There
is much more to 21 year old songwriter Tally Spear than first meets the eye.
The pretty folk driven songsmith may draw her musical inspiration from Bob
Dylan and Neil Young, but the daughter of a musician and an actress has always
known at her core that her own journey is truly unique. Having expressed
herself through an assortment of mediums as a child, Tally may now have a
career in music as her primary target, but this does not override the creative
flair she has in other fields.
Having
teased her audience with the release of the country bounce of Wrong Side Of The
Road, Tally Spear is showcasing not only the versatility of her sound on new
single Days Like These, but also offering insight to her other forms of
self-expression. From the artwork she has crafted for the cover through to her
post-production skills for the forthcoming video, Tally is an artist who
oversees every aspect of her output.
We spoke to Tally about her
new single ‘Days Like These’ and asked her to describe it.
The
track is a very honest track, which is what I wanted. I really want to be a
very honest artist at this stage. The song is about the struggles everyone has
a writer at times, writer’s block. It’s kind of an ironic track as it’s
actually a song about a struggle to write songs at times!
Writer’s block was in the
news recently with Brandon Flowers of the Killers talking about his struggles;
do you think it’s a common thing with musicians?
It’s
a mysterious phenomenon; I don’t think anyone really understands why they experience
it; what it really is; how they fix it. I don’t think there is an answer. We’re
all human and we don’t know when creativity is going to flow or when it’s not
going to flow. I think the most important thing is not to fight against it. If
you’re not feeling creative then just put the pen down and try another day.
How does it compare to
'Wrong Side of the Road'?
I
think ‘Days Like These’ is very much a continuation of that track. They were
both written in similar times and have a similar sound to them, but I’m
planning on releasing some new music in the new year and later on next year
that will be going off into a slightly different direction but keeping some of
the same sound going too.
How have you been involved
with the video?
I
created and directed it. I wanted the video to be super honest and super
simple, and I didn’t want to make it too fancy. It’s a small video that’s meant
to be a window into the day when I wrote the song in my wood cabin in my garden
and it’s showing the process, spending a lot of time on my own, feeling
inspired, but also frustrated. I also edited the video afterwards myself so it
was a self-project.
Is it important to you as an
artist to have that control over your image as well as your music?
Yes,
definitely. As I develop as an artist being involved with the projects as much
as possible is important to me, just because I have this image in my mind of
what I want to say and how I want to say it. If it comes from me that’s the
best way to be as honest as possible.
Who would you class as your
big musical inspirations?
I
have an eclectic taste in music and I listen to everything from folk – Bob Dylan
is a huge, huge inspiration, especially as I initially looked for my sound, I
listened to a lot of him at University in my late teen years – to punk. My
brother is a punk rock drummer so I listened to lots of fast-paced music in my
house! I’m also a fan of jazz so I get inspiration from a wide range of genres.
You recently did a Sofar
Sounds event, how did that go?
I
have a good relationship with the Sofar Sounds team. I really enjoy playing
with them. I do a gig with them every month or too and they’re always a lot of
fun!
How would you describe your
live sound?
I
usually perform on my own or with a backing band. I love playing with other
musicians; I think it’s my favourite set-up, live performance wise, as the
energy is there and you bounce off their energies. Your songs come alive when
you have those different textures.
Do you have any album or EP
plans?
It’s
all kind of up in the air at the moment, nothing is set in stone. I haven’t
announced anything publically yet but I do have plans for bigger things. Keep
your eyes peeled!
Finally what are your
ambitions for the next six months?
Just
really making connections with other people and getting heard a bit more. 2017
has been my starting line, and I all I really look forward to is meeting new
people [and] getting involved with as many new projects as possible, and
getting my music heard by others.
Check
Tally Spear at tallyspear.com which includes links to her social media.
