After the roaring response to her much-loved singles 'Mother Nature' and 'Liquid Courage' earlier this year, Brighton-based singer-songwriter Tamara Kramar continues her upward ascent with the shimmering new effort 'Sunflower'.
Lifted from her forthcoming new EP 'Make It Poetic', which is out in June, 'Sunflower' makes for a dazzling return to form for the artist at the helm. With its warm and lofty aesthetics bouncing off her spellbinding vocals throughout, we can't wait to hear what else she has in store for us on this new EP as well.
So with the new single available to stream now, we sat down with her to find out more about her origins and what has been inspiring her most lately.
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What was the first instrument you fell in love with?
The first instrument I fell in love with was the piano, but it took some time! My parents signed me up for a class when I was 7 and I stuck with it for almost 9 years, even though I did not like it at first. I became obsessed when I realised you can sing while you play!
What kind of music did you love when you were younger?
At first, it was just whatever my parents were listening to, for example Norah Jones, who stuck with me to this day. Later, I found an Alicia Keys CD in the house and could not let go of it. That later led me to names like Nina Simone and Ella Fitzgerald.
What was the first album you remember owning?
It would have been the 2007 As I Am Alicia Keys record that I found in the house! I did not speak English yet at that time, but I phonetically transcribed all her lyrics and learned them just to be able to sing along haha!
What is the one song you wished you could have written yourself?
There are so many out there that I wish I could call mine! A song that I thing is genius in how it captures emotion is Love Is A Loosing Game by Amy Winehouse – I would not be upset to call that one mine!
Do you have any habits or rituals you go through when trying to write new music?
I like to start songs in a pure flow state where I just play and sing whatever comes to me. Once I land on something I like, I will access a topic or a concept that I have been meaning to write about. These I often have written down in my phone which comes very handy! But mostly, I just try to have fun with it.
Who are your favourite artists you have found yourself listening to at the moment?
My absolute favourites for the past few years have been artists like Olivia Dean, Eloise, Cleo Sol, Nai Palm, recently Marika Hackman and bands like Hiatus Kaiyote.
If you could open a show for anyone in the world, who would it be?
I would be honoured to open for so many artists but recently I saw Olivia Dean in Bristol and sharing the stage with her and her band would be a dream come true!
What do you find is the most rewarding part about being a musician?
For me, the most rewarding part is when someone connects to my music and enjoys the live show. A lot about being a solo artist is quite solitary and sometimes lonely, so to then go out, perform the songs and have people connect with them is just incredible.
And what is the most frustrating part?
That would be finishing anything ever! The moment an idea is born is to me the most exciting but then having to finish it can become very frustrating.
And what is the best piece of advice you have received as a musician?
To always stick to authenticity. I believe that being yourself and making art that is true to you will take you the furthest! I remind myself of that advice every day.
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Tamara Kramar's new single 'Sunflower' is available to stream now. Watch the live acoustic performance video in the player below.