Q&A's

 

Tamara Stewart, Australian native who calls Nashville home, is kicking off her 2023 with the February release of her brand-new single “Mean Girl,” the first new music since her acclaimed album, The Truth, The Music & Me. With the single release on the near horizon, as well as the launch of her ‘Heal My Story’ podcast and an upcoming UK tour with Elles Bailey, we had the opportunity to catch up with Stewart and talk with her about the new single, her forthcoming album (due out later this year), using music as a transparent empowerment vessel, embracing the Americana genre, and much more!

(Interview by: Jeffrey Kurtis

 

1) The wait is over for many of your fans as you’ll be releasing new music this year (2023) starting with “Mean Girl” on February 3rd. You’ve offered a couple clips to tease the song on your socials, but can you tell us a little more about the song and what we can expect from it?

The song is the last one written for the album and I’m so grateful time allowed me to wait for it to be shared. It’s a conversation between two women, me and the other, a message of concern and friendship and a message of hope to anyone who hears it and knows they aren’t alone.

2) After a few years hiatus, really since your album The Truth, The Music & Me, why did you feel that “Mean Girl” was the perfect first song to reemerge with and give us our first hard look at what you’ve been working on?

The more time I spend chatting to people through the lens of healing and music, the more I realize it’s a powerful medium for us to paint clearer pictures about our experiences. I’m less afraid than ever to do that and in many ways, this new album is the aftermath of what was birthed on The Truth, The Music & Me. “Mean Girl” is the piece of that last puzzle that I wasn’t ready to sing about.

3) In what ways do you feel your fan base will see similarities between this song and what they’ve already heard from you in the past, but also what differences will absolutely be revealed that show your growth as a songwriter and artist?

I Think most of us either know someone or ARE someone who has felt trapped in relationship or a toxic life situation. I’m less afraid of what others think and that shows in my music and the way I live my life. I now lead my own journey and that has been a hard-won victory. I am open and I also allow things to lead me, and I think that is the beauty of self-awareness and transformation in music, as a Woman, and as a community.

4) The song is part of a highly anticipated album that’s due out later this year. What’s the overall vibe of the album and what are we going to hear from it that maybe the single isn’t going to show?

It’s a collection of songs and truths that I’ve been touched by as a Woman. An album of Triumphs, Tragedies, a little bit Sassy and a whole lot Sincere. I love sitting in the Producer chair and being able to utilize the best Nashville session musicians and studios is always an honor. Musically, I am so proud of this album, and I can’t wait for it to be out in the world. Americana is a genre I am loving being in. There’s such a freedom in it. 

5) This March, you’ll be on tour with Elles Bailey in the UK.  What are you most looking forward to with this run of shows?

I love playing to UK audiences. We just ‘get each other’. They get my dry sarcastic humor and respect the music and the culture of being an awesome audience. It’s a deep feeling of belonging I feel on stage in the UK. And I adore London. I think I lived there in a previous life. I seriously can’t wait.

And Elles Bailey, that girl is a Soul Sister. We met in Nashville many years ago and it was an instant ‘click’. We’ve written a bunch and hung out a heap over the years. We had an unforgettable writing trip in Spain a few years ago that remains a Core memory for me.

I know it’s going to be a special tour on every level.

6) You’ve had a lot of success stories in your career as a songwriter/artist but have kind of flown under the radar in the UK, though you’ve certainly established a fan base there. In what ways do you feel this tour and your upcoming releases will help grow that fan base to new heights and bring you to the next level in the UK?

I think it’s more about me on the inside that creates a new chapter and ability to be available for new levels and new audiences. I am just giving the most open and honest version of who I am, and I deeply want people to hear and see what I have been creating. I feel the energy around this project and a couple other things I’ve been working on behind the scenes allow for new ways to connect to my message and my music.

7) Speaking of success stories; congratulations on your 2012 CMAA Award for ‘Vocal Collaboration of the Year.’ What does award recognition like that mean to you personally?

The song and the concept of that when recording and writing it, was a celebration of Women in Music in Australia. I was honored to win because that album Appleseed was me claiming back my power in many ways. That award felt like the closing of a chapter for me. That was the last album I released before I moved to America, and I had worked my soul to threads trying to find my place in that industry back home and had some truly amazing years.

Awards and recognition are nice for that sense of acknowledgment on some level, but they shouldn’t define an artist. IN fact, in some cases, they can trap creatives into having to dance the same dance over and over.

I’ve been grateful, in hindsight, that my career still allowed me to jump around until I found my groove, the lane that is mine to roll in. This new album is the second release since I found my way. And it is fully celebrating who I am as an artist and a woman. Leading with my own voice and my own truth.

8) Switching gears to your podcasting….you’ve had a lot of success in the past with your podcast, and will be launching a brand-new one later this month titled “Heal My Story.” Tell us a bit about the new podcast.

It’s a passion project for sure. We launch soon and it’s a look at how creativity plays into our tools for healing and how we can reach new levels of perspective through vulnerability and curiosity. Special guests and lots of laughs and a few soulful conversations that I think many listeners will hear themselves in. I want to create a community around this, and a podcast is such a great framework for that.

9) Between “Heal My Story,” “Mean Girl” and your new album, what overall message this year do you hope people will take away from you sharing your story that will help them overcome their own struggles and tribulations?

All they need is inside them- BUT do not go it alone. We are hard wired for connection and tune into this album and Podcast and sit with it. We may not be the same or have the exact same story, but the essence of who we all are pours from the same cup. As my Guru Dolly Parton says, “You can’t control the wind, but you can adjust the sails.” Let’s sail our boats together, all of us. The ocean can be lonely, but we don’t have to be.

10) What one piece of advice can you offer to someone who is just starting out and trying to break into the music industry?

It’s not about you. It never was. Find a bigger reason to create and release and arm yourself with humility and integrity. You’ll be unstoppable.

 

 

Copyright

Copyright © 2024 Today's Country Magazine. All Rights Reserved.
Joomla! is Free Software released under the GNU General Public License.