TANA TALKS HOLLYWOOD PROBLEMS

Interviewed by Culture Coast Talks editor Daniel John. Interview transcripts might have been edited for length and clarity.

For how long has music been intertwined with your life. What are your earliest memories of getting into songwriting, expressing yourself this way?

I’ve always been a creative kid since I was little. I think my love for music really begun when I was eight years old. I used to walk past this guitar shop on my way to school everyday, and I begged my mum to buy me a guitar so I could learn to play. I was just so intrigued by the shape and the sound of it. I wrote my first song when I was fourteen. My mum actually helped me write it and she hooked me up with a producer friend who helped bring the song to life. Being honest, the song wasn’t that great, but at the time I was super proud of it because it was the first song I had ever written and the beginning of my journey.

From your earliest songs to 'Hollywood Problems', themes like fake friends, toxic relationships, and destructive desires keep recurring. Would you say this through line reflects something you deal with a lot?

Well, some of my songs are written from personal experience, and some are just made up stories. I guess I do find myself writing about the beauty in the disaster, the mystery and the bad. It’s kind of enticing isn’t it, and I think thats what Hollywood is. Everyone has this idea that it is this perfect place, but it is also kinda messed up, but for some reason you always want to go back. I’ve been there a few times, and although I feel like LA has lost its magic, something always draws me in, but I can’t put my finger on it. Maybe theres something in the air. (Laughs) I don’t know.

While some would argue meaningful art comes from pain, that’s probably in itself just another example of how toxic life as an artist can be, if not approached in a healthy way, at least. How do you manage that?

I agree that meaningful art comes from pain. I’m quite an emotional person, and some of my best work comes from heartbreak or toxic relationships. It helps write a good song and it’s very cathartic, but once it’s done it’s done. I like to move onto the next project and leave those feelings behind otherwise you just carry it around with you and thats not healthy. I feel as though I have got a good circle around me. It’s very small one, but it’s all I need really, just my close friends and family.

Blowing up one’s ego is to some degree needed when trying to conquer the pop-world, but as for “The Hollywood girl”, it’s risky territory to be in. Is that something you consciously think of a lot. To not go "Hollywood" yourself, but to lead by example and to enter, and leave, any room with non-toxic energy?

I think in any industry, it’s always a good thing to be confident. Being an artist means acting, you are always going to be watched and be at the forefront, and you have to assert a certain confidence to make people aware of your presence. For me, I had to grow that confidence because I was always such a shy kid, but I think its important to stay humble, and stay kind, because people are always going to remember that.

It is often said you should never meet your idols, but is there anyone you’d still take that risk to collaborate with?

Rihanna, Sia, Miley Cyrus, Jesse Rutherford, The Weeknd.

Do you have any more music set for release soon?

It’s my first release for the year. I’ve got a lot of new music which I’ll be very dropping soon, and some fun performances too!