Spotlight On... Tamzene

Tamzene's latest EP, In Any Weather, is due for release this Friday 16 August via London indie label Young Poet. Following a parting of ways with EMI, the Cromarty singer-songwriter is now doing things on her own terms and the results are freeing. Tamzene sounds more authentic than ever on In Any Weather as she explores joy and heartbreak, drawing from her Jamaican and Irish heritage through a mix of genres across its seven tracks. Ahead of its release, we catch up with Tamzene to find out more.

Can you start by telling us a bit about yourself, how did you get into music-making and who/what are some of your influences?
I'm Tamzene and I’m a singer/songwriter from the Highlands. I always had a clear love for music, singing especially was such an obsession for me growing up, which really started to make sense when I began busking as a teenager. I cut my teeth on Inverness High Street and began properly writing songs and putting myself out there. I have a mixed background of Jamaican and Irish and was exposed to a lot of different genres early on, with influences ranging from Norah Jones and Donny Hathaway all the way to Simon & Garfunkel and Randy Newman.

From an industry point of view, things have changed a lot for you lately, opting to go with an independent label instead of running with the majors, doing things on your own terms – what was the reason for this change, and how has it been so far?
I personally don't know anyone who's had a smooth ride in the music industry, no matter their genre, team or label. But the biggest shift I've felt in the past year has been with mental clarity. Within my previous deal there was a lot of pressure, a lot of delays and not a lot of honesty which basically left me confused and disheartened. With a team of people I can really trust and rely on, I've been able to focus on being creative and feeling more capable in what I have to offer. Young Poet came along when I had no plan but was in a really creative place and it felt like the right fit for this project.

You’re gearing up to release your latest EP, In Any Weather – can you tell us more about the record, what are some of the themes explored?
It comes out in full on 16 August, and has been slowly unravelling over the past few months – I think this EP feels like the most of 'me' I've been able to share so far. It represents the joy, heartbreak and the discovery of the past few years and I really wanted to make something that could soundtrack different kinds of moments and experiences. From the celebration of What Sundays Are For to the pain of my first heartbreak in Best Of Me and touching on a brutal introduction to grief in Nothing Makes Sense Today, I wanted a variety of themes included, as life in your 20s is like a conveyer belt of lessons and experiences.

You say some of the songs were about very specific experiences, but you wanted to make them accessible to everyone – what’s the process like for this? It sounds like a tricky thing to navigate?
These are all deeply personal songs, of course, but as a songwriter I still want to invite others in rather than alienate, so alongside the awesome creatives that I write with, that's what I try to achieve. Above all I'm just trying to tell these stories.

You worked with some pretty notable songwriting talent on In Any Weather, including Eg White – how did these collaborations come about and what was the experience like?
I spent most of 2021 and 2022 in studios and writing rooms writing with many different characters, sometimes you're not even sure where the link came from, maybe management or publishing. I mainly had an incredible time exploring different collaborations, with In Any Weather being the product of some really special days. For example, Best Of Me was recorded with Steph Marziano, who I've known since a PRS initiative brought us together years ago, so it made perfect sense to take such a personal, important song to her.

Once the EP comes out, what does the rest of the year look like for you, what’s next?
I'm going on tour! We start at the Tooth & Claw in Inverness on 26 September, then the beautiful Websters Theatre in Glasgow on the 27th, followed by gigs in Dublin, Belfast, Brighton, Manchester and London. I couldn't be more excited. This is only my second ever headline tour so I know these shows are going to be really special and intimate. Beyond that, I guess I'll be making my next record!

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In Any Weather is released on 16 Aug via Young Poet; Tamzene plays Tooth & Claw, Inverness, 26 Sep; Websters Theatre, Glasgow, 27 Sep; Upstairs at Whelan's, Dublin, 3 Oct; Black Box, Belfast, 5 Oct; Folklore Rooms, Brighton, 11 Oct; Lodge at Deaf Institute, Manchester, 17 Oct; Omeara, London, 18 Oct; tickets available here

Follow Tamzene on Instagram @tamzene