Tarah Who? you say? To find out more we get in-depth with the members of these Los Angeles rockers as they discuss their latest release “Half Middle Child Syndrome” but before that, let’s put out a little background on the band first.
The mind, soul, rock’n roll heart beat and operator behind ‘Tarah Who?’ is French / American Singer & Multi-Instrumentalist (drummer, guitarist & bassist) Tarah G. Carpenter.
Born in Paris, Tarah got her first drum set at age 14 and shortly after began playing the bass, and the guitar. After performing drums and bass in Paris for a few years,in several bands, Tarah decided to travel to Los Angeles to explore the music scene. Tarah answered an ad on craigslist “looking for an artist to perform original songs at a warehouse Party Downtown”. After performing solo for the first time, the songs she had secretly written on the guitar, she decided she wanted to do her own music and started playing under the moniker ‘Tarah Who?’.
Tarah Who? is true 90’s spirit, anthemic sing-a-long choruses and a punky edged energetic live show.
Live and on recordings, Tarah Who?’s songs jump out and grab at you to listen. The fact that Tarah can rock the drums just as hard as the guitar is enough to make any listener pay attention. While Tarah’s been called the female Pearl Jam, her music stands on its own and a live show you don’t want to miss.
Tarah Who is Tarah G. Carpenter (TGC), Vocals, Guitar – Matthew Peltcher (MP), Bass, Backing Vocals – Coralie Hervé (CH), Drums.
Tell us about the process of writing and recording the new songs on “Half Middle Child Syndrome”.
TGC: I wrote the songs (music and lyrics) a few years back. I started recording the demos of those songs and introduced them to Matt, who added his bass lines. For a while we didn’t have a drummer so Matt and I rehearsed with a vocal and guitar track that I had previously recorded and we were jamming and writing the drum parts.
Once in the studio, everything was honestly a little improvised, but it all worked out perfectly. We worked with Jason Orme (Alanis Morissette), who is an amazing guitar player, musician and human being! Jason came up with some new ideas that we worked on, on the spot. It was overall an amazing and memorable experience. We are currently working on a new EP. We enjoyed working with Jason so much that we have asked him to help us out again on this new release and I am really excited this time to include Coralie, our new drummer on this next release.
Jason Orme co-produced the ep. He came up with great arrangement ideas such as percussions, and backing vocals. He also re-wrote the drums and bass for “Pay to Play” and made it sound way more groovy and interesting. It was really nice to work with him because he really got involved, but he wasn’t taking over anything. He had suggestions, if we liked them great! if we didn’t, he wouldn’t get offended. It felt like we were all on the same page. It was really nice. Everyone was working for the music and less for themselves, if that makes sense…
Our friends from Paris, DRY CAN were touring in California during this time so we invited them to stop by and Anne Lupieri and Antoine Abinun sang some backing vocals on a few tracks. It was a lot of fun, and we are really happy to have them on our tracks now.
Yes, this EP was a lot of fun!!
What were some of the things you wanted to achieve with “Half Middle Child Syndrome”?
TGC: “Half Middle Child Syndrome” has a more mature, easy listening, type of feeling. Our previous ep, “Federal Circle of Shame” was really raw, very punk rock and angry, dry. We also recorded it in France. “Half Middle Child Syndrome” was recorded in LA and co-produced by Jason Orme who brought a lot of pop elements I think? The ep sounds a little less dry and less “angry” than our previous one. It’s not necessarily something that I was looking for but It happened and I like it. Matt has joined the band in July 2016 and I really wanted to integrate him in the writing process, I think that is something that we have successfully achieved.
I wanted to release a good 5 song EP to come back to the LA scene and introduce my new bandmates and I think that it worked out pretty well. I can’t wait to work on our next EP!
Do you enjoy the process of creating? Are you someone who continually writes or does the best come out under a little gentle pressure?
TGC: I love writing, or .. I love the feeling of inspiration. I can’t plan on writing. It is something, an emotion, that comes unexpectedly. Musically, I am usually just playing around a like what comes out of what I’m doing, so I will record it and maybe use it later.
