Interview with the Members of Tarah Who?

July 24, 2020

Interview with the Members of Tarah Who?

By Mick Michaels

The Cosmick View: Hello, Coralie and Tarah and welcome to The Cosmick View/MBM Ten Pounder! Thanks for taking some time to chat with us!

CV: Describe your definition of the band’s sound and style and how does that definition uniquely describe the music?
Coralie Herve: I'll say that the Tarah Who? sound is a mix between different genres like Rock/Punk/Grunge but at the same time we are making our own sound.

Tarah G. Carpenter: I am deeply influenced by 90s music and sounds. I write how I feel and what seems natural. The guitars are fast paced and instrumental parts are noisier, and Grunge, hard hitting drums a la Taylor Hawkins, and low end bass. As much as I was influenced, I still think we have our own thing going on. We care more about being raw and authentic to our music rather than fitting in one genre or category.

Our live performance also defines us as more heavy or Punk because we get really loud but we are not really UK Punk or California Punk sounding. It is more about our attitude and stage performance.

CV: Today, everyone talks about artist and audience connection. Is such a level of connection actually achievable for an artist and if so, how have you made the connection to your fans?
TGC: In my experience, our show depends on the connection with our audience…totally. The more we see that the people are into our set, the more comfortable we are, hence the better performance we give. I think it is very important to connect with people and there is nothing more rewarding than having someone relate to your songs and letting you know about it. Another way of connecting with our fans is through social media, and we have been really lucky to have had positive feedback on our most used platforms…Instagram, Youtube, Facebook. Being two women in the project, you either have haters, or supporters, and we have been really grateful to have had supporters of Tarah Who?. I personally believe in that connection with our audience and I live for it. There is no point of doing this if it was just for "myself." I love the idea of entertaining, of relating to people through our life experiences, sharing thoughts and ideas through writing, and meeting new people everywhere we play.

CV: Is fan interaction an important part of the band’s inner culture?

TGC: 100%. We would not be able to do this without our fans. 1. We would not be able to keep on going 2. There would not be enough motivation to keep doing it. 3. The whole purpose of having a voice, through music, is to be able to share your ideas. Most of our songs are about understanding each other, or being more tolerant towards one another. You do your thing, and let others do theirs. Live in peace, you know? Just be kind. Especially in times like these, where a lot of hate is being promoted, it is very important to use your voice and inspire positive thoughts and love. As cheesy as it may sound, we would have never thought there was so much hate and injustice, still today in 2020. As we can see in the current events, it is there, and yes, I do think that artists, actors, influencers, should use their voice and spread out proper information and behavior around such heavy topics. If you choose to play music to be a rock star on a podium and be seen, in my opinion, you are missing the point. ROCK, being ROCK, is a state of mind, it is an attitude that you have in you, because you are pissed off. You are not Rock 'n Roll because you have holes in your jeans and you are wearing cool t shirts, a cool belt and some tattoos. You have something to say, and if you have an audience, you try to make change…A GOOD change.

CV: Can a band truly interact with its fans and still maintain a level of personal privacy without crossing the line and giving up their “personal space” in your opinion?
CH: Yes absolutely, you just need to find the line between what you want to share with your fans and your personal life you want to keep.

TGC: Some of our initial fans have become really good friends! I have no regret in letting them in. To me, it is human interaction. It is natural. I actually don't like that term fan. I prefer to say that some people like our music and that is cool. I don't like to put that distance because we are exactly the same people…on the same level.

The level of privacy I would like to keep is not between a fan and me as a musician; it is just a normal level of privacy, as I would with anyone around me. Not everyone needs to know everything about you, in general. I am pretty open on social media, but I share what I want, not everything, but certain things I don't mind. The music business teaches you how to draw a line. Working with musicians, or producers, being a woman working with men...lines MUST be drawn here!! I am not worried one bit about drawing a line with fans…actually, I feel really close to people who enjoy our music because I am a music fan myself! Also... give me a couple drinks, and the world is my best friend! In my experience, if I draw a line for my personal life, it is not because I am a musician, it is because I am a woman.

CV: Is music, and its value, viewed differently around the world in your opinion? If so, what do you see as the biggest difference in such multiple views among various cultures?
CH: I really think that music is universal, even if you don't understand the lyrics (different languages), you'll find something that touches you like the rhythm or the melody, etc...

TGC: Mmmm…that is really interesting…I agree with Coralie in a way that music can be universal. After all, it is the only language that is written the same way everywhere, even if I can't read it myself…being self-taught!! LOL! However, some cultures do not see some genres of music as music people should listen to, and some cultures even think that it is wrong to play or listen to Rock music for instance. Some cultures see music as therapy and I can relate… others almost think it is a sin to listen to music. Commercial…as in popular, music can have the power to influence our society…what I was saying above with being an influencer, having a message, and having followers. So an artist, who has big notoriety, to be a good influence, will probably need to be very well behaved. Unfortunately…you can't please everyone!

