A Quick Chat With TIAHN

TIAHN embraces the chaos of growing up on ‘LiFe iS wEiRd’, a glitter-soaked debut EP that tumbles through heartbreak, rage, love, and self-discovery. The Meanjin artist blends indie pop, R&B, jazz flourishes and fuzzy rock into a technicolour soundtrack for surviving your twenties, pairing cheeky lyricism with her powerhouse vocals. From the feminist bite of Woman (On My Own Terms) to the oversized catharsis of Liar and More, TIAHN captures life in all its messy contradictions. We caught up with TIAHN to talk about the EP, the stories behind it and what’s next.

Can you tell us what this EP means to you and what you want people to take away from it?

This EP means everything to me. It’s a goal I have set out to achieve for as long as I’ve been making music, so to finally be releasing it feels euphoric. The songs I chose are all tracks I love and they tell a story of how life and people aren’t always what you expect them to be. Throughout the EP I discover life is about rolling with the punches, finding out and standing up for who you are, setting boundaries and knowing your worth.

Who are some of your influences, and why?

I grew up being a massive fan girl of Florence & The Machine and Missy Higgins (one of my major influences to play piano).

I also am a big lover of jazz, which I think you can hear throughout the tracks on the EP. I would spend hours listening to the sultry tones of Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone and admiring the way they demand your attention.

I’m also a big pop & R&B girly and my recent influences include RAYE, Olivia Dean, Sabrina Carpenter, Remi Wolf & local Aus diva Aleksiah.

What's the creative process for you, from writing through to recording?

The creative process usually starts with a theme, lyric or melody. I will sit down at my piano and sing through ideas until something sticks. I find that I’m most drawn to writing when I’m frustrated and it is an incredible outlet for this rage.

For this EP, I worked with local studio chef, Harry Verity and we recorded everything in his home studio. It was super fun (and sometimes challenging) translating the ideas from my head to the music you can listen to today. Being in the studio is something I’m getting more and more comfortable with, and can’t wait to start working on some new songs in the near future.

What do you think makes a great song?

A point of connection. Whether that be a hook, a lyric or a riff. Something that sticks with you and makes you want to listen again and again and again.

What's your favourite track off the EP and why?

Can a mother pick her favourite child?? I have love for each track for different reasons but the most sentimental track would have to be Dodgeball. Dodgeball was my first ever release under TIAHN and it was the track that gave me the confidence to give releasing music a real go. I have written hundreds of songs but everything about this song just felt right and excited me about sharing my music outside of my writing room.

If you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be and why?

I would love to collab with RAYE, Flight Facilities, Olivia Dean, or Missy Higgins to name a few. I would also love a little collab with Pitbull. I sent a message because I thought he would do a fire job of spitting a verse on the ballad of the EP ‘This is Love,’ but I got ghosted.

I’m super open to collaborating with anyone. It’s always super fun and interesting, working and creating with different people.

When not working on music, what other creative outlet/s do you have?

I’m a big craft lover!! I have a craft cart that I wheel around my house and my current obsession is junk journaling.

Who are some local bands we should check out?

Get your notepad out cause there’s a lot!! Pipin, Hazel Mei, Alzzy, Athanasia, Millie Atlas, Serendipiti, Chloe Jett, Siena Larson, Stelle, Kaytlyn Johnson, Bella Amor, EMEREE just to name a few. The divas are absolutely slaying the Aus music scene.

Winter or summer and why?

SUMMER !!!! I grew up on the Sunshine Coast so I am a born and bred beach girly pop.

What do you have planned for the rest of the year?

Jumping on stage!! I’ve got a couple of shows following the release of the EP which I’m super excited about. I also want to get back in the writing room and maybe do a couple of collabs.

Upcoming Shows:

Thursday 4 June – Black Bear Lodge – Brisbane, QLD
Saturday 20 June – Sunshine Coast, QLD (register for address)