Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with TAHNE

Singer-songwriter TAHNE discovered the healing power of music at a young age. Born in Wisconsin, she experienced the foster and juvenile care systems and turned to music. Drawing upon her past, TAHNE’s songs are empowering, truthful, and meant for everyone.

TAHNE has been collaborating with and mentored by a who’s who of the music scene including Paul Worley (Lady A, Dixie Chicks), Sean Garrett (Beyoncé, Fergie) and now Grammy Award-winning producer-songwriter Shannon Sanders (John Legend, India Arie).

We had the pleasure of speaking with TAHNE about her journey in the industry.

PC: How did you discover your passion for music?
TAHNE: That’s a great question. When I was a little girl, my twin cousins would come to Wisconsin, (where I’m from). They were singers from California. I always loved music—music was always woven into my life in so many different ways—but when they would sing, I would see the joy that it brought to everyone around us. That’s where it started for me. I wanted to sing because I admired them so much and the bravery that it took to be able to do that.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
TAHNE: I grew up in foster care. I went into foster care when I was eleven years old. When I didn’t have love and light in my life, I turned to music. I would sit next to my radio and wait for the songs to come on. I’d press record because that’s what we did back then. My whole journey in music has been such an evolution of self-discovery. Because of that journey I’ve been on in my life, I’ve learned that vulnerability can be a superpower. I’ve seen how music impacts my life and the people around me, but I’ve also seen how music has impacted other people’s lives. Being able to share my journey, my story, and my truth has given me a way to connect with other people in a profound way.

PC: That’s actually the perfect segue to this next question. You’ve said in previous interviews that being vulnerable in your craft has really helped you grow as a person and artist. Has that always come easy for you to tap into that vulnerability? Has that ever been a scary prospect?
TAHNE: It’s always scary to tap into vulnerability because you’re exposing a part of yourself that’s so raw. It’s interesting. I’ve always been able to tap into vulnerability because I’ve experienced so much in my life. It’s not really a matter of tapping in. It’s a matter of truth and authenticity. I don’t think it’s as much a matter of learning how to as it is allowing yourself to.

What I try to do is allow space and room for that authenticity to shine through. Obviously, there’s a lot else that goes with that too. It’s about being able to be present in yourself and in your life. That’s more what I’ve had to cultivate in my life: the presence, the stillness, and giving myself the permission to feel things and to know that it’s okay to not always be okay. It gives me a means to be able to write music like I do—music that really speaks from a deep space in my life and in myself.

PC: You’re an artist who has been releasing music throughout the years. If you had to pick one song that encompasses who you are as an artist, which would it be and why?
TAHNE: Gosh, all of it. But actually, you haven’t heard the one yet that first comes to mind. That’s a little teaser for you. But it’s coming out very soon. But so far, probably “Clarity.” If I had to pick one, it would be “Clarity.” In all of my songs, I’m very much about unity, love, and empowerment, and the reason for that is that I didn’t have much of that in my own life. I was constantly judged. I was in and out of the juvenile system and foster care and all these different scenarios in my life. When I wrote “Clarity,” I really wanted to be able to share all of that.

I wanted to be able to share the healing, the growth, the overcoming, the presence, and the ability to be able to help other people be present. But even in the bridge of “Clarity,” I was like, “Let’s pull it back here. Let’s open that space so that other people have moments to reflect.” Because it’s really so much about self-reflection. That’s what my music is focused on. Yes, I’m sharing my story, but I’m not out to tell too much necessarily because people don’t have time for that. But we all want to have a place where we can relate and connect. I believe “Clarity” is probably the best representation of who I am out of these first few songs that I’ve released over the last few months—the song that really encompasses who I am as a person, what I stand for, what I believe in, where I’m going.

We’re constantly growing. We constantly need to seek clarity. We constantly need to reflect because one day we might feel one way and the next day we might feel another. That’s being human. That gives other people the permission to be still and to reflect and gives them a place where they can do that in a fun, artistic way. It takes the pressure away from it. It helps people relate because it’s self-reflective.

PC: Oftentimes with the incredible music that you’re releasing, you’re also pairing it with a visual component. Are you visualizing those music videos as you’re working on a track? What is that process like?
TAHNE: It’s a little different for every song that I write. Sometimes I write songs and the lyrics just come to me. It’s like, “Oh my gosh. There it is. It’s like it was a gift. It’s laid in my lap.” But other times, it takes a lot more vision and a lot more intentionality behind that aspect of it. It really depends on the song, what the song is trying to say, and what the song is doing for me in that moment. For example, two nights ago I was at the studio and we were writing this really incredible song. (I’m so excited about it. It’s more of a bop. Super pumped.) But that song immediately started bringing visuals to my head. Immediately I was like, “Oh, so in the music video, we can do this and that. If we did that, then maybe we could curve the lyrics this way.”

So it depends. With “Clarity,” it wasn’t that way. With “Clarity,” it was literally like I had an epiphany. It was like, “Oh my gosh. I get it. I understand why my life was the way it was.” I want to shed light on that for people so we can have more empathy and compassion for our parents and understand that they’re human too—they’re still trying to figure it out. If we could have more of that then holy moly, this could be great. That song was focused on the message itself.

It’s different every time. But I am always a visionary. I did hair and makeup for a long time. I love interior design. I see things before they are there. That’s why I did a good job doing hair because I could see it before I did it. I can tell you if it was going to look good on you or not. I was able to exercise that part of my creativity. That’s helped me be able to bring these visuals to life as well.

To keep up with TAHNE, follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Spotify.