Band Interview: Tarah Who? (Second Interview)
Games, Brrraains & A Head-Banging Life are proud to bring you a second interview with hard rock band, Tarah Who? You can read the original interview here.
This time round we speak to both Tarah G. Carpenter (TGC) : Vocals , Guitar & Matthew Peltcher (MP): Bass, Backing Vocals.
1. How did you get started as a band?
MP: I joined about a year ago. The band formed quite a while ago, Tarah can tell you more about that…
TGC: I started writing songs when I was 15 or so. I was too scared and shy to share them though! I first asked a bunch of friends to see if they wanted to sing those songs but it wasn’t what I had in mind. So I started singing those songs and making demos, sharing them online. I had my first gig in Los Angeles alone, in a warehouse. It was packed and I had no idea what I was doing! Not that I do now !
I started to take all of this more seriously and giving more concerts, and writing more. I started getting a following, and producers wanted to work with me but I didn’t like where it was going. “They” wanted to turn me into a new Avril Lavigne or some girly, poppy singer-songwriter kinda thing. I started surrounding myself with musicians I wanted to work with. Over the years I got more and more confident with the sound I wanted and the personalities I wanted to work with. And that is where we are now.. 🙂
2. How would you describe your sound?
MP: Grunge, rock, punk, some hints of metal. We definitely have a loud, driving sound.
TGC: We are definitely Rock, but each song is influenced by some punk or grunge, garage, pop,metal etc.. We are very energetic ( especially live) , we are loud and we like to scream.
3. What bands/artists would you say have influenced your style of music?
MP: I personally have been influenced by Nirvana, The Cure and Rancid, to name a few. I guess, for the TW?s music, you can hear a lot of 90s music influences.
TGC: I listened to a LOT of Alanis Morissette, Foo Fighters, Distillers, Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage.. but I never had the intention of sounding like any of them. At every show, we hear that we sound like Nirvana. Personally, I have never listened to Nirvana, outside of the hits on the radio. Not that I don’t want to, but now that people say that we sound like them, I don’t want to get to know them and be influenced or compared to them.
4. Has the rise of YouTube & music streaming helped or hindered you as a band?
MP: YouTube and streaming music helps tremendously to get your music out there and heard. I’d say it has helped us quite a bit.
TGC: YouTube and music streaming is the new music industry. It doesn’t pay much (or not yet!) but it gets the word around. Promotion!
5. What do you enjoy doing when you’re not making music?
MP: Biking, quite time, listening to music…stuff like that.
TGC: Spending time with friends and family, taking care of my fur babies and reptile! paint, take pictures, explore the world, read, getting tattoos. Accomplish life goals.
6. What are your future plans musically? Tours?
MP: We should be coming out with new music and a tour is in the works. If you are in the Los Angeles area keep an eye out for local shows at tarahwho.com or follow us on social media.
TGC: Outside of Tarah Who? I am working on a friend’s project. Now that our EP “Half Middle Child Syndrome” is OUT and available digitally everywhere, I am going to make it available physically at as many places as possible as well. 🙂
We have a few music videos that we are going to release soon, preparing for a tour in the US and a European Tour in 2018. We actually have a LOT going on and coming up, like Matt said, keep posted on our social media, we communicate it all on Facebook, Instagram etc… 🙂
We’d like to thank Tarah Who? for speaking with us again & Stencil PR for arranging it. You can find out more about the band over on their official website, on Bandcamp, on their Facebook page, over on Twitter & on Instagram.