I feel that there is a music genre or artist for everyone and that is pretty amazing when you think about it! I think that music is part of our history and our culture and it is crazy that in some countries, books, music or art is banned because of their message or influence they may have on people. Music brings us together, at clubs, concerts, playing together, etc…on a therapeutic level, music can heal people. It also is known to help people with autism, or just the feeling of being creative I think is a brain enhancer. I wish that more cultures could see those benefits of music, even though getting together is not a bad thing either!

CV: Do you feel that a band that has an international appeal, will tend to connect more so to American audiences? Would they be more enticed or intrigued to see the band over indigenous acts because of the foreign flavor?

CH : The American market can be an easy one or a really hard one for international artists.

TGC: For us, we cannot hide that we are French because we can't shake that French accent when we speak English but we don't really "use" or promote the fact that we are French. We talk about if we are asked where we are from and how we ended up here but it is not in our music. "Sirens" is the only song where I sing in French during the bridge. I wrote this song after the Paris attacks and I wrote it for my people. I was really moved by our sense of unity after the events and I felt really proud. I happened to be there at the time of the attack and it was a pretty traumatic experience…I have lost friends and people I knew.

AS far as American audiences, I think that in cities like San Francisco, LA or NYC, yes, using your International appeal could help…anywhere else... I don't think it would work! LOL!

If anything, people just want good music, and generally music they can relate to or at least understand. For the music business, you just need to sell. Being French or international is not enough, what else do you have? It used to be a thing…I see why you could think that, but not anymore. There are too many bands out there that musicians need to be more creative to stand out.

CV: Has modern-day digital technology made everyone an artist on some level in your opinion? Have the actual lines of what really is an artist been blurred?

TGC: Ha! I love it! Yeah social media is awesome in a way because we are able to communicate with people around the world but on another token, everyone can be an artist or call themselves a band or a musician. Yes, it can be frustrating to have worked your whole life really hard on something you really believe in, and then someone who has the cash just comes in, pays for promo and what not, because they can! And BOOM…they have more exposure! WHAT?? LOL!! Although you don't have to struggle like that to have to make it. I’m a firm believer that if you are really into it, it takes time.

It takes time to work with different people and musicians, and have a team around you, and fail, learn, go through some hard patches and get back up. You can't expect to write a few songs, go online, and THERE, it is served. And to be honest, if this happens to you, good for you, but I doubt it lasts. The reality of the music business is knowing what you want. If you just want fame, yeah, go ahead, go be a product and everyone takes care of you, but you won't be rich because ...well...those people who are taking care of you need to get paid! Most young artists have NO idea what they want, they just want to play stadiums but they don't know the cost of it.

So...modern day, digital technology, yes, it has definitely made it in that sense a little bit difficult, but on the other side, some other artists, who have been doing it for much longer and are still around, will keep going.

Here is our documentary. For people who are interested in getting to know what it is to be an independent band. :)

https://youtu.be/4Vi4OT7QdOI

CV: How would you describe the difference between an artist who follows trends and one who sets them?
TGC: An artist who follows a trend well…he is a follower him or herself. The artist who sets trends sounds like they have more personality because they set them. The artist who follows the trend with a good influence, I guess that is good.

The more important factor in my opinion, whether the artist is following or setting the trends, is that the artist is true to them self. I think that in order to be a good influencer, you need to be true to yourself. There is no shame in following a trend, as long as you own what you do and give credit where it is due.

CV: Has music overall been splintered into too many sub-genres in an effort to appease fan tastes in your opinion? And has such fan appeasements, in actuality, weakened music’s impact as a whole by dividing audiences?
CH : I don't think there are too many sub genres in music, it's actually really cool so people can really find what they like. Of course there will be some little niches that a few people listen to and some big genres but at the end, they are all important.

TGC: I love your questions Mick! This is a really interesting interview. That I will not lie…gets me going a little bit and probably off track but I am really enjoying this reflection. It is refreshing. So…I do believe that there are a lot of sub-genres that I don't even know existed! I only know of some of them because when I upload a Tarah Who? song. I have to choose from so many genres I didn’t even know existed! The first question people ask us about our music is "what genre." It is a pet peeve of mine for a few reasons. 1. I don't fucking know! We have so many songs that are different genres, we can't choose one 2. I know that if I say Punk, you are going to have an idea of Punk in your head, but we are not UK, NYC, or CA Punk…so guess what? In your mind, we might not fit! It is all about perspective, and the bands that you know! The thing is that we try NOT to sound like other bands! And DON’T want to fit in a category. We just want to play our music! I really just want you to listen, and you decide where you want to put us, because really, I don't care! As long as you listen, and hopefully you like what you hear…who cares?! And you are right; this may result in dividing people and audiences. I don't like generalizations. I prefer to give everyone and everything a chance.

CV: What can fans expect to see coming next from you?
TGC: We have a series a live sessions that are coming out soon. The first video came out on July 3rd. In the meantime, I am finishing the demos of our new EP that we should be recording in October.

Episode 4 of the documentary will be in the works as well, and when we can play live again…well guess who will be hitting the road? :)

CV: Thanks again Coralie and Tarah for taking some time and talking. It is greatly appreciated.

THANK YOU!!!

Check out Tarah Who? at:
Official: www.tarahwho.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Tarahwho

Like The Cosmick View on Facebook at:

www.facebook.com/TheCosmickView

My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word. Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.