with Mumbai's homegrown indie Taylor Swift TARRA!
Mustard had the pleasure of speaking with Mumbai's homegrown indie Taylor Swift TARRA! Together we discussed living within their universe, Mumbai, leadership in music, and so much more!
1. Mustard is grateful and appreciative to have you join them at On The Shelf. How are you doing today?
Hi Mustard! So great to be here at On the Shelf! As for how I'm doing today... I'm being interviewed by a condiment today so OF COURSE I'm doing amazing?! DUH!
2. Mustard has observed that we all live within your universe. What are some elements that make your universe distinctly TARRA?
We all do indeed live within my universe :) Some elements that make my universe distinctly TARRA are that....
1) paradoxical things coexist in my world. I am allllll about dualities!
2) Warm colors and feel good-vibes. Lately I've been really into the idea that I can share warmth and comfort through my music and through the way I treat people around me.
3) Everything is systematic and organized... but with some room for spontaneity and surprises :)
4) Speaking of surprises... I kinda love throwing curveballs and riddles at my followers, and giving them little clues about what's to come. Must be the "growing up a swiftie" effect oops ;)
3. You receive a DM on Instagram from LEGO. They are interested in producing an official "Tarra Universe" set. What would your LEGO model look like? How many pieces would be included?
There would be 114 pieces in the set, and it would be a cross between a LEGO and Barbie set. My lego model would have changeable outfits, with each outfit fitting the vibe of a different song from my album, EASY LOVE. There's a lot of diversity in the moods and themes across the songs, so that would work perfectly.
4. They have also observed that you make profound feel-good pop music. What artists make you feel good? How have they inspired you as an artist?
Through the years, the artists that I most fondly recollect as making me "feel good" (and as a result, inspiring the kind of music I make) are Taylor Swift, LANY, Kelsea Ballerini, Lizzy McAlpine, Lauv, John Mayer, Gracie Abrams, Arijit Singh, Shreya Ghoshal... yeah... that feels like a pretty accurate list of my Spotify Wrapped over the years! I absolutely do believe they've inspired so much of what I do as a songwriter - I don't think I ever consciously sat down and went "let's write a song!"... but since I was consuming so much of their music in my everyday life, some part of me just started pouring out my own words and melodies in response to that.
5. What was your relationship with music growing up?
You ready for this? Music was actually my LEAST favorite class in school. Shocker, I know! I think it had to do with me being an introvert; the idea of being heard by others was not really.... the most appealing. However, I was always a writer, and it wasn't until I started writing lyrics (kinda happened out of nowhere, like I shared a little earlier) and started to realize I wanted to give those lyrics life in a musical form that I started opening up to the idea of singing and performing my own music. Even then, it took overcoming a lot of fears to share my music with the world, and as I grew up, I think it has made me a much more confident and secure person to have undergone that experience.
6. You have been hailed as Mumbai's homegrown indie Taylor Swift by those who listen to your music. If you could collaborate with Taylor Swift what type of song would you create? Do you have a favorite Taylor Swift era?
The thing I've always admired about Taylor Swift is how meaningful her songwriting is, and how much depth it holds. Especially when she plays with metaphors, double meaning and the like... I LOVE songs you can analyze. So... that's the kind of song I'd create. I guess it should come as a surprise that my favorite Taylor eras are Red and Folklore/Evermore, because I think that's when her ~literariness~ was at its peak.
7. Speaking of Mumbai, you always release music when you return back home. Could you share more about your process? How does your family and the community respond to your music?
My process has pretty much always been writing in my bedroom, usually at weird times of night because that, for some reason, is when inspiration strikes. I have a go-to studio in Mumbai where I have a great dynamic with the recording engineer, so I love recording there when I'm in the city. My family back home, especially my dad, has been my biggest supporter, and I think he's what gave me the confidence to fearlessly pursue a career in the music industry. Even when I wrote my first (kinda shitty) song at thirteen, he recognized that there was so much depth and feeling there that I HAD to pursue this calling. I think his determination gave me determination and I owe a lot to him.
8. Mumbai is the leading arts and entertainment capital in India. If you could have your music featured on any Indian television or movie program which would it be and why?
Recently I've been hooked to the soundtrack of the movie "Wake Up Sid"; I think it perfectly encapsulates the feel-good vibe we were earlier talking about. If there were ever to be a sequel to that film, I'd love to have my music featured in it!
9. How has Mumbai helped influence and inspire you creatively? If visiting Mumbai, where do you recommend humans check out?
I did not fully appreciate until moving out of Mumbai what an inspiring and socially/ culturally rich city it is. I think it has a lot of personality and character in every corner, and I think just the fast pace of Mumbai has inspired me a lot as a person. Whenever I fly home to Mumbai, I feel very refreshed and driven to create because of how passionate everyone in the city is about chasing their dreams. If visiting Mumbai, Marine Drive is a classic. Go there for a late night drive!
