Moved by both deeply personal and universally relevant experiences, Tara Van is one of the most convincing artist-creators in Toronto. Tara Van’s songwriting seems very much a matter of personal expression and settling scores—with herself, certainly, but also with all those who have gone through similar struggles.
Her road to being a musician wasn’t all rosy. Since four years old, one would find her high up a tree, lost in her world, while scribbling song lyrics in her notebook. Years at school bore scars from bullying, and she took refuge in art school as the place where she belonged among misfits.
Tara’s music is the window to her soul, in which she is liberal with self-disclosure, sharing experiences with vulnerability. She overshared, as she revealed she has a textbook ADHD personality, letting her audience in on her internal state, whether happy, sad, or angry.
She has been able to reach even more fans after an international tour, with stops at the International Pop Overthrow Festival in Liverpool and Copenhagen. Most notably, she had the opportunity to play at The Cavern Club, the legendary home of The Beatles, which was a very noteworthy milestone in her career.
“Hello Human” by Tara is the proving ground for her talent and commitment to making music that makes a difference. Drawing from her time spent in Panama and ruminations around the environment and social issues, it begs the need to embrace beauty in this world and be able to connect. Her new collaboration on “Hello Human” with Malory Torr and Patrick Cederberg brings out her extraordinary ability to work with other talented musicians to create a sound different from others.
It’s a method we’ve grown accustomed to from the grassroots artist, whose influences range from Joni Mitchell and Carol King to Amy Winehouse when bringing across her brand of emotionally resonant folk-pop.
“Hello Human” is an open door into the outdoors and to take a deep breath, which brings hope and togetherness for one to remember that we are a part of something greater.
The track starts energetically, with playful handclaps and bright synth accents directly pepping one up; it’s like an inclusive warm hug, one that beckons everyone on board. Tara’s soothing voice, deeply peaceful in its tone, does carry with it the feeling of joy. It’s fast-beat and reverberating melody evoke freedom, and liberation from all the stresses of life. The music is soft, like a breeze that just sweeps you away into calmness. It speaks to the fact that amidst all the chaos, there’s always beauty. Further into the song, vocals by Tara sail above the stirring strings and breathe pure inspiration. Her voice makes one bond with nature, reminding us of our place in the world.
“Hello Human” blew me away; it is one of those songs that gets you right from the start and never lets you go. The production style is pure genius, and uplifting, setting the tone for the whole song. The design is also brilliant, with that added layer of sparkle and vibrancy that so well complements Tara’s silky emotional vocals. Tara’s music is refreshing, and “Hello Human” is faultless proof of it. Feel free to give it a spin on Spotify.