The lyrics are the most important part of the writing process. Everything is based around the lyrics. When I write, I hear the music. I hear the full song. The drums, the bass, the vocals, the arrangements, everything. Then it takes me a few days or weeks to work on the final structure. Once it is set, I record demos tracks and send them to Matt and Coralie. I like to send the tracks with everything (drums, bass and guitar) and also a version with only drums and guitars for Matt who plays the bass, and guitar and bass for Coralie who is our drummer. They work on the songs on their own time and because we have different skills and brain(!!) if they come up with different ideas, we talk about them and see which one we keep. We work really well together. We want to write good songs and for everyone to be happy with their parts.
I can’t write under pressure. I can’t force it, I don’t like it. It doesn’t make sense to me.
We also happen to be an independent band, so we don’t have to force ourselves to anything. Luckily, I have been able to write a good amount of songs, that we can choose from a few for our next EP, and still have more for another EP next year.. I’m not worried about this.. everything and everyone inspires me.
What does it feel like as an artist waiting for the songs you’ve lived with for some time to get released to the fans? Is there a sense of excitement or a little panic in there too?
TGC: We live in a world in which every little thing, every little step is a big one to us! lol! I like to get things done. I like to finish things. For me, recording is a big step and it’s not done until it is released. the release is the opportunity for us to get exposure and present ourselves to new potential fans. It is very exciting! The panic part is to get everything in time for the release date! The Cd’s, The merch etc… but even if it’s stressful at times, it’s just very fun and exciting. We are a band, we are musicians but we are also a little company on our own!
How does it compare to previous releases and songs?
TGC: I actually didn’t press our last Ep (“Federal Circle of Shame”) Thinking that we lived in a digital world, I wanted to see first the demand. Turns out, I was right, a lot of people ordered online so I didn’t need to print CD’s. During our live performances thought, we play a few songs from that Ep, and as our popularity grows, it looks like we are going to need to print more CD’s from our past releases. We will see in time. As of for now everything is available online on Cdbaby and iTunes. Our past release was not stressful at all because I didn’t have to order a bunch of merch and Cd’s etc. Our release party was in France and everything turned out perfectly! It was a lot of fun and everything was very simple.
“Half Middle Child Syndrome” was a little more stressful. I had bigger expectations. It was a LOT of work and it was very stressful but we managed it all and we had an amazing time at the Viper Room, and everything turned out perfectly. It is a great memory now.
What were the lyrical themes of the songs?
TGC: “Garden Of Chloé(s)” is about two friends of mine, from a different time, named Chloé. They both committed suicide. This song is not as dark as it sounds like. As a matter of fact, for my second friend who committed suicide not too long ago, it actually made sense. I used to be really close minded about the topic. Not understanding really of people that were really going through tough times. Chloé has had a really .. really hard life and for the first time, it just made sense, and I didn’t see it as a selfish or weak act. I just understood.
“Sirens” is about the Paris attacks. We played this show once with this young band in France who claimed not being scared of terrorism. I was really upset to hear what they had to say. This band was from a small town on the French west coast. So yeah… from their perspective.. This event was not scary. I am from Paris and I happened to be in Paris and close to the events. I actually was supposed to go to the Eagle of Death Metal Show. I have lost a friend and I knew people at the Bataclan. I went out the next day of the events, and I had never seen Paris so empty. It was a ghost city, and that little guy, was showing off on stage, claiming that he was not scared of terrorism. It is easy to say that you are not scared when you haven’t lost a friend, or have friends shot at.
“Little Pieces” is a silly song of a bunch of events that happened to me within a year. From being cheated on, to back stabbing friendships, my house getting broken into twice, being roofied at a club, etc… the full title of this song is “Little Pieces of shit in Plural”
“Pay To Play” well.. I think the title self-explanatory? Here, I explain what pay to play is for people who don’t know what it is.
