Posted on: August 13th, 2008 Pivot Points in Space: The Tareya Interview
Giant Killer Squid is very excited to bring you its first interview column!
A few years ago at college (don’t laugh, I made it) I had the great fortune to befriend a small group of amazingly talented people. We were all there for design, but beyond that surface there was something else that we each were passionate and incredible at. One of those people is Tareya Green, a local graphic designer and singer/song writer, and she’s growing a gigantic ball of awesome right now. Awesome in album form.
Already, Tareya is creating a palpable buzz on the Internet, and making the recording studio look like the bead toy at the dentist office waiting room. Trust me, there’s a frightening electricity in the air with the buildup to her debut release, Someone Like Me. Tareya was cool enough to have a chat with GKS, and here’s how the ess hit the eff…
Thanks for agreeing to subject yourself to this, Tareya.
Of course! i am looking forward to this
In one sentence, using only one comma, tell us about yourself.
Oh man, aren’t you supposed to prod all that out of me?
We’re getting there…
I am a Canadian singer/songwriter and graphic designer, and I am realizing now i might not know how to properly use a comma. I don’t think i am happy with that sentence.
That’s great… it sets me up. Don’t question me. Comma is too close to “coma” anyways, and those are never fun. Moving along… It’s obvious that you have the song-writing/performing talent, but you are also a wicked and accomplished graphic designer. Do you find it hard to balance this? Will one conquer the other, becoming your definitive career? Is it like the Highlander, can there be only one?
Haha, oh boy, i hope none of my clients are reading this… is that suffice? Actually, I love both graphic design and singing, and it can be little difficult to balance at times. I am not really a great ‘balancer’ to begin with, in any regard, but I am managing at the moment. However, I can only hope after this album is released it is not possible.
Well you’re doing exceptionally. I always wanted to be a dancer, but was told I’m built like a bag of shapes. Speaking of the Highlander, could you, hypothetically, cut a living thing’s head off?
Absolutely never.
Good answer… wait until they are already dead before you desecrate the remains. To get our readers on the same page (get it) where is Tareya at right now? You’re in the process of recording, correct?
Good lord! I’m just gonna blow right past that. (I’m sorry to all my sweet-hearted teenage-girl fans) Yes, I am currently in the recording phase.
To those sweet-hearted teenage-girl fans, she’s is sorry.. but I’m not. Tareya, how has your time in studio been? Has there been any unexpected challenges for you?
My time in the studio, so far, has been really awesome and loose. I’m currently laying down drum tracks – working with a wicked drummer/audio engineer, Carson Gant. (Watch out for this kid.. seriously.) We have great chemistry, so far its been a breeze. No unexpected challenges as of yet!
Awesome, that’s great to hear. Who are your biggest influences in terms of song-writing, if any?
Hmm… Sarah McLachlan has always been a force in my writing, but over the last couple years I’ve also been listening to some other fantastic ladies: Bjork, Feist, Imogen Heap. I’m really noticing a lot of Imogen Heap’s influence coming though in my music, actually. Which is rad. I love imogen heap.
Tareya w/ Tripp West , Energy 101.5 Interview
Vocally do you have any influences?
Wow, I have many. when i was younger i was all about Mariah Carey (Early/Mid 90’s Mariah, the powerful, giv’r Mariah: ‘I’ll Be There’, ‘Emotions’, ‘Vision of Love’… ). I also listened to a lot of Lauren Hill (Sister Act 2 is what did it, and I know I’m not the only one… ) Which got me really playing around and experimenting with those crazy vocal runs. Now, I’m settling into some nice, raspy laid back, lower-end-of-the-spectrum vocals with an Imogen Heap and Amy Winehouse influence. Which just feels good to sing.
Who would win in a fight to the death: a man with a shark for an arm, or a shark with a man for an arm?
Is the fight on land or in water?
Outer space. But they can live without oxygen and can withstand the extreme temperature and pressure.
Really.. what is the man gonna do? We both know this is about the agility and maneuverability of the shark’s head. I’m assuming that the man is able to direct the shark. I can’t imagine the shark could turn as sharply as the man, the pivot point.. you know. especially in space. But the shark has instincts that a man might impede… forget it. Both sharks would eat both men.
* See bottom of page for Tareya’s hand drawn rendition of this epic battle.
Wow. I’m at a loss for words. That was a really well thought-out and concise response (Editor’s note: there was a 30 min. gap between question and answer).
