NZMM CATCH-UP: TALI

Tali is internationally renown as one of the most prolific Female MC/Vocalists to emerge from the Electronic Dance music scene – particularly for her work and groundbreaking achievements within Drum n Bass. 
Tali has with worked with some of the biggest names in DnB and toured the world several times over as both an MC and with a live band. She has released six studio albums, numerous singles both as a solo artist and collaboratively, has won a NZ Tui award, three Drum n Bass awards, had a UK top 40 hit and is one of the only woman in DnB to ever grace the cover of DJ Mag International. 

Over the years Tali has combined her experience as a professional touring artist, songwriter, producer and trained teacher, to become a music mentor both through the NZ Music Commission In-schools program and independently. She has been the music co ordinator at Sylvia Park School, a guest tutor at YAMI in Wanaka, and is also a sought after inspirational speaker, aiding in the development and support of Women in Electronic music. 
Tali is also an author with her blog www.darkdayshighnights.com and 2018 published work ‘The Little White House’ (Pegasus UK)

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1. Happy NZ Music Month! How did you initially get into creating music?
I started playing the piano at age 9 and from there I started to jam out my own songs on the piano. I loved creating my own work and I never looked back really. My mum paid for me to record at a local music studio up near the bush line of Mount Taranaki in the countryside where we lived when I was about 16. It was the first time I had ever properly recorded something and the producer I worked with was really impressed and encouraging of me and my work. That’s when I knew I wanted to be a musician and write and record my own music as a career. 

2. Tell us about your inspirations & motivations?
I’m inspired by lots of things – things happening in my life obviously but I like to look outside my own world most of the time and write about things that I am interested in. Science, art, other forms of music, philosophy, space and time that sort of thing. I love writing lyrics that I hope will help uplift people, and bring some positivity into their lives. 

3. What have you been up to in this lockdown and how has it affected you?
In the first couple of weeks I had a bit of a lull in the creative sense, just processing what was happening in the world as I think we all were. Then suddenly the creative juices started flowing! I’ve been producing my own beats and writing some more left field stuff again, I’ve also collaborated with Lee Matthews on an uplifting Drum and Bass song, and I have been laying vocals down on my next Soulside Sessions mix with Emma G. That is a long process and has certainly kept me busy. 

As well as this I have tried to continue doing some educational things, recording some songwriting lesson videos for people who might need some inspiration, and next week I will be teaching (online) – tutorials for some of my music students at Albany Senior School, as I am usually a mentor there one day a week. 

I am also releasing my first album ‘Lyric On My Lip’ digitally for the first ever this year, so I’ve been creating a little documentary using some old archival footage I have from my time in the UK, interspersed with some more recent interviews with people to help celebrate this!

4. What do you think of the NZ music scene?
I have always thought the NZ music scene to be a pretty awesome landscape to be a part of. I respect and admire so many of our musicians, and are proud to be able to perform and collaborate with them when I can. 

5. Goal board time – where would you like to see yourself in a years time? 
I’m working on a new EP of more down tempo vibes, as well as another DnB album. 

In a year’s time I hope to be out performing again with my friends and perhaps expanding my music skills to other areas of the industry in some form or other! 

You can catch up with Tali online (@taliofficial), catch her Soulside Sessions mixes via Soundcloud and look out for the digital release of her first album Lyric On My Lip alongside the documentary video later this year. 

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