“Ache” is about the hypocrisy of being misunderstood and mis-communication. Basically, I find it easy to always put the fault on someone else, blaming communication. Things can be pretty simple if people were just more honest. I have been accused of mis-communicating, (and I think Matt and Coralie can tell you that when I have something in mind, I usually say it) until I realized that the problem was not coming from me. It was actually the other way around. While I was being honest, and communicating my thoughts, fears, plans and everything, the other person was being a hypocrite and dishonest. Therefore, there was no solution. It was only a one-way effort, but it was all blamed on my “lack of communication”.
Any favorite moments or songs on “Half Middle Child Syndrome”?
TGC: I really enjoy listening to “Ache”. During the recording, I really enjoyed coming up with new arrangement ideas, and doing silly things like the percussions.
Did you imagine how these songs would play out in a live situation?
TGC: We like to sound like on our recordings but we also like to play around with the structure of some songs. “Ache” is really fun live for instance, for our song “Pay to play” we like to invite guests to sing the song with us. Especially because we really believe that paying to play is a big scam, so the more people we get involved, the bigger and stronger the message is. Turns out, it is a lot of fun to work with different artists!
Tarah Who? are currently doing the rounds on the tour circuit, for those that are looking to come to a show, what can people expect?
TGC: A really fun and exciting show! Get ready to head bang and hopefully mosh pit a bit:)
CH: We are a very energetic band so I hope that people can feel it and have fun as much as we do.
MP: Expect a very loud and intense show. We definitely have fun on stage and hope you will too.
TGC: We are currently on a mini SoCal/ Vegas tour. I really enjoyed personally being on the road with those guys! We had a lot of fun in Vegas and I am really excited to get back on the road with them! It was very refreshing to get out of LA, and to meet new people, new fans, new energy and new crowd. We can’t wait to hit the road again!
MP: I loved Vegas too. The energy was great…the people there were cool as hell. I know we will be heading back there in April and I can’t wait.
How do you pick out a setlist and is that a difficult process?
TGC: I like to imagine how the crowd is going to react and it really depends on that and who we are playing with. If we are playing with hard rock bands, I am going to play our louder songs, if we play with lighter bands, I am going to pick our easier-to-listen-to songs!
MP: It’s not difficult…I guess we have a system for figuring it out. We definitely take our audience in to consideration when putting the setlist together.
What is your favorite song to play live?
TGC: I like to play “In my mind” because of Coralie’s drum solo. I love playing “Ache” because it gets really intense, and I get to scream my heart out, and “Coughdrop” too because it just really … angry! haha!
CH: All the songs are really fun to play. I’ll say “Too Much Thinking” and “Ache” are my favorite.
MP: I love “Ache” because it gets the crowd riled up. “Pay to Play” and “Cough Drop” are fun to play, lots of energy and move the crowd.
How has the experience of playing live been like for the band so far?
TGC: Coralie has joined us last June 2017. So, we are still all getting to know each other. It’s funny though because it really feels like we have been together for the longest time, all together. We get better and better, playing together and figuring out our sound and mimics together. It’s a lot of fun to play with these guys and I can’t wait to travel more!
MP: Fantastic!! As cheesy as it sounds, this is the band I’ve always wanted to be part of! I have two of the coolest band mates and I think, together, we kill it on stage.
CH: I really like it’s so great!! We all are in the same page so it just amazing to play together.
Any favorite places to play live? What has been some highlights from a tour or a show so far?
TGC: I like festivals and motorcycle clubs! Festivals because people are in to have a good time, they do not care! MC’s because they really enjoy our music.
MP: As far as a club, I like the Viper room. For a local venue on the Sunset Strip it usually has a pretty good crowd and overall sound and lighting.
TGC: I have 2 stand out shows: 1 was in London, it was a really really punk bar. This woman broke her arm while mosh pitting and she wouldn’t leave the crowd, even when the security came to “rescue her”. The other one was at Big T’s in Oregon, I had booked what I thought was a dive bar, but really was a strip club. One of the best nights! Playing Rock’n roll with dancing naked ladies! IN-SANE!