Next question: Happy music or sad music? This question is open to your interpretation in terms of its context.
Sad music all the way
I mostly agree. Who is less gay, Aquaman or Namor the Sub-Mariner?
Um. I don’t know what either of those are, but Aquaman sounds less gay.
Actually you’re wrong… Namor is totally not gay, where Aquaman is incredibly gay.
Hahaha… wait wait wait… do the arms have brains also? or are they controlled by the body’s brain? Because in that case, man with man brain who has brainless shark-arm will defeat shark with shark brain who has brainless man-arm. But if all four have their own brains – then absolutely the sharks will just eat both men.
… this question has jumped the shark.
Getting back to your album… when and where can we check that out?
It will be available on iTunes in the first quarter of 2009. You know, Im thinking now, there are no pivot points in space are there? And besides they would just float past each other. This question is going to make me cry. You just broke my brain. No one would win. They would both just float away forever.
Well, we are all certainly excited as hell to buy it. Would you ever (respectively, of course) dress up as Dolly Parton, complete with ridiculously oversized mammaries, and sing “9 to 5″ in front of a live studio audience?
What the hell kind of interview is this!? I would not.
Good. That was a test. You passed. Next question: I think the importance of Disney to the progression of film and music is almost incomparable… I know Disney had an impact on me as a child, specifically Alice in Wonderland and Fantasia, but were you a typical Disney girl? Did anything like that help create your musical foundations, so to speak?
Of course! I was absolutely a Disney girl! But mostly Ariel. The Little Mermaid remains one of my favorites. I’m not sure if it helped create my musical foundations, but I did spend the better part of my childhood brushing my hair with a fork.
I thought so. I spent the better part of my childhood in the belly of a whale. Tareya, at this very moment, what’s your favorite album of all time?
Oh man. Of all time?
Did I stutter?
Hmm… I can’t commit to one! I have a favorite-album-of-all-time for every mood im in? I have reunited with Paula Abdul’s Forever Your Girl, and am lovin’ every minute of it. (Listening to Straight Up right now) Sarah Mclachlan’s Surfacing, and John Mayer’s Continuum…
Oh man. “Straight Up” is such a paramount song for my life. You don’t even know how many times I’ve jumped on a table and let loose with it. But no one wants to hear that story…
What kind of live show do you envision, when you are making millions and selling out arenas? Big band? Lights, lazers and theatrics?
Honestly I haven’t really thought about it. The concept of touring and playing shows is just setting in. The idea of traveling around to meet and play for people who want to hear my music… is incredible! Whatever kind of live shows they end up being, is cool with me. A small acoustic session in a theatre, or a giant sold out arena.. its whatever they want, I guess my fans will determine the scale of the shows!
I think its great that you are so prepared to just let these things shape themselves, yeah. The great thing about your music is its adaptability. You could do a full band one night and an intimate acoustic session the next. You should do that actually. And roll a 20 sided dice to determine it. If you could have one super-power what would it be, and would you use it for good, evil, or purely self-gain?
I would have super healing powers. LIke Wolverine, but to a grander extent. I want to be able to heal any part of my body soul or mind. Immediately and perfectly.
Eff that’s a good answer. Even if it is purely for self-gain. Everyone always says flight and I call hogwash. Well, before I get to my last question Tareya, is there anything you’d like to add about your album, you music, etc…?
Ummm… if everyone could please harassingly request Someone Like Me on local radio stations, that would be cool.
Good call. Readers, you know what to do. Call them! Email them! Throw a brick with a note through their windows if you have to! Tareya, without time time to think about it, at this moment what are your top 5 movies?
1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spottless Mind
2. The Tiger and the Snow
3. Closer
4. Shaun of the dead
5. and ummm… Matrix? Little Mermaid?! ah! Little Miss Sunshine? I can’t decide on my 5th slot
We’ll settle on the three-way tie. That’s a respectable list. Kudos. Well Tareya, you’ve brought GKS to a higher calibre, thank you… is there any last nugget of wisdom you would like to leave our readers (thats plural, I’m assuming we have more than one)?
Thanks for the chat! Ah… last nugget of wisdom…. nope have no such nugget.
Folks… that conversation was the God’s honest truth. It doesn’t get much more awesome than that. GKS will cover the launch of Tareya’s Someone Like Me, and its subsequent Grammy nominations. Until then, you can check out more from Tareya at:
Tareya covering “Hold On”
Shark-Armed Man VS. Man-Armed Shark by Tareya Green
