TANMAYA BHATNAGAR writes music that you sit with quietly. A whispery tone engulfs her songs. Writing about love and loss and everything in between.
Tanmaya writes music that is ‘simple’, as she says. Words that speak directly to you. Words that aren’t shy to speak of vulnerability and the delicate nature of being in love.
Her new single ‘
I can't go back to sleep', a song inspired by her own experiences is one that’s been playing in our office on repeat :)
A product of a nomadic life, Tanmaya loves journalling, poetry and discovering new music.
She likes to listen to music with the lyrics in front of her so she can understand the thoughts of the artist.
Here she helps us understand hers.
Tanmaya is wearing Amoeba day dress.
"The perfect evening dress that I would love to wear on a date with friends or my partner. This one was my favourite."
Your favourite childhood memory and your earliest memory of music.
I think travelling and having a lot of space to run around, living in the mountains in Sikkim.
My earliest memory of music is with my mother. She used to play the guitar and the keyboard at gatherings and would teach children at schools. I remember how beautiful she would sound when she sang 'I Have A Dream' by ABBA on the keyboard.
If you could live like a celebrity for a day, who would it be and why?
Haha, Well I don’t know if I would like to be a celebrity. I’ve heard it is not an easy life. I would rather be rewarded for my work as an artist and live a comfortable life.
Since you lived in Germany for a while, tell us your favourite things to do there.
1. Go to an Aldi store and buy really good wine for cheaaaaaaaaap!
2. Go to Friedberger Platz in Frankfurt on a Friday to hang out in an open park with friends and wine.
3. Hop on a fast train to go see Paris.
4. Travel to the Black Forest (in the winter) and swim in an open swimming pool surrounded by mountains and snow.
5. Appreciate all the seasons! Fall is the most beautiful, full of warm autumn colours - although spring is beautiful too.
What's on your mood board?
A lot of pictures of Audrey Hepburn, cats, flowers, and people dancing under an orange sky.
Who would your fantasy dinner party guest be?
I would love to hang out with Mac Miller and talk about life over dinner. Although he is no more, his music has left me thinking about how he must have been as a person and his songwriting has made a huge impact on me.
Tanmaya is wearing the Vreeland dress.
''Made me feel super lovely. The bright red with the beautiful hand-printed motifs made me feel happy. I could run around in it all day with lilies in my hand."
Tell us a bit about your design journey.
Apart from making music, I have studied Communication Design and enjoy being a creative person. I love working with mixed-media and exploring animation. For my thesis project in college, I created a short animated film called 'Supriya, my mother' which went on to gain some recognition. I hold it very close to my heart.
What's a trend you hopped onto during the lockdown?
Collaborating with other artists!
Something you're looking forward to post Covid.
Definitely performing. I would love to perform at a gig and talk to people, watch other artists perform. I'm also looking forward to being able to work without feeling scared because I really miss going on shoots.
What's your most overused emoji?
I think the hug emoji.
Describe your music style
Emotional
If you could collaborate with one musician (living or dead) who would it be?
Elliott Smith
What's a song everyone should listen to?
W.I.G.F.Y by Bowls feat Ditty and Karan Singh
What would be the title song of your life?
Has to be something created by Jon Brion (the music composer of the movie Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, I think he is the only one who could create something…. truthful )
What's a song you can't stop singing?
34+35 by Ariana Grande (lately)
And this song called Little Person by Jon Brion from the movie Synecdoche, New York
"Loved the details on the back and the sleeves. Perfect for a summer evening gig."
Something you want to leave behind in 2020
I would not like to leave anything behind. This year was strange, painful and if I step outside my bubble and my own shoes, there are people who lost so much. I am only grateful to be able to see the light of the next day and have my loved ones with me.
Your vision for the new year
Moving forward with a lot of positivity, trying to navigate through all this mess, creating beautiful things without having the need to be loud about it.
