Listening to Tanaya Harper’s Some Kinds EP is a beautifully intimate, relatable telling of personal hardships and formtive experiences.
Upon first listening, you’ll be transported to the safety of your teenage bedroom to dwell on people, yourself and life as you know it.
Reminiscent of the stripped back songwriting Jeff Buckley or Angel Olsen, Tanaya Harper will encapsulate your senses with her angelic lullabies and intimate lyricism.
Tanaya Harper’s Some Kinds is a warming and personal telling of her experiences dealing with anxiety, depression, and her journey living with bipolar disorder.
While putting together the EP, the young artist drew together a collection of pieces she had previously written, all which cover the issues close to her.
“Everyone around me had EP’s and albums out so I wanted to get that done. I guess I was a little scared. So I chose my favourite songs of mine at the time which incidentally were all related to each other thematically. I didn’t really ‘write’ Some Kinds, I did it backwards – like I had these songs already, so I grouped them together and gave them a name.”
“I didn’t take writing my own songs seriously until about three years ago. Before that I was just kind of dabbling, then quitting, then dabbling again, then quitting.”
The EP will come as a refreshing perspective on mental illness for its listeners, as Tanaya Harper presents her own unique narrative on the issue.
“If a listener feels like they can relate to what I’m saying in any of the songs then I’m happy as can be. All the songs discuss mental illness to some degree, so my ideal outcomes are one, someone who feels alone or misunderstood might feel less alone and better understood. Two, that someone who doesn’t really understand or have much experience with mental illness might gain a little insight into the topic and hopefully some compassion too.”
With an eclectic array of influences including Thom Yorke, Sharon Van Etten, and Jeff Buckley, Tanaya Harper presents us a modern day take on the spellbinding art of sweet, simple music.
“I absolutely LOVE Emily Haines & the Soft Skeleton (the solo project of Metric’s lead singer). Her dad was an experimental jazz musician in the ’60s, so her piano style is so beautiful and subtle.”
“I also adore Thom Yorke. I fantasise that one day he’ll become my mentor or want to write a song with me. Jeff Buckley is my other idol. His voice and his totally unique songwriting plus his amazing band are a 10/10 for me.”
Following the release of her debut Ep Some Kinds, Tanaya Harper was just announced on the lineup for WA’s annual showcase WAMFest, which features some of the best up and comers in the industry.
“I’m so flattered to be playing! I was super happy because I think it means they kind of think I’m pretty alright at what I do? It’s hard to pick just a few, but I’m really excited to see my big crush Noah Dillon, FOAM, Grace Sanders and Ryan Beno.”
Some Kinds is out now. If you want to catch Tanaya Harper live, you can do so on any of the following dates:
28 Sept – The Aardvark, Fremantle – supporting Jen Cloher
27 Oct – Rosemount Hotel, Perth – supporting Bob Evans
2-3 Nov – WAMFest, Perth – Details