MP: I really loved the support we got back in June at our Half Middle Child Syndrome release party at the Viper. Thanks again everyone and can’t wait to see you at the next release!!
CH: I really think that every show that we play is better and better. It’s so exciting!!
How did the band form and get started?
TGC: I started in 2006 as a singer songwriter. Producers helped me out starting my project but over the years, I got more confident in making decisions for my music and what I wanted for my songs. 2016, I meet Matt, who is the most supportive band mate I have ever had, He joins as the bass player, and Now Coralie who also, is super supportive and professional. We are a strong team, having a good time performing Loud Rock songs!
What have been your greatest challenges to date, and your favourite moments musically?
TGC: Finding my current bandmates was by far my biggest challenge in this whole process!
My favorite moment musically.. it’s hard.. I have a few. I love the magic that happens in the studios, and every recording session had its magical moment. I don’t have a favorite one at this time. I think that, now that Matt and Coralie are here, there are many more favorite moments to come, and even then… Every moment is part of our growth. It is hard to pick one favorite. Every person that we meet or work with is very unique and special.
MP: Learning to quickly adapt and work with different people has been pretty challenging. This year, favorite moment was definitely working with Jason Orme (Alanis Morrisette). Great musician and person. We will be working with him again and I can’t wait.
With technology changing so much over the last few years and seemingly not slowing, and TV force-feeding us the lowest common denominator, what hope is there for rock & metal music?
TGC: Well.. I don’t know about you, but I am the kind of person who likes a band especially if they are not (that) well known! I agree.. and sometimes I wonder what happened to Rock, Metal, people that actually PLAY music! But then .. I hear about new bands and I am like ” oh! here they are!”. There are a lot of Alternative Rock and Metal bands our here in LA… It’s actually hard sometimes to even know which is which!
I personally prefer bands that actually play everything, over bands that have playback tracks..with that said though… A good performance is just a good performance! I go out to be entertained. Rock and Metal is still out there, maybe it is not standing out because it is not as original anymore.
I don’t know. I haven’t really followed any bands lately. What do you guys think?
CH: I really think that there are still some really good rock and metal band. I don’t think that these genres will die one day because they’re just so good.
MP: Technology like any other tool can help or hinder depending on how it is used. I think it is absolutely amazing we can make our music available to anyone in an instant and it helps us do some promoting, invites, songs, videos, etc. for free…so, I think technology is great! I don’t watch T.V. and I’m not sure who watches it anymore either. Rock and Metal have a very interesting future…both are evolving, so it depends on what you mean by hope. They will be around for a long time but you might not recognize the genre like you’ve heard it before…doesn’t mean it’s dead.
How do you feel about the current music scene right now?
TGC: Music scenes can be different from a city to another. In LA, you have really cool spots, but it is a really hard market to break through. There are SO many bands, and promoters don’t really care. They just want to book the venue. You have some exceptions of course, but you have to find them. We prefer to hit the road, because it makes more sense to us to play outside of LA. Everywhere is the same though… LA is just harder because it’s a massive city.
MP: What can I say, music scenes come and go, evolve, pop up in the most interesting places. There are definitely differences with music scenes in big cities vs. smaller cities. In general, think the music scene is just fine, bands are working hard trying to break through…I see no slowing down.
From what you’ve learned so far what is the most valuable advice you’ve been given so far as a musician?
TGC: I have worked and trusted a lot of people. Over the years, I have learned to do my own thing, without caring (too much) about what people think. In the end, Art is art. I write because I have something to say and everything in my music has a meaning. If someone tries to change that, the meaning will change too. Working with Matt and Coralie is amazing because they truly understand and respect that. They don’t have the big ego saying, “I MUST ADD” to make it my own. Thanks to their personality, I can express myself fully, as far as the emotions, intentions and sincerity behind the songs, and we all can express ourselves, during the live performances. They know what the songs are about and because we, more or less have been through similar experiences in life, they can relate and feel the same emotions and interpret to their own. It is important to stay true to yourself and your vision.
