Melbourne indie/alt-pop singer-songwriter TAMS/N OTWAY is creating her own narrative.
It’s an impassioned and liberating narrative that flows through the creative outlets that helped her in the darkest of times. Those times when life’s most challenging experiences lead to the most significant revelations and self-discoveries.
“I had a mental breakdown,” says TAMS/N. “I didn’t know who I was – I’d been in a couple of really terrible situations and abusive relationships, which just led to a lot of self-worth issues. Somewhere along the way I’d lost my voice, when I realised it was always there, just in my songs.
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“I only ever wrote songs just for myself in my bedroom and they were never for anyone, and then I just chose to start doing it live and singing them at little cabaret places that I found – people really liked them and I felt like they were really genuine with their response.
“Music helps me change my narrative, especially because it’s my art, my songwriting and my words. It just feels really authentic to me. It makes me feel very powerful.”
That strength is exemplified in her empowering and emboldening songs, such as her 2021 single Audacity. “That song was based off mostly working with a toxic boss,” says TAMS/N. “I’ve worked with many toxic male bosses where they speak to you in a degrading way and they’ll say they’re forward-thinking, but they have misogyny woven into pretty much everything they do and they’re not really able to accept that’s ingrained in them, so that song was more of a playful take on dealing with misogyny.
“It was a little bit like Shania Twain’s Man! I Feel Like A Woman! in a way – poking fun at misogyny because sometimes in my songwriting it can be very serious and I was just experimenting with telling a story in a different way – maybe something that might be a bit more fun and keep people’s interest a little bit more. I think it’s a necessary thing for us to do, so we initiate change and especially within the music industry – it is still there.”
TAMS/N believes that social media has been important in helping women take control over their image and art. “At the moment, there are so many women in the music industry who are on top of the charts like Lizzo,” says TAMS/N. “I think pop has been the biggest genre for women expressing themselves – because of social media, women are able to take more control over their image. I think Lizzo has a great attitude and she’s got such a huge social media presence, so she connects with all of us. Her songs have a great message for women and confidence, and I really love that.
“I love that I have complete control over my songs and my image. I think with more and more independent artists and the ability to share it on social media, women have a lot more chance to create their own narrative,” says TAMS/N.
Sonically, TAMS/N’s music traverses alternative, retro, dream and cinematic pop spaces as she moves from playful, gleaming and anthemic to raw, vulnerable and haunting. Since the release of the single So Sad in 2019, TAMS/N has released her 2020 EP Sin and a string of catchy and unique singles, including Fallen Angel (2020), You, I’m Alright (2021), Audacity (2021), Love Me Always (2022) and her new single Lonely. The line ‘don’t you call me when you’re lonely’ in Lonely refers to leaving a toxic situation and not allowing it to return, which she believes can be attributed to various scenarios. Bold and fearless, TAMS/N sings tales of struggle, heartbreak and toxicity with honesty, charisma and empowerment.
“What’s nice is I’ve found a really great co-producer in Tobias Priddle, who has helped me take my ideas and songs to the next level. Along the way I’ve also learnt more about production and producing my own work. ‘Lonely’ is my latest single and the song I’m most proud of when it comes to production. I spent a lot of time pushing myself to achieve this sound and I love it! I wanted to bring back big f**k off guitar solos in pop music and it’s the most fun I’ve had making a song”. Tobias (Tij) Priddle is an ally and male artist I would recommend working with.”
TAMS/N possesses a passion for pop music in all its forms and experimenting with where pop can go, listing Lana Del Rey, Lady Gaga and Doja Cat as embodiments, but she has always loved an epic ballad and anthem.
“The first song I was obsessed with was My Heart Will Go On from Titanic,” she says with a laugh. “I just really always connected to those big belting ballads because they’re so beautiful and emotional. I love that Queen’s songs can sometimes just be all over the place, which I love and it really resonates with me. Lana Del Rey’s songwriting is one of the best I’ve ever heard, and her storytelling and the sounds that she uses. I’m so into Shania Twain – that early 2000s/90s styled voice and also that attitude, and then I really adore a little bit of pop-punk, so a bit of Green Day and Avril Lavigne I was obsessed with that when I was a kid.
TAMS/N identifies with artists who reinvent themselves. “I’ve never been able to fit into one genre, even when I was in high school,” says TAMS/N. “I was friends with all different groups. I floated around and I’ve always enjoyed different things. I think as people we change, and I’m always influenced by what’s going on around the world at the time and what’s going on in my life. I’m always changing; I’m always interested in adapting and growing, and I never want to be stuck in one spot.
“I’ve always had the performer in me. I learn visually and I express myself visually as well. I think that’s why I love being an independent artist so much because I get to create my own songs and also create my own visuals. I can create my own photos and I love making my own music videos, so it becomes this huge creative experience, which is just super fun for me.”
Performance-wise, TAMS/N had to change her singing techniques when she was diagnosed with a hiatal hernia. “It kind of compromises your diaphragm and also sometimes because of reflux it can ruin your vocal cords a little bit,” TAMS/N explains. “I have had to try to adapt and change my singing techniques, especially for live gigs because of that, so I’m a bit nervous, but I’m excited to get back on stage and continue doing more and then just get better and better.
“I would love to finally get to release a full album. That is definitely one of my goals. I’ve probably got an album’s worth of songs that I’ve written, but they just need to be produced and worked on. If somebody else finds solace within my music or they feel heard or seen or they connect with something, I think that would be a huge accomplishment and privilege to have.
“The world can be difficult and life can be really hard, so we’re all just trying to find ways to connect and music’s such a great way to do that. Getting feedback from people who have listened to my music is probably one of the greatest things I’ve ever experienced. If I connect with one person, it really means the world to me.”
For more on TAMS/N OTWAY, visit her website here.
This article was made in partnership with TAMS/N OTWAY.
