Artist Bio
Vanessa Tamati is an Australian singer-songwriter and poet. She draws upon her experiences growing up in the country as a Maori-Aboriginal trans girl. Vanessa dedicates her practice to articulating complicated and overwhelming feelings whilst dating in the modern world, shedding a light on the reality of love for many girls today.
Artist Statement
The vision I wanted to create has three distinct parts, which reveal an issue at hand, break a toxic cycle, and show what happens after the fact.
‘Icarus’
Here I wanted to evoke the iconic James Bond ballad, infused with inspiration from Adele and Billie Eilish. Miranda Green and I first developed chords on this song before we introduced Clarence Brown to take over the piano. The song has slight Jazz touches.
‘It Feels Alright’
Here I wanted to reveal how a toxic cycle plays out. An admission of pain, but one which ultimately returns to the cycle because it feels like the only option. The song has a catchy chorus which feels inescapable. I developed this piece alongside Miranda Green, with Riley Geer helping on the drums.
‘Broken’
Admitting that you were the problem is one of the hardest things to do. Changing is even harder. This song is dedicated to that experience. Through my vocals you can hear how I’m breaking and rebuilding myself. I recorded all of this track by myself.