EQUATE meets Taura

EQ: As an artist and as a person, who is Taura?

T: I am a little bit of an over-thinker and also a bit of a story-teller, which I think makes me so quick to write and focus a lot on lyrics. Music has been in my life from a very young age, from listening to my Grandad playing in Jazz bands to teaching myself guitar, it very quickly became a pretty central part of my identity. I started writing as soon as I could play, and I never really stopped. (I do hope I’ve got better though, 12 year old me was NOT the greatest wordsmith). Developing as an artist has now meant I get to share this music with other people, and I really hope I can make some kind of impact on my listeners.

EQ: When did you first realise that a career in music was something you wanted to do long-term?

T: I think for a very long time I’ve known I wanted to work in music, but I have definitely flipped around a little in terms of which aspect I wanted to focus on. I’ve always undeniably wanted to be an artist, but there is a lot of doubt placed on you when you say that. So for a while I thought maybe it was not going to happen, and I wanted to work in film music. I then realised it was the writing side that I loved, so I leant towards being a songwriter, and quite quickly realised I needed to just throw everything I had at being an artist. I love writing and performing and connecting with people, and being an artist allows you to encompass all of that.

EQ: How would you define your sound, and who would you say you’re most inspired by?

T: My sound has been heavily influenced by growing up listening to pop and R&B but being quite surrounded by jazz and choir music. I was in about 100 different choirs because I was just obsessed with the harmonies and hearing everyone’s voices come together. I think this has influenced my music, as I am often creating poppy R&B tracks, with bluesy elements and a LOT of vocal layering. I tend focus very strongly on lyrics when I am writing music, which I guess is because that’s what I pay most attention to when listening to other artists. I’m a huge fan of simple yet clever lyrics, and I think Banks would have to be my biggest inspiration for that. In terms of production I’m really inspired by D’mile’s music, he creates such a cool relaxed vibe the second the track starts playing and I just love his contemporary take on classic R&B.

EQ: Whats it like being a female producer, as well as an artist, in quite a male-dominated sub sector of the music industry?

T: At this point in time, fortunately I haven’t had to face some of the common battles that female producers often come across, as I have only produced for myself. However, as a female artist, I can’t say the same thing. I have definitely come across a number of circumstances where I feel there has been a great deal of gender bias, and have always decided not to work with the people who created that scenario again. In general, I feel as though the music sector is becoming a lot stronger in terms of gender equality, but we still have a long way to go. I have recently been writing a lot with producer Chloe Martini, and writing as two women can definitely bring a different vibe to the studio. I’m not saying that is a better or worse vibe, but I think it is very important that we start to see more female producers in the game. Working towards a balanced gender dynamic across the whole industry is a must.

EQ: Your first music video for your song ‘Lucky Girls’ was just released, congrats! what was the main inspiration for the visuals?

T: Thank you, I’ve been so excited for this release! So we initially started the creation process playing around with the word ‘lucky’ and it’s associations. Moon, the director and producer, then landed on the idea of ‘lucky number seven’. From this, we decided to base each scene around the seven deadly sins, with an element of ‘bad luck’ running through each one. For example, the opening shot is of me lying in the bath in blue jewellery depicting ‘lust’, however as it pans out we see I am holding an open umbrella (bad luck). In ‘sloth’ I’m lazing about with a black cat, ‘wrath’ see’s a fight break out at a casino table, and so it goes on. Each deadly sin is also heavily associated with a specific colour, and adding this themed element into each scene really brought the concept alive. We shot the video in nearly double time so that when it was slowed down to real time, it gave an incredible fantasy-style aesthetic. With such a conceptualised video, this felt very fitting and to me, sat perfectly with the Lucky Girls music.

…as a female artist, I can’t say the same thing. I have definitely come across a number of circumstances where I feel there has been a great deal of gender bias, and have always decided not to work with the people who created that scenario again.”

EQ: Apart from your own music, what are the top 3 songs on your individual playlists you’d recommend our readers stream?

T: My favourite recent release has to be Victoria Monet’s ‘Moment’. I think her voice blends with the raw sexiness of this song so unbelievably well, and I am obsessed with a classic R&B string moment. It’s also produced by my favourite, D’mile, so of course I was going to love it! Another recommendation would be ‘BOOGIE’ by Brockhampton. I defy anybody to listen to that song and not get up and dance, and I think we all need a bit of that in our lockdown lives right now! My final recommendation would be Ari Lennox ‘Whipped Cream’. It’s a perfect combination of super sensual and chilled with an awesome groove alongside it. Ari Lennox has such a distinctive voice and I love how relaxed she sounds in this track. A really nice one to wake up to first thing in the morning.

EQ: Who would be your top artist to collaborate with be and why?

T: Banks. I would be so intrigued as to what her writing process is and how she creates. A lot of her tracks sound so different from each other but all have such interesting, gripping lyrics and spirited melodies. I would just love to get in a room with see how her her brain works, being able to collaborate would be the ultimate dream.

EQ: What have you guys been doing at the moment to stay sane during lockdown?

T: Well I have been writing and producing a lot of music, which I guess is pretty predictable! I’ve also been forcing myself to practice guitar every day as I really want to improve. I’ve binge watched Succession (the end of season 1 woahhhh), and I was worried I’d be bored when I finished so I ordered a jigsaw, but it’s safe to say I’ve made the slowest progress possible and I also now can’t really use my table. Not sure I’m a fan, I think I’ll stick to the writing!

EQ: If you wanted one thing for people to take away from your music what would it be?

T: I just want people to connect to the music somehow, and for it to conjure some emotion up inside them. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a happy feeling or a profound one - most of my favourite music makes me either want to cry or just dance. But I would like people to listen to the lyrics and associate with them, and know somebody is feeling the same way - whatever that feeling is!

EQ: Finally, what are your plans for 2020? Any EQUATE Exclusives you can let us in on?

T: I was currently supposed to be on a month long writing trip, but unfortunately it’s had to be postponed due to the corona virus, along with some really great opportunities to play live! So I think 2020 may look slightly different for me now! I’m writing constantly whilst in isolation and we already had some really great tracks under our belt, so I’m definitely planning to release some new music soon. Hopefully the live shows will be rescheduled and we’ll be back on track sooner rather than later!

YouTube/Taura

Stream ‘Lucky Girls’ HERE

Instagram: @Taura_Taura_Taura

Twitter: @JamesGillespie