10. Mustard wonders what is your creative process?
TARRA also wonders what is her creative process....!! It's different every time and so hard to pin down. So much of the creative process is just showing up and letting it happen as it wants to happen. However, I'd say I usually begin with a lyric idea or title. I typically have a vague idea of what I want to talk about and what meaning I want a song to have, and the music flows from there.
11. In addition to being an independent artist you also help your fellow musicians navigate the music industry. Could you share more about your consulting background?
Absolutely! I started out with learning about the music industry and music business simply because I wanted to self-manage my own music career. However, as soon as I started deep-diving into the business, I realized I had a knack for strategy, branding marketing planning and the like (and I really enjoy doing those things for other artists!). When I got to Berklee as a Music Industry major, I discovered I was well-equipped to help other artists cross the hurdles I'd already experienced in my music journey. I truly enjoy helping creatives reach their full potential and connect with their audience, so the consulting thing kind of just happened organically.
11. You are a Music Industry Leadership and Innovation major at Berklee College of Music. What have you learned about the music industry? What can artists do now to help elevate their branding throughout social media and to industry leaders?
Wow... I've learned so much about the music industry since being here at Berklee. Not just from classes, but from being involved in various industry endeavors and working directly with musicians. The first thing artists can do to help elevate their branding is... to get CLEAR on their branding, and really put it down in writing somewhere. Of course, you may think you have an idea of what your brand is in your head - but to have a concrete manifestation of your brand is something different entirely! I recommend having a single document where you have your brand colors, fonts, keywords, visual guidelines etc clearly laid out, so that you can follow and refer back to it at any time.
12. In an interview with Section36 it was mentioned how you love playing with words. What are some of your favorite words to play with? Are there any words you dislike?
I LOVE words that have double meanings. Double entendre in songs is so fun. Or repeating the same word twice, where it has a different meaning both times. I dislike the word dislike.
13. Mustard wonders what are some signs that this isn't love? Was this single inspired by actual events?
Some signs that this isn't love are that... they only "love" you when they need something from you... they only want you when they don't have anyone else to feel loved by... when the words are two-sided but the effort is one sided. I think if you're questioning if it's love... you know it's not.
Funnily enough, the single wasn't actually inspired by actual events. When I wrote that song, I was a little sixteen year old pretending to have adult problems. The songs I'm writing NOW are an entirely different story, though. Those are real as can be.
14. February is soon approaching. Can we expect another Fangirl Valentine's?
Mustard really did their homework :) Fangirl valentines was an era for sure, but this Valentine's I may have a different era in store. That's all I'll say.... :)
15. Last August you released your debut album "EASY LOVE." Could you share what it was like to put this album together?
The journey to my debut album was filled with so many ups and down, but it was the most rewarding and gratifying process ever. When I started out, I didn't know anything about what the music making process was like. I learned how to produce demos, how to find and collaborate with producers, found a studio, figured out how to record.... such a journey. All I knew was that I dreamed of having an album out someday, and over the course of about two years, I slowly chipped away at that dream until it became reality.
16. Can you confirm if the boy got the wrong number?
The boy did not get any number at all ;)
17. Mustard is curious if all humans are capable of finding an easy love?
I think humans complicate love for no reason at all sometimes. We're terrified of confessing feelings, telling the people we love that we love them... we make it all so difficult. I totally do this too, I'm so guilty of it. Recently, I've tried to be more expressive about letting the people I care about know how much they're loved.
My current philosophy is this: If I can make someone feel good by expressing that I care about them, why wouldn't I? Why does it have to be so scary? I think all humans deserve an easy love, but they have to believe it too, and let themselves have it.
18. You just did your first surprise release drop with "Mess with Me (Unplugged.)" When did you decide you wanted to do a surprise release?
Unlike my other releases, which have always been so well-planned and thought out, this release felt very natural and comfortable. To match the raw nature of the track itself, a surprise drop just felt right.
19. On Instagram you let your followers know this version of the song was how it originally sounded. How does it feel to have this version of this song out in the world?
It feels so good because I feel like I'm letting the audience in on a more authentic side of me. I've earlier felt the need to be very polished in how I approach things and present myself, but I love the idea of letting the guard down. This year, I want the guiding theme of my social media and releases to be authenticity.
20. A human invites their friend to see TARRA perform. What five words best describe your live performances?
Personal. Storytelling. Magical. Camaraderie. Euphoria.
21. Do you have any upcoming shows?
I've been most focused on creating recently, but I do want to get in the flow of performing more this year... so there may be announcements in the near future :)
22. Mustard wonders what TARRA has planned for 2024?
Experimentation. Building and nurturing community. Sharing more of the process and behind the scenes. Introducing a new sound. Those are some of the things I hope to do in 2024.
23. Where can readers listen to your music?
Search TARRA - EASY LOVE on any streaming platform to listen to my recent album!
Here are my links:
Spotify:
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/in/artist/tarra/1600847535
Website:
https://www.tarrasuniverse.com