Talltale – A Japanese Fever Dream EP Release Q&A
Edmonton’s Talltale has released her new EP, A Japanese Fever Dream, a collection of songs and interludes that takes her to places she’s never been before, and invites listeners along for the ride.
Named Artist To Watch at the 2018 Edmonton Music Awards, Talltale (Tatiana Zagorac) is an electro-pop singer-songwriter that took everything she knew about music and herself and added in a heap of self-discovery, experimentation, travelling, culture, and ended up with new music that serves as the next step in her growing career.
Friday is a double release day for Talltale, with the official video for Shed My Skin also available now. We caught up with her via email to talk about the album, the video, songwriting and a little bit more. And we’ve got that brand new video in there for you too.
Check it out now!
Q) Let’s start with the title of the album. Where does A Japanese Fever Dream come from, what does it mean to you?
A) While in Tokyo, I was writing Shed My Skin with Ryosuke Sakai (the producer for it), and the lyrics “this place already feels like a memory, already feels like a fever dream” came to mind immediately. I think that when you’re in a new environment, it’s so stimulating for all of your senses that you feel both incredibly present and also kind of like you’re dreaming at the same time! I wanted the album to be grounded in the very real and honest self-reflecting I did in Japan, while also having dreamy elements mixed into the production, visuals, and lyrics.
Q) There are 5 songs (and 4 interludes) packed into 22 minutes on this album if you were describing it to someone in one sentence, what would you tell them?
A) A moody and dreamy and honest journey of self-reflection, growth, and independence that starts with an arrival in a new place and ends with hoping that all the things you learned in the interim don’t get forgotten when you go back.
Q) The new video for Shed My Skin is out now too. What can you tell us about the experience of shooting the video and using it as an extension of the song and the album?
A) It’s definitely the moodiest song on the album and I wanted the video to match that! Shed My Skin is a song I wrote about the self-reflection and self-growth that I feel happens at an accelerated rate when someone is away from their everyday routine. I think that a new environment lends itself as a kind of litmus test for your personality, and you start to see qualities in yourself that you like and dislike.
The video for Shed My Skin is set in Shinjuku, Tokyo, as I feel the most reflective whenever I’m in a mass of people. There’s just something about the anonymity of being surrounded by so many people – you feel like you’re in your own bubble while also being aware of the fact that hundreds of people around you all have their own lives with their own thoughts and dreams and stresses. I felt that the busyness of Shinjuku would be a fitting visual backdrop for both the meaning of the song and the vibe of the production. That being said, even though I feel like I’m in my own bubble, it doesn’t mean I wasn’t incredibly self-conscious walking through the busy streets while lip-synching!
Q) Music has been a big part of your life for a long time, was there anything new that you learned about yourself as a musician when you were making this album
A) Definitely! I think I really found my voice on this record, especially in terms of the production style I like for my music. I learned that I’m much happier when I don’t try and make things sound too top 40, and instead, I try and experiment with sounds and synths and space to make music that makes me feel the way that I feel listening to my favorite albums.
Q) How would you describe your songwriting on this album and in general?
A) Melodically, this album is more adventurous than my previous work! I’m a huge fan of K-pop, and I think that listening to so much music I couldn’t understand lyrically forced my ears into being better at hearing and writing melodies. When it comes to lyrics, I like to think of my lyric writing as very precise. It’s always been super important for me to be able to communicate my thoughts clearly to people when I speak, and I think that that naturally has always come through lyrically.
What makes language so interesting to me is the very intricate nuances of words and how those evoke different images and emotions despite the meaning being the same. This album pushed me out of my comfort zone though since I usually write about other people while this record was about myself.
Q) What does the Artist To Watch recognition from the 2018 Edmonton Music Awards mean to you?
A) I think as artists, our greatest fear isn’t making bad art, but making art we’re incredibly proud of that people don’t pay attention to, so it means the world to me that the community felt that this album was something to watch out for. Edmonton’s music community is truly one-of-a-kind in its musicianship and support, and I appreciate them a huge amount.
Q) Last question, if we asked you to describe yourself as an artist, and what people should expect from you in 50 words or less, what would you say?
A) I want to make the un-conversational sound intimate. Talltale really isn’t a brand to me, it is honestly who I am as a person, and I want my music to make it feel like you’re having a genuine conversation with me or a look into my journal.
Thanks to Talltale for taking the time to catch up with us. Give A Japanese Fever Dream a listen now and stay tuned for more from the Edmonton electro-pop artist, she truly is an Artist To Watch!
A Japanese Fever Dream tracklist
1. Tokyo (ft. Alex Klingle)
2. In Transit: Kintsugi
3. Shed My Skin
4. In Transit: Tsundoku
5. Early Bird
6. In Transit: Ikigai
7. The Fall
8. In Transit: Mono No Aware
9. Tomorrow
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