For burgeoning Gold Coast singer song-writer TANISHA, taking a leap of faith and launching herself upon the local musical landscape in the midst of the 2020 COVID lockdown has been a decision well vindicated. Having long harboured unfulfilled musical ambitions and with the voice and performance vibrance to back her dreams, TANISHA used the challenges of the pandemic to propel herself gung-ho into her true calling.

With her emotive indie pop/RnB infused vibes, which she initially channels on piano in the song-writing phase, TANISHA announced herself on the scene with the release of her debut single, ‘Show You Love’. This was swiftly followed by a collaboration with Bailey Rodrigues in the form of ‘Fransisco’, a track which connected with listeners to the tune of over 27,000 Spotify streams.

2021 has seen her drop her well received debut EP, ‘Louder Than Words’, which was heralded with much fanfare when she sold out her first headline show, to coincide with her latest single, ‘Drive Me Home’. The coming 12 months promises much in the world of TANISHA and we recently caught up with the soulful and charming lass to learn more about her journey and what’s in store.

Launching into your musical career in the midst of a pandemic was a pretty gutsy move. What inspired you to 'go for it' under such challenging circumstances?

Having stability taken away from me during the first real outbreak of COVID in Australia really made me realise what was important in my life. I’m sure like a lot of people, I was faced with the realisation that my current life was not actually living. Even though I had comfortable income, I was working in an unsatisfying job and with that came a lot of negativity. My amazing partner Stuart has pushed me more than anyone ever has and he really believed that music was something that I was capable of turning into a career. I turned COVID into something that I was going to utilise to make my life better and that's what I did. But let's be real, trying to pitch yourself to venues when live music became non-existent made me a pretty resilient person ahaha.

Can you tell us a bit about your formative musical development and how you came to perform your own material?

I actually never wanted to be in the music industry growing up. My anxiety told me that it was too scary and too risky and that only super talented people made it. I even found a Facebook post from five years ago that was titled, "I don't want to be a singer but I wrote this new song". For some reason I’ve always been drawn to the sound of the piano and lyrics just somehow come to me when they feel like it. In terms of performing, my first cover gig was in November 2020 and from there I just put myself out into the scene with good energy hoping someone would see me in return.

Congratulations on your recent debut EP, 'Louder Than Words'. Can you put us in the picture as to how it came together and your song writing process?

Thank you so much it was such an achievement! The EP was titled ‘Louder Than Words’ because that's what the music was. The tracks signified so much more than just words in a song, as writing them was the first step into becoming an Artist. I also co-produced the whole EP and composed all the tracks in my little home studio.

In terms of my music it's usually all or nothing. I sit at the piano and play around and suddenly a word will trigger some feelings and I write most of the song in one session. My music is about my life and I really don't know how else to write. I'm not scared of vulnerability and I know that I can be the voice for people who can’t seem to understand their own feelings and that is so magical.

You recently performed your first headline show, which sold out (that must have been both exciting and nerve wracking!?) How did the show go down and do you enjoy being on stage performing, or is writing and recording more your thing?

I think being an independent artist you are always wondering if what you are doing is working or if people are even listening, so to sell out my first show was so amazing. I love the whole process, from starting with a simple piano progression in my home studio to capturing the energy of a room and pushing that into a live performance. My very first gig went horribly and so for a first headline show to go so perfectly I think was just a testament to how committed I was to learning about becoming a better artist.

Outside of music what do you enjoy doing and where do you like to hang out?

I am a bit of a hermit. Outside of music I like to cook and I adore wine. I wouldn't say I am a wine expert but I can definitely tell you what wine is good at Dan Murphys and which brands to avoid. If I had to choose somewhere to hang out it would probably be with my partner and my dog at his favourite beach somewhere.

What can we expect from you in the coming months?

2022 is a massive level up for me. I’ve already got two songs ready to go, I've been working with some super talented producers and I’ve got the band to support me on stage.

Basically, I’ll be taking everything I've learnt this year and transforming that into the next version of "TANISHA" and that is super exciting. But I really just want to invite some new fans into the world that is me and my music and bring them along for the ride.

TANISHA’s most recent single, ‘Drive Me Home’ and debut EP, ‘Louder Than Words’, are available now via most major streaming platforms. Instagram: @tanisha.musiic

IMAGE (C) Jessica Rhian Creative