MP: I think you must understand what it is you, yourself want. Ask yourself, be clear, understand what that “want” means for you. There is so much nonsense in the world, trying to disguise what is really happening in your life…learn to ignore it as best as you can. Stay focused, stay humble, be yourself. Enjoy the journey, we all think about the “end goal” but what about all the crazy fun you have getting there?
CH: Take the opportunities when you can and do it now. Don’t be afraid.
Who are some of your main influences?
TGC: I listened to a lot of Alanis Morissette as a teenager. She was a big inspiration, but I never wanted to sound like her. I just really enjoyed her music and world. Then I started listening to all those 90s bands, Foo Fighters, Rage against the Machine, Tool, Pantera, Motorhead, Distillers, Garbage, Smashing Pumpkins, Hole etc.. etc…
MP: At an early age I totally wanted to be like the guys from The Cure or Depeche Mode. I got more of a rock influence from bands like Nirvana, Rancid, Smashing Pumpkins and The Pixies.
CH: My favorite band is Nightwish, symphonic metal. I’m a big fan of this genre and I love hard rock too.
Who or what inspired you to be in a band and play music?
TGC: I never really thought of it. I wanted to play music, my parents were not really into it. If anything they wanted me to play the piano and I didn’t want to play the piano (at the time). So I started playing the drums in high school, with some friends. We were playing music.. Then I joined another band as a bass player.. and that kept on going.. I never thought of becoming anything. I just love playing music, so I keep doing it.
MP: When I was a kid I would touch any and every instrument I could find. I think I always wanted to play music, be in a band, etc.…it’s like you just discover other people that want to do the same along the way and eventually you form a band. I played trumpet in the school band and formed my first band in High School with my best friend.
Do you believe music can still change the world?
TGC: I still believe that music affects people. People change the world, so if you inspire people through music.. yes.. music can still change the world.
CH: Yeah, I believe it because music is a universal language that everybody understands. You can feel the message and emotions of a song, it’s just magical.
MP: Hell yes! It changed my world and still does. It’s like the most powerful medium I know! It inspires, excites, motivates, makes you want to dance and sing along. I heard Kat Corbett (KROQ, Los Angeles) mention that music saves lives and I agree! Every day I am grateful that music exists and I try to listen to as much of it as I can.
If you could be a fly on the wall for the recording of any album in history, what album would it be?
TGC: I don’t think I care too much about being in a recording session if i am not part of the project to be honest! Also with recording… well.. some people use so much plug ins and what not, that I prefer to watch the band play live and see what really is going on.
MP: I’m not sure what enjoyment I’d get out of a recording I’m not working on…it’s a personal experience for the musicians and technical people who work on an album. As a fan, I’d rather just hear the final product.
What is the meaning of life?
TGC: I like to see life as an experience. People should have fun. It pains me to see people work so hard and miss out on life. They wake up too late, realizing that they should and could have done it differently. We spend so much time worrying or caring too much about the wrong things. Take a deep breath and realize that as long as “it” doesn’t kill you… you ARE fine. Your life should be fun and exciting. Whatever you believe in.
MP: The meaning of life is that there is no universal “meaning” for anyone. Create your own meaning, your own reason for being here. There are completely unique universes in our own minds, everyone has vastly different lives and therefore have different meanings for their own lives. It is more simple than complicated.
CH : To be happy by doing what you love.
On that note, Tarah did mention a special release coming up for their next tour that will include both the current release “Half Middle Child Syndrome” and some new material:
For our Vinyl collectors: (and this is an exclusive note!) Due to our short length of songs (each of our 5song ep is about 15 minutes long) we are thinking of releasing a vinyl that will have one side “Half Middle Child Syndrome” and the other, our upcoming ep. That we will be selling on our next tour! So.. 2 eps on One Vinyl!
If you are in the Los Angeles area, catch the band performing at the Redwood Bar & Grill on W. 2nd St. on Decmeber 2nd. More info can be found at facebook.com/Tarahwho.
