Words by Emily Hollitt
With a quick wit, unashamed attitude, comical self-exploratory lyrics, earworm melodies and beautifully arranged tracks, TIAHN may be new to the scene, but she’s not disappearing any time soon! Her first single, Dodgeball, dropped only last year, already awarding the young starlet 3K streams on Spotify alone. The track perfectly blends self-consciousness with a preppy beat, celebrating the small achievement of simply making it through each day. It acts as a comfort blanket for those navigating the daily stresses amongst the monotony of everyday life. TIAHN creates music that is not only a blast to listen to but showcases so much of her vibrant personality.
Her latest single, Woman (On My Own Terms), is no exception. A sharp middle finger to ridiculous patriarchal norms, the track pokes fun at the absurdity of gender expectations in our modern world. TIAHN doesn’t shy away from critiquing body shaming, defending foul-mouthed women and the simple act of wearing what you’re comfortable in, rather than what’s appealing to others, alongside the over-sexualisation, objectification and presumed control of women’s bodies. “Think what you want, think what you need, but I’m the woman I wanna be” she repeats in the bridge, expressing her contentedness with herself.
She further cements these ideals with her debut music video. Dropping just this week, the stark imagery showcases the daily struggles of women. With 25 of her closest friends and families volunteering to take part in the video alongside her, the video demonstrates the beautiful community women build around themselves, supporting each other through navigating systems that actively work against them.
Woman (On My Own Terms) has slotted itself so easily into my Spotify ‘On Repeat’ playlist; I just can’t get enough! So, I just had to pick TIAHN’s brain to dig deeper into not just the message of the song, but what makes her tick!
You’ve just released your sophomore single (and first music video) Woman (On My Own Terms) and it slaps! What inspired this song? And what was the writing process like?
Thank you so much! I wrote this song as a reminder to myself (and anyone who needs it) that the patriarchal standards of women are outdated and ridiculous. I started writing the song when I was asked “what finishing school I graduated from”. It made me realise how often women are made to feel like they have to be a certain way. We are made to feel that we have to be polite and agreeable, we have to watch our manners and mouths, and we have to look a certain way. This song serves as a reminder and a big middle finger to all those expectations.
I actually wrote a few different verses for this song and was undecided if the 2nd verse would make the cut. I didn’t know if it was “too much” with all the swearing but I realised that is exactly the point of the song. To say fuck it, and speak my feelings, exactly how I want them spoken.
You worked with Harry Verity (It’s Acrylic, Cardboard Cutouts, Telemona) for the production and Ken Kimura (Isuzu, Containers for Change, Halycon House) for the filmmaker. What drew you to these creators to help bring your vision to life?
I worked with Harry Verity on my debut release Dodgeball and really enjoy working with him. He is not only a wicked producer, he is also a fantastic ally, supporter and overall cool guy.
I met Ken Kimura through a recommendation from my friends at The Thrift Off, Jennifer Laycock & Samantha Le’Claire, (check out their thrifting reality show, produced by Ken)!! Ken is an incredible filmmaker, and I saw how he could bring an idea to life and knew I wanted to work with him.
How did the idea for the music video come about?
The idea for the music video was crafted from experiences most women have faced. We wanted to capture how universal these tired expectations are, and we wanted to flip them on their head and bring the power back to the women.
What did the process of filming this video alongside the creation of this song teach you as an independent artist?
This process taught me how willing people are to help if you ask. I was lucky enough to have around 25 of my friends and family in the video and it felt like a lot to ask them. But to my surprise, everyone was so excited to be a part of it (I think I surprised Ken with how many people got involved haha).
I think that goes for anything as an independent artist. You have to put yourself out there and ask the question, otherwise you’ll never know what could have been. The more I do it, the more confidence I’m growing with reaching out to people.
Who are three women that have inspired you the most in your life?
Oofftt, I don’t think I can narrow it down to just three!! There is a community of women who have raised me to be who I am today and that’s honestly one of my favourite things about womanhood.
The women in my family are strong, powerful and brave and I will forever be in awe of them. I was lucky enough to have my Mum, Cousins, Sister-In-Laws and Nan in the video which felt sooo special.
I also have so many beautiful friends that show me every day that women can do literally anything. They are intelligent, funny, kind and honestly killing it at life and they always inspire me.
Who are three local femme artists that have shaped who you are as a songwriter and creative?
First, my queen Hazel Mei!! I’m lucky to call her my best friend and got the privilege to live with her for a couple of years. She is such a hardworking creative and honestly inspired me so much to start this project and put music out. And she makes absolute tunes, so go check her out!!
Pipin is also a big inspiration for me. She is so unique and let’s that shine in everything she does. Seeing her perform is always a huge inspiration. Check out her EP ‘Music For Moths’.
Emily Marguerite was my singing and piano teacher when I was in school and she was such a beautiful inspiration for my songwriting and creative journey. She would encourage me to write songs and actually helped me record in our lessons which started my love for songwriting. She has the most beautiful voice so definitely check her out!
What made you want to get into songwriting and music?
I was OBSESSED with filling my schedule with every band/music lesson I could and when I started singing, I was hooked. My poor family heard it all, the good and the bad. I used to trap my mum in her home office and play the most horrendous cover of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on violin until her ears were probably bleeding.
I started songwriting when I was an early teen. I always loved making little diddies & found it as a great way to process my emotions. I would sit at the piano for hours and just play and write until there was nothing left. It has always been super therapeutic for me.
What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a woman in the creative space?
Standing up and creating space for myself in a male dominated industry has had its challenges. I think most women in the industry (and any other industry for that matter), has had a situation where they are made to feel less than, or not good enough because they are a woman. I think the more we stand up for ourselves and the people around us, the stronger the community grows.
With closing venues and the persistent after-effects of COVID-19, local music has really taken a hit. Who are some local acts you’d love to shed some light on?
Oh, absolutely add these artists to your playlist and hype them up!!
Hazel Mei
Pipin
Gregory
Malina Claire
Millie Atlas
It’s Acrylic
Herston Grange
And finally, what advice would you give to any young creatives wanting to burst onto the scene?
Put yourself out there and just give it a go. You have so much time to grow and you will continue to write/make better music but we all have to start somewhere.
I personally held back for so long as I would think of all the ‘what if’s’. The best thing I have ever done for myself was putting out Dodgeball and just seeing where it takes me. So, as Nike would say “Just Do It”.
Woman (On My Own Terms) is out now – LISTEN HERE
Discover more from Good Call Live
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
